Greg Abbott was ordered to release some of his Emails with Elon Musk. Most are blacked out.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott's Office Reluctantly Releases Musk Emails, Most Blanked Out.

In a move that highlights the challenges faced by open government advocates in Texas, Gov. Abbott's office has released nearly 1,400 pages of emails exchanged between his office and tech billionaire Elon Musk's companies, but most of them are completely blacked out.

The records, obtained through a public records request by The Texas Newsroom, reveal little about the nature of the relationship between the two men or Musk's influence over state government. Only about 200 of the pages contain readable content, including old incorporation records for SpaceX, emails regarding a state grant awarded to the company, and an application from a former Musk employee to sit on a state commission.

The documents were obtained after Abbott's office initially refused to release them, citing concerns about trade secrets and potential embarrassment. However, after facing pressure from the media outlet, the governor's office ultimately released the records, with most of them heavily redacted.

Critics say that this latest development is emblematic of a larger transparency problem in Texas, which has seen numerous attempts by lawmakers to limit access to public records. A 2015 state Supreme Court decision allowed companies to oppose the release of records by arguing they contain "competitively sensitive" information, making it harder for citizens to obtain records documenting interactions between governments and private companies.

The Office of Attorney General, which referees disputes over public records, has also been criticized for its lack of power to investigate whether records being withheld actually contain trade secrets. As a result, corporations are willing to assert that information is confidential, and governmental bodies often fail to second-guess their assertions.

Experts say that the governor's decision to release thousands of pages only to black them out fully is a worrying trend in Texas politics. "The fact that a governmental body can redact more than 1,000 pages of documents that are directly related to a major business's activities in Texas is certainly problematic," said Reid Pillifant, an attorney specializing in public records and media law.

The case highlights the need for stronger protections for open government in Texas. As one expert noted, "Every Texas citizen should care about access to these kinds of records because they shed light on how our public officials are making big decisions that affect the land where people live and how their taxpayer dollars are being spent."

I'm kinda shocked by this whole thing... like, you'd think that releasing some emails would be a pretty small deal, but it's more complicated than that in Texas . The fact that most of the pages are just blacked out is super concerning - what exactly are they hiding? It makes me wonder if there's something shady going on behind closed doors. I mean, shouldn't public officials be able to answer questions about how their decisions affect our lives and money? It's like, yeah, some info might be sensitive, but shouldn't we have more transparency than this? The way it works now makes me feel like companies can just strong-arm the gov't into not releasing records. Not cool

I'm not surprised, Elon's rich enough to buy his own Wikipedia entry... I mean, who needs transparency when you've got a bottomless wallet? But seriously, it's crazy that a governor's office can redact so much of the email content. It's like they're trying to hide something or their boss is too busy making space for SpaceX's new HQ in Texas

idk man, this is wild. like, u think gov Abbott's office would just redact 1k pages from emails w/ Elon Musk? that's some crazy stuff . i mean, i get it about trade secrets and all but come on, we should be able to see what's goin on behind closed doors . texas needs 2 step up its transparency game . and can u imagine if they just made up some BS reason 4 redactin' everything? that's just gonna erode trust in gov even more . we need more like Reid Pillifant, who's all about gettin' the truth out .

So now we're supposed to be surprised that a governor's office is hiding emails from a billionaire? Like, what did you expect, a glowing review of Elon's business practices? It's not like this is some kind of precedent or anything... it just says something about the Texas state government's priorities, you know? Maybe they're too busy lining their pockets to care about transparency. Who knows, maybe they're just really good at redacting sensitive information.

I mean, think about it... They did release 1,400 pages of emails, right? That's a lot! And yeah, most of them are redacted, but like, what can you really learn from blacked out words, right? It's all about perspective. I guess the governor's office was trying to be cautious with trade secrets and all that, but come on... 1,000 pages of documents just gone dark? That's some weird stuff.

