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This article is issued with Texan Editorial Board and Texas Tribune As part of the initiative, report on how the authorities owns Texas.
Texas lobbyist Elon Musk during the 2025 legislative session did not compete with huge energy and telecommunications companies that usually work dozens. But Musk and his companies still hired more lobbyists this year than any other since 2021, according to the Texas Commission on Ethics.
Musk, a businessman -millder behind Tesla and Aerospace Company SpaceX, has influenced several new Texas laws this year. However, his lobbyists came to these victories, more a mystery.
His lobbyists who represented Tesla, SpaceX and Giant Social Media X Corp. spent tens of thousands of dollars on things such as gifts and food for selected Texas and others during the session, according to the analysis of state ethics. In most cases, Texas transparency laws do not require lobbyists to disclose what politicians they have won and have dinner or on behalf of customers.
The Texas edition appealed to all 12 Musk lobbyists registered in the state. Only one, lobbyist Kerry Simmons, who considers Tesla among her customers, responded, but she refused the survey. She said only Musk companies could comment on this session.
Electronic letters sent to Moscow and Musk itself were not returned.
The Texas edition was given the opportunity to find hints at some of its actions in the records obtained from the Governor of Lieutenant Dan Patrick and Senator Adam Hinhos. Other documents that discuss their deeper ties in detail, hidden from disclosure.
Ethics experts have stated that the responsibility for the improvement of transparency is Texas legislators. The state law provides a “basic transparency” for the public who the lobbyists are, and who they represent, said Andrew Katets, a former lobbyist who wrote the leadership of the rules of state ethics.
“In addition, the legislature simply did not endure the advantage of sufficient transparency in how dollars actually spend on the legislators regularly.
Tom Forbes, President of the Professional Propaganda Association of Texas, the State Labik Organization, stated that the lobbyists sometimes get a bad rap, they play an important role for legislators trying to make decisions on difficult politics. He told Texas Newsroom that his group “Agnostik” about making the reporting requirements tightened, but follow any changes that state implementations.
“Our association will obey any law that is adopting the legislation,” Forbes said.
Who rent a thunder and who they lobby?
Eight lobbyists Musk worked in SpaceX, according to the applications to the ethics commission. Tesla had four, one of which also worked on X.
Lobby Musk – former advisers and staff of Governor Greg Ebot, including Mike Tumi and Reed glue. Another lobbyist, Will Makads, once sat in the Texas utility commission, which regulates the electrical, telecommunications and water and sewage utilities.
Everyone other than one lobbyist had other customers for whom they also worked, which complicated to track how much costs went on the agenda. Benjamin Lancaster, a former legislative employee, was only on SpaceX’s salary.
The lobbyists do not need to report their exact salaries, only the pay range. According to the ethics commission, Musk promised to pay somewhere from 400,000 to almost $ 1 million for a total of his lobby for work this year. Half of them can rob more than $ 110,000 each who works for Moscow companies.
Each month, lobbyists report their overall expenses. But the state rules do not require disclosure from them, who was at the receiving end when the lobbyist did not pull more than $ 132.60 per one in one day. These include food and drinks, transport, accommodation or entertainment. Taxes and tips are not taken into account. The information disclosure threshold for gifts is $ 110.
The lobbyists also do not have to disclose who exactly attended the events that all legislators were invited, such as lunches serving the entire Texas strip of representatives, or happy hours spent outside the site.
In practice, these rules mean that the lobbyist can buy the same elected bifsex dinner every night. So far, the daily expenses remain under so much, they do not need to say who received free food.
This year, lobbyists have spent more than $ 46,000 for food and drinks for elected officials and their employees, families and guests this year, state records reports. None of them described in detail what the selected officials may have been at the reception, which means that all their costs remained under the daily threshold.
Jim Clans, a former chairman of the ethics commission, said that for several lobbyists, usually divide one bill to stay below the reporting threshold.
“They have 15 different credit cards to make sure everything is below the border,” Classy said in Texas Newsroom. “The legislature must change it. And if they did it, they will not get it for free.”
A Slate bills for ethicsIncluding several to demand transparency at the WHO funded by mass text messages for political campaigns, this year could not become a law, Texas Tribune reports. Meanwhile, legislators approved the new law This will reduce the fine for former lawmakers involved in illegal lobbying.
What do other records show?
While lobbyists should not disclose what bills they discuss at private meetings with officials and their employees, they should note their position if they decide to testify on the legislation. This is exactly how the Texas edition identified 13 bills under which Labi Musk took a public position.
The Texan edition was able to get an additional understanding of the impact of the lobbyist from the records obtained through public information requests.
Hinojosa calendars, recently elected Republican South Texas, who has been the author of several bills that benefit SpaceX and other aerospace companies, showed that he or his staff had been scheduled to meet lobbyists or Musk missile company at least three months. E -mails showed that Patrick wrote a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration that supports SpaceX’s ability to increase the number of launches on its Southern Texas missile site.
Patrick also invited a tour of Tesla Gigafactory outside Austin, these records showed, but it is unclear whether he went.
Neither Hinoos nor Patrick responded to interview requests.
Texas Senate refused to release other documents that could shed light on how Musk’s companies interacted with elected officials. Refusing the release, Senate Secretary Patti Slew said that the connection between legislators and residents of Texas “confidential by law”.
According to her, the reason is to “ensure the right of citizens of the state to petition for their government, without fear of persecution, revenge and state ridicule.”
This may include e -mails with lobbyists.
Lauren McGohai is a journalist Texan Editorial BoardCooperation between NPR and public radio stations in Texas. She is in the corner in Austin. Get to her in (e -mail is protected). Sign up for An angle -bueline.
