Texas State Representatives Call on Dennis Bonnen to Resign for His Backroom Shenanigans
Jose Nino
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Texas House Republicans want State Representative Dennis Bonnen to step down as House Speaker.
On Tuesday, the audio version of Speaker Bonnen’s quid pro quo deal of media credentials to Empower Texans CEO Michael Quinn Sullivan in exchange for attacking certain Republicans was released to the public. BLP covered this backroom deal back in July.
The reaction so far has been explosive, with several House Republicans calling on Bonnen to resign according to a report from Texas Scorecard.
State Representative Steve Toth was the first to comment after audio went public, declaring in an official statement, “Speaker Bonnen needs to resign as speaker immediately. Based on the recording alone, it’s clear Speaker Bonnen has not been truthful about his meeting with Mr. Sullivan.”
“This is not who we are as a party. It’s an affront to our system of public service and should never have happened. Republicans must take the lead in reforming the Texas House by replacing the speaker,” Toth continued. “Texans will rightly judge us by our urgency and commitment to do the right thing as expeditiously as possible.”
State Representative Matt Schaefer, who represents a district in East Texas, told the Tyler Morning Telegraph, “The behavior we tolerate becomes the standard we set. The transcript released today confirms that a serious breach of integrity has been committed on multiple levels. Speaker Bonnen should resign.”
“We do not need a legal and ethical cloud hanging over House Republicans as we ask Texans to trust us with their vote in 2020,” Schaefer stated.
State Representative Kyle Biedermann stood by his initial call for Bonnen to step down, which was prompted after he listened to Bonnen’s audio recording back in August.. Biederman informed Texas Scorecard that “All Texans now know that Dennis Bonnen created a double standard for all of his colleagues and lied repeatedly to each of us when he was caught. This has proven the worst about Texas politics in a time when we sorely need more from our elected officials. We must take swift action to replace the current leadership and restore the public trust in the Texas House and in the Republican caucus.”
State Representative John Smithee, who caused a stir in August for declaring that the Republican caucus had a “Texas-sized mess on its hands,” also joined in the calls for Bonnen to resign on Tuesday. Smithee said to a local reporter that he believes that there are other members with the “character and integrity to lead the House.” In his view, this scandal represents a “forfeiture of the speaker’s right to lead.”
“I think almost anyone who listened to the tape had to be sickened and disgusted by what they heard,” Smithee said to another North Texas news outlet. “It exposed an underbelly of a culture of corruption in Texas politics [that] I think is probably inexcusable.”
Retiring State Representative and staunch conservative Jonathan Stickland, who was one of the first to call for Bonnen to resign after he received information about Bonnen’s meeting, made sure to remind everyone that his suspicions were right all along. “TOLD YA!!!!!” Stickland tweeted.
State Representative, who was mentioned multiple times as a primary target during the recording, had previously demanded Bonnen’s resignation during the summer. On Wednesday, he declared it was “time to cut the head off the snake.”
State Representative Travis Clardy, who was also listed as a potential target in the same recording, has not openly urged for Bonnen’s resignation but he stated on Tuesday that the House Speaker had done “irrevocable damage” to the Republican caucus. Clardy said that he is looking forward to the Republican caucus’ retreat this weekend, which is the first meeting of Republican House members since the scandal came out three months ago.
On Wednesday afternoon, State Representative Tony Tinderholt released a statement asking Bonnen to resign. “The Texas House cannot tolerate deception from our leaders,” he said. “While an investigation is currently underway, it is not up to the Texas Rangers to decide whether Dennis Bonnen is fit to remain Speaker of the House. Regardless of their findings, I (along with many constituents in House District 94) feel he should resign.”
State Representative Ernest Bailes proclaimed on Wednesday that he was disappointed with Texas House leadership and “I will not stand for it.”
State Representative Tan Parker also demanded Bonnen’s resignation. In a statement Parker commented, “If we cannot honor our commitments as elected officials between each other, I am not sure how the Texas House upholds the trust of the people of Texas.” He continued, “We need to restore the confidence in leadership, and I believe speaker Bonnen should resign in order for the House to heal and move forward.”
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