Elon Musk’s financial support and political ties deepen in Texas
Federal Election Commission filings reveal that Elon Musk has made substantial financial contributions to Texas Republican candidates, exceeding $158 million to super PACs supporting Ken Paxton’s Senate bid, which Musk publicly endorsed on X. He also donated $5,000,000 to Governor Greg Abbott’s reelection campaign, making him Abbott’s largest donor.
State Representative Gina Hinojosa, Abbott’s opponent, has filed a lawsuit seeking access to 1,400 pages of correspondence between Abbott and Musk, which Abbott’s office has attempted to withhold, citing concerns about the content being “intimate and embarrassing.” A judge recently ruled that Abbott illegally obstructed access to these documents and ordered their release, though Abbott has appealed the decision, with a hearing scheduled for November 2.
Representative James Talarico, challenging Paxton for the Senate seat, has highlighted his opponent’s legal troubles and questioned the relationship between Paxton and Musk, stating, “Ken Paxton has the ultimate megadonor. Elon Musk is trying to buy this Senate seat.”
Musk’s business ventures have benefited from favorable treatment within Texas for years, including lucrative contracts, tax breaks, and political support. He relocated Tesla’s headquarters to Austin in 2021 and SpaceX’s headquarters to Starbase in 2024.
According to sources at WIRED, changes occurred within the Texas Attorney General’s office around 2021, where lawyers were increasingly directed by executive branch officials, including Paxton and Abbott, regarding which individuals and issues to investigate. This occurred despite internal efforts to prioritize more conventional cases.
Notable instances include Paxton’s office launching an investigation into Twitter in 2022, shortly after Musk threatened to abandon a $44 billion acquisition deal, and a subsequent investigation into Media Matters after the organization published a report about advertising placements on X. Paxton also launched an investigation into the World Federation of Advertisers after Musk filed an antitrust lawsuit against them. Furthermore, Paxton intervened in a Department of Justice inquiry regarding Musk’s America PAC sweepstakes program.
Recent developments include a call for an audit of $110 million in grants allocated to Starlink, a $1.66 billion tax break for Musk’s Terafab chip manufacturing facility, and approximately $30 million in state grants to SpaceX.
Source
“Elon Musk’s Ties to Texas Republicans Go Much Deeper Than the Midterms”
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