RUSK COUNTY, Texas — A conservative activist on Tuesday released what he says is a secretly recorded conversation with Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen.
In the recording, Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen allegedly called on conservative PAC Empower Texas and its CEO, Michael Quinn Sullivan, to target a number of fellow Republican lawmakers.
Among the representatives named in the recording is Rep. Travis Clardy, who represents Cherokee, Nacogdoches and Rusk counties.
On the recording, a man Sullivan says is Bonnen says, "Because guess what? Travis Clardy, Phil Stephenson, and I don't want to go any farther down that list, I'm not asking. He can. I'm that much closer to passing taxpayer funded lobbying.”
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Rusk County Republican Party Chairman Charlie Williamson believes the reason Clardy is named in the recording is because his views opposing legislation allowing taxpayer funded lobbying contradict those of Speaker Bonnen.
“Those 10 members were very much against that legislation. They worked very hard for that legislation not to be approved and that bill to become law," Williamson said. "And for that, I think there's political retribution."
Williamson says he believes this Republican versus Republican sentiment shows a rift in the party.
“It's certainly unhealthy. And it's very unhealthy. When we have Republicans targeting other Republicans," Williamson said. "It makes it makes the party in general look bad."
Williamson says that while he cannot speak for Clardy's opinion on what happens next, he would personally like to see a change in House leadership.
"I would certainly like to see the leadership that was involved resign their leadership positions immediately," Williamson said.
Speaker Bonnen released this statement regarding the video Tuesday:
“I have repeatedly called for the recording to be released because it will be immediately clear that no laws were broken. This was nothing more than a political discussion – the problem is that I had it with that guy. My colleagues have always deserved the facts and context this recording provides, and with clear evidence now disproving allegations of criminal wrongdoing, the House can finally move on.”