Texas state Republican caucus chairman Dustin Burrows, one of the three participants in a secretly recorded meeting that has thrown Texas Republicans into utter chaos, resigned Friday after refusing to speak out for the duration of the scandal.
According to the Texas Tribune, vice chair Stephanie Klick (R) has been promoted.
Burrows’ office had no on-the-record comments about his resignation when contacted by TPM on Monday.
House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, who also attended the meeting and was allegedly recorded saying derogatory things about his members by activist Michael Sullivan, is signaling that he does not intend to follow suit.
“I respect his decision and I remain committed to strengthening our majority,” he said of Burrows in a statement.
During the infamous meeting, Sullivan says that Burrows and Bonnen discussed a trade of press credentials for Sullivan’s quasi-news site in exchange for Sullivan’s pledge to primary 10 Republicans with his well-funded super PAC. Various Republicans who have listened to the recording back up Sullivan’s account.
Only a select handful of Republican lawmakers and operatives have heard the recording, though Democrats sued to get the tape released to the public. The Texas Rangers are currently investigation the meeting, at the request of a bipartisan committee of lawmakers.
Read TPM’s deep dive on the situation here.
