On Friday, Rep. Dustin Burrows of Lubbock resigned his position as chair of the House GOP Caucus amid an intensifying Republican scandal in the Texas legislature.
Burrows offered no reasoning or statement as to why he stepped down from the position. He, like House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, has received considerable blowback from a June meeting with Michael Quinn Sullivan, who alleges quid-pro-quo offer took place.
“Dustin Burrows is taking a fall for Dennis Bonnen,” said longtime Democratic strategist Matt Angle in statement. “Bonnen ran a scam on his Republican colleagues and the press. He presented himself as above the political fray while he worked the backrooms insulting and plotting against other House members. The Dennis Bonnen/Michael Quinn Sullivan Republican scandal has claimed its first political victim. My guess is there will be more.”
Burrows resignation from the powerful position comes amid a Texas Rangers investigation into the meeting, which was welcomed by Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday who told reporters it was the “best thing that could happen.”
In a statement to the Dallas Morning News, Bonnen said Burrows was a friend and a strong leader for the caucus. “I respect his decision and I remain committed to strengthening our majority,” Bonnen said.
For context, Sullivan has alleged Bonnen offered government favors in exchange for a negative campaign against 10 GOP House members running for re-election in 2020. Sullivan said he recorded the meeting — a claim backed up by lawmakers who have reportedly heard the tape and confirmed some of its details– but he oddly refuses to release the recording.
Fernando covers Texas politics and government at the Texas Signal. Before joining the Signal, Fernando spent two years at the Houston Chronicle and previously interned at Houston’s NPR station News 88.7. He is a graduate of the University of Houston, Jack J. Valenti School of Communication, and enjoys reading, highlighting things, and arguing on social media. You can follow him on Twitter at @fernramirez93 or email at fernando@texassignalarchive.com
