Texas GOP House speaker won't face criminal prosecution

Source: Associated Press

Texas GOP House speaker won't face criminal prosecution
Updated 10:44 am CDT, Thursday, October 24, 2019



Photo: Eric Gay, AP
FILE - In this May 23, 2019, file photo, Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, right, with Governor Greg Abbott, left, speaks at a news conference at the Texas Governor's Mansion in Austin, Texas. Bonnen said in a statement Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019 he will not run for re-election, making the announcement less than a week after the release of a secretly recorded conversation in which Bonnen sought help ousting members of his own party in 2020 and called a female lawmaker "vile."


AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A district attorney says Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen won't face criminal charges for offering House media credentials in exchange for campaign help.

Brazoria County District Attorney Jeri Yenne released a statement Thursday calling Bonnen's actions and statements "repugnant" but said there isn't enough evidence to warrant criminal prosecution.

Bonnen was facing a state police investigation into allegations of misconduct after the release of a secretly recorded conversation in which he sought help ousting members of his own party in 2020 and used foul language to disparage Democrats.

Bonnen announced on Tuesday he will not run for re-election as speaker or his House seat after a growing number of Republicans called for his resignation.

The scandal has thrown Republicans into disarray at a time when their state dominance is slipping.

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/texas/article/Texas-GOP-House-speaker-won-t-face-criminal-14559339.php