A Democrat judge recently ruled that Texas State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, who is running against Gov. Greg Abbott as a Democrat, can have unrestricted access to Abbott and Elon Musk’s communications.
Texas governor candidate @GinaHinojosaTX (D) says she filed a lawsuit to compel the release of emails between Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Elon Musk: "Greg Abbott is the most corrupt governor in Texas history." https://t.co/qfN2cugikX
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 20, 2026
A judge has sided with state Rep. Gina Hinojosa after the Democratic gubernatorial candidate sued last week for access to unredacted versions of emails between Gov. Greg Abbott’s office and billionaire business owner Elon Musk. https://t.co/efAXr4mhWR https://t.co/eL5Geyw1Ro
— KUT Austin (@KUT) October 27, 2026
One wrinkle in the case is that the judge presiding over the matter, Judge Catherine Mauzy of Travis County, gave Hinojosa a $500 campaign donation back in June. Mauzy likewise donated $700 to Hinojosa’s Texas State House campaign in 2016.
Texas judge Catherine Mauzy ordered Gov. Greg Abbott to turn over his unredacted communications with Elon Musk to Democrat Gina Hinojosa donated $500 to Hinojosa’s campaign in June. Judge Catherine Mauzy also donated to Hinojosa’s Texas House campaign in 2016, raising questions about the judge’s impartiality.
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) October 27, 2026
According to Bloomberg Law, Mauzy’s failure to recuse herself from the case could be a violation of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct. The Code of Judicial Conduct demands that judges must recuse themselves in matters in which “impartiality might reasonably be questioned,” and are required to “act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.”
The questionable ruling comes with just one week remaining until Election Day.