It's interesting how experts are saying this is a trend in Texas politics, though. Maybe it's time for some change? I'm not saying the governor's office was being malicious or anything, but it does seem like they're playing it super safe when it comes to releasing public records. And who knows, maybe some of those redacted parts are just really boring .

Anyway, it's all good, man... we've got the documents now! We can analyze and stuff. Who knows what juicy details might be hidden behind all that black ink?

OMG just saw those emails between Gov Abbott & Elon Musk ! Like, what's going on in Texas? They're really trying to keep things secret . I mean, 1,400 pages of emails and most of them are BLANK . It's like they think we won't notice . Experts say it's a huge problem . We need more transparency in government! Every citizen should be able to see how their tax $$$ is being spent . This is just weird .

I'm not surprised, but this is still kinda shady . I mean, what's up with all those redactions? It's like they're hiding something from us... or is it just good old-fashioned caution? I don't know, man. I'm all for protecting trade secrets and avoiding embarrassment, but at the same time, we need to be able to trust our public officials to be transparent about how they're making decisions that affect our lives.

I'm also a bit disappointed that the governor's office didn't take this opportunity to show some real transparency. Like, release the whole thing without all the redactions? That would've been a bold move. But I guess we should be glad they released something at all... 200 pages is better than nothing, right? Still, I think there's room for improvement here. We need to keep pushing for stronger protections for open government in Texas. It's time for us to take back control of our public records and make sure our officials are being held accountable.

omg u guys this is insane so now we know texas gov gov abbott's office released 1400 pages of emails with elon musk but like 90% of them got BLANKED OUT i mean what even is the point of releasing records if they're just gonna redact every single thing this just shows how hard it is to get any real info out of gov in texas especially when it comes to those big business connections like experts are saying we need stronger protections for open gov in texas so we can actually know what our public officials are doing with our tax dollars and honestly it's kinda scary that the governor just made this decision without really thinking about how it would affect us as citizens

[A picture of a redacted document with a giant X marked through it]
Texas politics is like trying to find a needle in a haystack... most of the needles get lost in the blacked out space
Can we just get the unredacted documents already?
[A GIF of someone shrugging]

I'm like super concerned about this whole thing . The fact that Gov. Abbott's office is only releasing 200 pages out of 1,400, with most of them redacted, is already a major transparency issue. I mean, what's the point of having open records laws if you're just gonna hide behind "trade secrets" and corporate interests? It's like they're trying to control the narrative and keep us in the dark about how our state government is being run.

And it's not just the governor's office - this whole system is broken. The fact that corporations can just claim info is confidential without any real scrutiny from the Office of Attorney General is a joke . It's like they're giving corporations a free pass to cover up their dealings with public officials. And what about the citizens who want to know how their tax dollars are being spent? Are we just gonna have to rely on rumors and speculation instead of actual records?

I think it's time for some real change in Texas . We need stronger protections for open government, not just more empty promises from politicians. The fact that experts like Reid Pillifant are speaking out about this issue is a good start, but we need to see some concrete action taken. Otherwise, we'll just keep playing catch-up with the corporations and special interests who think they're above the law .

I'm getting worried about the whole transparency thing in Texas . I mean, you'd think that when a governor's office releases 1,400 pages of emails, most of which are completely blacked out... something is fishy . What kind of secrets are they hiding? And it's not just this one incident - it seems like there's a pattern of politicians trying to keep info under wraps . As a parent, I think it's super important for our kids to understand how their tax dollars are being spent and who's making decisions that affect their schools and communities . It's kinda like when they want to know why they have to pay for gym class - we need to know the answers, right? And it's not just about them, every Texan deserves to know what's going on in their state government .

I'm low-key shocked by this! I mean, you'd think with all the fuss about open government and transparency, the governor's office would've just released the emails straight up without the redactions. But nope, they're hiding something for sure. I think it's wild that only 200 pages had readable content – what are they trying to hide, exactly? And those lawyers are just going to keep on citing "trade secrets" and "competitively sensitive" info to avoid releasing the records... it's like they're more worried about looking good than doing what's right. And can we talk about how weak the Office of Attorney General is for not having more power to investigate these claims? It's just another reason why transparency in Texas politics needs a serious overhaul

I'm reading this and I just can't help but think about how far we've fallen in terms of transparency. Like, what's the point of even having records if they're just gonna be redacted to the point where you might as well not read 'em at all? It's like, come on, Texas, get it together! This is exactly why we need stronger protections for open government - so that we can actually know what our elected officials are up to.

