Following Tuesday’s release of the audio recording of his June meeting with Michael Quinn Sullivan, Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen has sent the #TXLEGE report the following statement:
Since my election as Texas House speaker, I have become increasingly concerned about integrity levels in the Republican caucus.
On June 12th of this year, I met with Empower Texans CEO Michael Quinn Sullivan. During this meeting, I gave the appearance of a quid pro quo. I would grant Sullivan’s organization press credentials in exchange for political expenditures against my rivals.At all times, I knew Sullivan would record the meeting and that he would eventually make the recording public.
My plan, all along, was to make Sullivan an obviously and transparently unethical proposal…then see who would defend it.
This was a psychological operations campaign designed to reveal which members of the Republican caucus would defend the indefensible.
No, really, I swear.