Texas Governor Greg Abbott's office has released nearly 1,400 pages of emails exchanged with tech billionaire Elon Musk's companies, but the majority of them are entirely blacked out. The documents, which were obtained by the newsroom The Texas Newsroom through a public records request, reveal little about the two men's relationship or Musk's influence over state government.
According to reports, many of the released emails were either already publicly available or provided minimal information, such as incorporation records for SpaceX and invitations to happy hour. Some, however, shed light on how the state entices companies to invest in Texas.
Abbott's office initially fought to keep the emails secret, citing concerns about revealing trade secrets and potentially "intimate and embarrassing" exchanges. However, a court order ultimately required the release of some records, which were deemed not to be confidential or excepted from disclosure.
Critics argue that this limited disclosure is emblematic of a larger transparency problem in Texas. Open government experts point to a 2015 state Supreme Court decision that allowed companies to oppose the release of records by arguing they contain "competitively sensitive" information, making it harder for citizens to access documents documenting interactions between governments and private companies.
One prominent example cited is McAllen's refusal to disclose how much money was spent to lure pop star Enrique Iglesias to the city for a concert. The city argued that such disclosures would hurt its ability to negotiate with artists for future performances, but it was eventually revealed that Iglesias was paid nearly half a million dollars.
The Office of the Attorney General's refusal to investigate whether the records actually contain trade secrets is also seen as a problem. "Corporations are willing to assert that information is confidential, commercial information, and more governmental bodies are willing not to second-guess the company's assertion," said Tom Leatherbury, director of the First Amendment Clinic at Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law.
The situation has been exacerbated by the fact that lawmakers continue to add carve-outs to what qualifies as public information every legislative session. This means that it is becoming increasingly difficult for citizens to access records documenting interactions between governments and private companies.
Reid Pillifant, an attorney specializing in public records and media law, described the governor's decision to release thousands of pages only to black them out fully as "problematic". He noted that such hurdles are becoming more common as legislation and court decisions have weakened the state's public records laws.
According to reports, many of the released emails were either already publicly available or provided minimal information, such as incorporation records for SpaceX and invitations to happy hour. Some, however, shed light on how the state entices companies to invest in Texas.
Abbott's office initially fought to keep the emails secret, citing concerns about revealing trade secrets and potentially "intimate and embarrassing" exchanges. However, a court order ultimately required the release of some records, which were deemed not to be confidential or excepted from disclosure.
Critics argue that this limited disclosure is emblematic of a larger transparency problem in Texas. Open government experts point to a 2015 state Supreme Court decision that allowed companies to oppose the release of records by arguing they contain "competitively sensitive" information, making it harder for citizens to access documents documenting interactions between governments and private companies.
One prominent example cited is McAllen's refusal to disclose how much money was spent to lure pop star Enrique Iglesias to the city for a concert. The city argued that such disclosures would hurt its ability to negotiate with artists for future performances, but it was eventually revealed that Iglesias was paid nearly half a million dollars.
The Office of the Attorney General's refusal to investigate whether the records actually contain trade secrets is also seen as a problem. "Corporations are willing to assert that information is confidential, commercial information, and more governmental bodies are willing not to second-guess the company's assertion," said Tom Leatherbury, director of the First Amendment Clinic at Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law.
The situation has been exacerbated by the fact that lawmakers continue to add carve-outs to what qualifies as public information every legislative session. This means that it is becoming increasingly difficult for citizens to access records documenting interactions between governments and private companies.
Reid Pillifant, an attorney specializing in public records and media law, described the governor's decision to release thousands of pages only to black them out fully as "problematic". He noted that such hurdles are becoming more common as legislation and court decisions have weakened the state's public records laws.
?! So, they're trying to keep all these super secretive emails from Elon Musk's companies blacked out, but it's like, what are they hiding? 
It seems like they just wanna make sure corporations get a free pass on disclosing info about their dealings with the government. And don't even get me started on how lawmakers keep adding more loopholes to public records laws 
Like, seriously, who gets to decide what's confidential and what's not? It's like they're all just playing a game of hide-and-seek with info 
Anyway, it's up to us, the citizens, to keep pushing for more openness and accountability 
! like, 1400+ emails and most of them r blacked out lol what r they hiding 
it dont make sense cuz if elon musk had something to hide he wouldnt have publicly posted about texas being a great place to invest in 
whats wrong with a lil transparency? its not like we r gonna see some super classified info lol. and yeah, this is def part of a bigger problem in texas where they r making it harder 4 citizens 2 access public records 
i mean think about it, we're living in a time where our elected officials are more interested in keeping secrets from us than being transparent with their actions. like whats wrong with a little disclosure, right? its not like elon musk and the governor of texas are best buds or something... anyway im so glad that some ppl are speaking out about this and pushing for change 
we need to make sure our public records laws are strong enough to keep them in check. anyone else tired of being kept in the dark?
. Its like they think its their own private diary or something 
. I mean, Im all for protecting trade secrets and all but not at the expense of transparency, you know? It feels like they're more worried about corporations getting offended than citizens having a right to know what's going on in their government 
. And dont even get me started on how hard its becoming to access records 
. It's like Abbott's office wants to keep us in the dark about what's really going on with those emails. I mean, come on, 1,400 pages and most of them are blacked out? What's the point of even releasing that much information if we can't see any details? And don't even get me started on how this sets a precedent for future requests. It's like they're trying to make it harder for us to hold our elected officials accountable 
. I'm not buying it, folks. We need transparency and accountability now more than ever 
.
. But what really gets my goat is when you think about how this kind of thing can stifle transparency in government. I mean, we're supposed to be a democratic society where citizens have access to information that affects them, right? 
. It's like, no, governor - you can't just claim your emails are private because Elon Musk told you to