Houston Chronicle by Andrea Zelinski Oct. 22, 2019
House Speaker Dennis Bonnen will not run for re-election in 2020, he announced Tuesday, citing a growing consensus among Republican lawmakers that he cannot continue as a leader in the Legislature.
The announcement came a week after audio from a secretly-recorded private meeting was released, revealing Bonnen deriding fellow members of the House. He is accused of trying to bribe conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan, the CEO of Empower Texans, by asking him to spend money to politically attack 10 moderate Republicans in the primary election. In return, Bonnen offered Sullivan’s group press credentials that would give his staff access to the House floor as members deliberate and vote on legislation.
“After much prayer, consultation, and thoughtful consideration with my family, it is clear that I can no longer seek re-election as State Representative of District 25, and subsequently, as Speaker of the House,†he said in a statement.
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