I mean, I'm all for keeping some things private, but when you're talking about major business dealings and state grants, that's just not the same. It's like, we have a right to know how our tax dollars are being spent, especially when it comes to big companies like SpaceX. And what's with the "competitively sensitive" info nonsense? That's just a fancy way of saying "we don't want you to know".

It's like, as Reid Pillifant said, every Texan should care about access to these kinds of records because they shed light on how our public officials are making big decisions that affect our lives. And let me tell you, I'm all for shedding some light - not just on the good stuff, but also on the bad. We need more scrutiny, not less.

I'm getting a major case of déjà vu over here . Like, what's up with these governments and their "trade secrets" excuse? It's like they think we're all just a bunch of clueless sheep who can't handle the truth about our own leaders' shenanigans.

And don't even get me started on the lack of transparency in Texas. I mean, come on, 1,400 pages of emails and only 200 of them are readable? That's like hiding behind a veil of secrecy just to cover up some shady dealings. And what's with the governor's office refusing to release the records in the first place? It's like they're trying to conceal something .

We need stronger protections for open government, period. Every citizen deserves to know how their tax dollars are being spent and who's making big decisions on their behalf. If we can't trust our leaders to be transparent, then what's the point of even having them?

I'm so done with this platform . Can't we just have some decent transparency in the government already? I mean, releasing 1,400 pages of emails with most of them blanked out is basically just a PR stunt to make it look like they're doing something right. It's all about "trade secrets" and "competitively sensitive" info... yeah sure. Sounds like corporations are just trying to hide their tracks .

And don't even get me started on the governor's office thinking they can just redact entire sections of documents without anyone questioning it. Like, what's the logic behind that? Are we really supposed to trust that all this "confidential" info is actually worth protecting at the expense of transparency? It's just weird .

I'm all for open government and accountability, but this just feels like a watered-down version of it. Can't we have better than this?

I'm seeing this with my own eyes... or rather, my screen is filled with all these redacted emails between Gov. Abbott's office and Elon Musk's companies . It's like they're trying to keep secrets from the public, but we're not buying it . I mean, what do they have to hide? The whole thing just stinks of corruption and lack of transparency.

And let me tell you, this isn't an isolated incident. We've seen it time and time again in Texas - politicians trying to shield their records from the public eye . It's like they think we're not worthy of knowing what's going on behind closed doors. Newsflash: we are paying attention and we deserve to know how our tax dollars are being spent .

The governor's office is basically saying, "Oh, we can't release those records because they might contain trade secrets" . Give me a break! If it's not confidential info, then why are they redacting the heck out of them? It just looks like a power play to keep the public in the dark.

This is what's wrong with our politics - the revolving door between corporate America and government . We need stronger protections for open government, not more excuses to hide behind secrecy .

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this . So, Texas Governor Abbott's office just releases 1400 pages of emails with Elon Musk, but like 80% of them are completely blacked out . I mean, what's the point of even releasing those if they're not going to give us any real information? It feels like a total cop-out .

I'm not surprised, though. This is just more proof that politicians in Texas don't want to be held accountable for their actions . They're always trying to find ways to limit access to public records and keep the public in the dark .

It's frustrating because we deserve to know how our public officials are making decisions that affect our state . And it's not just about Elon Musk, either. This is a bigger problem with transparency and accountability in Texas politics .

I wish there was more of an investigation into why these records were withheld in the first place . Was it really because of trade secrets or just because the governor's office didn't want to answer any questions?

Anyway, I'm just gonna keep on calling out when this kind of thing happens . We need stronger protections for open government in Texas ASAP