Texas governor race: Court blocks Hinojosa from accessing Abbott's communications with Elon Musk
AUSTIN, Texas - Candidates across Texas are making their final push for votes as a new legal development adds to the closely watched race for governor.
After a Travis County judge granted Gina Hinojosa access to Governor Greg Abbott's communications with Elon Musk, the Fifteenth Court of Appeals ruled that the Office of the Governor does not have to comply and issued a stay.
Hinojosa has been asked to respond to the governor's petition seeking to dismiss the case.
What they're saying:
"This was a sham lawsuit in a rigged district court," said Office of the Governor Press Secretary Andrew Mahaleris.
"The trial court judge refused to follow the law and rubber-stamped an illegal fishing expedition into the Governor's Office. The appeals court rightly froze this abuse of process."
The backstory:
Hinojosa granted access to Musk communications
A Travis County judge has ruled that Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa can review unredacted communications between Gov. Greg Abbott's office and Elon Musk. FOX 7 Austin's Julieanna Jackson has the details.
A Travis County judge had ruled Monday that Gov. Greg Abbott must allow his Democratic challenger, state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, to review more than 1,000 pages of unredacted communications between the governor's office and billionaire Elon Musk.
Hinojosa has been seeking access to the records since September, raising questions about Musk's political contributions to Abbott and his companies' business dealings with the state.
In a video posted to social media, Hinojosa criticized the governor's decision to withhold the communications.
"He denied these, saying they are intimate and embarrassing," Hinojosa said.
Hinojosa sues Abbott over Musk communications
The Democratic candidate for Texas governor is seeking access to unredacted communications between Gov. Abbott's office and Elon Musk. FOX 7 Austin's Julieanna Jackson has the details.
Hinojosa also alleged that Abbott redirected a $100 million state contract to a Musk-owned company shortly after Musk contributed $500,000 to Abbott's campaign. Those allegations have not been established by the court's ruling.
The ruling concerns Hinojosa's ability to inspect the records in her capacity as a state legislator and does not automatically require their public release.
Abbott and Paxton campaign together in Wichita Falls
Dig deeper:
While the legal dispute continues, Abbott was back on the campaign trail Monday, joining Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton at a rally in Wichita Falls.
The governor encouraged voters to support Republican candidates across the ballot.
"Are you ready to keep Texas red? Are you gonna vote Republican from the top to bottom?" Abbott told the crowd. "And if you do so, you are going to keep Texas, Texas."
Paxton also criticized his Democratic opponent, James Talarico, portraying his political positions as too liberal for Texas.
Talarico & Paxton's final election push
Early voting is now underway and the major candidates at the top of the ballot are not easing into a final push.
Meanwhile, Talarico made a campaign stop in El Paso on Monday, where he criticized Paxton's record and argued that Texans deserve different leadership.
"We are running against the embodiment of this corrupt system," Talarico told supporters. "We are running against the most corrupt politician in Texas."
The Senate contest has drawn national attention as both parties work to turn out voters in the final days of the election.
Trump campaigns in Corpus Christi, Lubbock
Big picture view:
President Donald Trump also returned to Texas on Tuesday, October 27, as Republicans make their final campaign push.
Trump delivered remarks in Corpus Christi, followed by another appearance in Lubbock.
The president's visit comes as candidates across Texas compete for support in statewide and congressional races.
Early voting continues through Friday, October 30, ahead of Election Day on Tuesday, November 3.
The Source: Information from reporting by Julieanna Jackson and news conferences and rallies with Gina Hinojosa and Greg Abbott.