State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, the Democrat nominee for Texas governor, sued Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in Travis County on Monday to inspect his office's emails with Elon Musk. Abbott's office called the lawsuit "baseless," and under the law she is using, Hinojosa would have to keep whatever she sees confidential, meaning voters would learn nothing from it before the Nov. 3 election.
State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, the Democrat nominee for Texas governor, filed a lawsuit against incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday, demanding access to emails between Abbott and Elon Musk in his office.
Abbott slammed the lawsuit, calling it “baseless” as the race heads to Election Day.
From Courthouse News:
Texas gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa sued Republican incumbent Greg Abbott on Monday, accusing the governor of violating state law by shielding his communications with multibillionaire Elon Musk.
In a petition filed in Travis County District Court, Hinojosa says she requested to examine the governor’s communications with Musk and his companies for legislative purposes, but the governor’s office illegally denied her request. Hinojosa, currently a Texas state representative, seeks an injunction forcing Abbott to allow her to review the requested records.
“The documented connections between Abbott and Musk are extensive. They include personal interactions, joint public appearances, large political contributions, economic development incentives, and public praise for one another, as well as laws that Abbott and his legislative allies have promoted to help Musk and his companies,” Hinojosa states in her complaint. “The disturbing influence over Texas government of Musk and his fellow mega-billionaires makes clear the importance of Representative Hinojosa’s legislative oversight efforts to protect Texans against the potential abuse of such a severe concentration of power and money.”
Hinojosa claims Abbott’s office already assembled the requested communications in response to a 2025 public information request by The Texas Newsroom. The governor’s office sought a ruling from the Texas attorney general allowing it to withhold the records. Abbott objected to releasing the communications on several grounds, including that they contained information that was “intimate and embarrassing.” Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a ruling directing the release of some of the requested records, but out of the 1,374 pages provided, all but around 200 were completely blacked out.
Hinojosa then submitted a request to inspect the unredacted versions of those documents, but she says Abbott’s office refused to allow her access. Hinojosa argues this violates the Texas Public Information Act, which demands governmental bodies “provide public information, including confidential information” to state legislators upon request.
“The statute is mandatory,” Hinojosa says in the complaint. “Governor Abbott refuses to comply with his clear legal duty. He is breaking the law.”
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Gina Hinojosa has filed a lawsuit to see unredacted emails between Greg Abbott and Elon Musk. This comes after Hinajosa filed a PIR for the emails, but they were redacted. Abbott calls it "another act of desperation." Both candidates voted early this morning. @fox7austin https://t.co/j0PIiuE8ln
— Angela Shen (@AngelaShenFOX7) October 19, 2026
Abbott press secretary Andrew Mahaleris said, “The lawsuit is baseless and nothing more than an act of desperation.”
Hinojosa’s lawsuit relies on a state law that allows legislators to inspect public records. Also, she is not seeking to make the records public and offered to sign a confidentiality agreement.
The lawsuit notes that Musk gave about $366 million to Republican candidates and right-leaning political action committees this election cycle. About $500,000 went to Gov. Abbott’s campaign back in May.
Abbott currently leads Hinojosa 49 percent to 46 percent, according to a University of Houston Hobby School poll.
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