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$1.7M for George Strait, six-figure bonuses: Months later, a lawsuit forced Texas to release details on inaugural spending

$1.7M for George Strait, six-figure bonuses: Months later, a lawsuit forced Texas to release details on inaugural spending
Source: Texas Tribune
and last updated 2020-12-21 11:46:27-05
By Shannon Najmabadi, The Texas Tribune, and Jay Root, Houston Chronicle
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To celebrate Gov. Greg Abbottâs reelection last year, his inaugural committee paid a whopping $1.7 million to hire country crooner George Strait and his band. A coterie of top political aides and staff got more than $1 million, some of it paid out in six-figure bonuses. And a handful of lucky charities received $800,000 in unspent money. ....

Republic Of , Rice University , United States , Hidalgo County , Darla Cameron , Clay Walker Perry , Sarah Whitley , Matt Dempsey , Aaron Watson , J Bruce Bugg Jr , Bob Kaufman , Elaine Zavala , Joe Hernandez Ann Richards , Ruth Hughs , Chris Kyle , Ray Hunt , Rick Perry , Kimberly Snyder , Cecilia Abbott , Dan Patrick , Robert Earl Keen , Veronica Whitacre , Carla Astudillo , Beth Creasey , Meg Gazzini , Georgew Bush ,

Texas forced to release 2019 inaugural spending details

Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.
To celebrate Gov. Greg Abbott’s reelection last year, his inaugural committee paid a whopping $1.7 million to hire country crooner George Strait and his band. A coterie of top political aides and staff got more than $1 million, some of it paid out in six-figure bonuses. And a handful of lucky charities received $800,000 in unspent money.
Left out of that tally: the $116,000 taxpayers spent to keep all those inaugural expenditures secret.
Abbott and the 2019 Texas Inaugural Committee spent months fighting the disclosure of documents detailing how they spent a record-setting $5.3 million that event organizers raised mostly from corporations and wealthy donors. ....

Republic Of , Rice University , United States , Hidalgo County , Clay Walker Perry , Sarah Whitley , Aaron Watson , J Bruce Bugg Jr , Bob Kaufman , Elaine Zavala , Joe Hernandez Ann Richards , Ruth Hughs , Chris Kyle , Ray Hunt , Miguel Gutierrez Jr , Rick Perry , Kimberly Snyder , Cecilia Abbott , Dan Patrick , Robert Earl Keen , Veronica Whitacre , Beth Creasey , Meg Gazzini , Georgew Bush , Lindsay Sheeder Brown , George Strait ,

Gov. Abbott's inauguration tab included $1.7 million for George Strait, six-figure bonuses for staff

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Gov. Greg Abbott arrives with his wife Cecilia and daughter Audrey at the oath of office ceremony on Inauguration Day at the Capitol on Tuesday Jan. 15, 2019.Jay Janner, MBR / TNSShow MoreShow Less
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Susan Patrick shows her boots as Governor Greg Abbott and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick ccelebrate at the Texas Inaugural Ball at the Palmer Event in Austin on January 15, 2019.Tom Reel, Staff / Staff photographerShow MoreShow Less
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Barbecue is served up at the Inaugural Family after the Inauguration Ceremony in Austin, on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019.Bob Owen, STAFF-photographer / San Antonio Express-NewsShow MoreShow Less
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Another tray of barbecue arrives at the Inaugural Family Barbecue on the South Grounds of the Texas Capitol after the Inauguration Ceremony in Austin, on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019.Bob Owen, STAFF-photographer / San Antonio Express-NewsShow MoreShow Less ....

Rice University , United States , San Antonio , Clay Walker Perry , Sarah Whitley , Aaron Watson , J Bruce Bugg Jr , Bob Kaufman , Joe Hernandez Ann Richards , Ruth Hughs , Ray Hunt , Chris Kyle , Rick Perry , Bob Owen , Kimberly Snyder , Dan Patrick , Robert Earl Keen , Meg Gazzini , Georgew Bush , Lindsay Sheeder Brown , George Strait , Mindy Hildebrand , Mark Jones , Greg Abbott , Messina Touring Group , Texas Department Of Transportation ,

$1.7M for George Strait, six-figure bonuses: Months later, a lawsuit forced Texas to release details on inaugural spending

$1.7M for George Strait, six-figure bonuses: Months later, a lawsuit forced Texas to release details on inaugural spending
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AUSTIN, Texas (KTRK) To celebrate Gov. Greg Abbott s reelection last year, his inaugural committee paid a whopping $1.7 million to hire country crooner George Strait and his band. A coterie of top political aides and staff got more than $1 million, some of it paid out in six-figure bonuses. And a handful of lucky charities received $800,000 in unspent money.
Left out of that tally: the $116,000 taxpayers spent to keep all those inaugural expenditures secret.
Abbott and the 2019 Texas Inaugural Committee spent months fighting the disclosure of documents detailing how they spent a record-setting $5.3 million that event organizers raised mostly from corporations and wealthy donors. ....

Republic Of , Rice University , United States , Hidalgo County , Clay Walker Perry , Sarah Whitley , Aaron Watson , J Bruce Bugg Jr , Elaine Zavala , Bob Kaufman , Joe Hernandez Ann Richards , Ruth Hughs , Ray Hunt , Chris Kyle , Rick Perry , Kimberly Snyder , Cecilia Abbott , Dan Patrick , Robert Earl Keen , Veronica Whitacre , Beth Creasey , Meg Gazzini , Georgew Bush , Lindsay Sheeder Brown , George Strait , Mindy Hildebrand ,

$1.7M for George Strait, six-figure bonuses: Lawsuit reveals Gov. Greg Abbott's inaugural spending

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Gov. Greg Abbott arrives with his wife Cecilia and daughter Audrey at the oath of office ceremony on Inauguration Day at the Capitol on Tuesday Jan. 15, 2019.Jay Janner, MBR / TNSShow MoreShow Less
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Susan Patrick shows her boots as Governor Greg Abbott and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick ccelebrate at the Texas Inaugural Ball at the Palmer Event in Austin on January 15, 2019.Tom Reel, Staff / Staff photographerShow MoreShow Less
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Barbecue is served up at the Inaugural Family after the Inauguration Ceremony in Austin, on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019.Bob Owen, STAFF-photographer / San Antonio Express-NewsShow MoreShow Less
5of17
Another tray of barbecue arrives at the Inaugural Family Barbecue on the South Grounds of the Texas Capitol after the Inauguration Ceremony in Austin, on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019.Bob Owen, STAFF-photographer / San Antonio Express-NewsShow MoreShow Less ....

Rice University , United States , San Antonio , Jay Janner , Clay Walker Perry , Sarah Whitley , Aaron Watson , J Bruce Bugg Jr , Bob Kaufman , Joe Hernandez Ann Richards , Ruth Hughs , Chris Kyle , Ray Hunt , Rick Perry , Bob Owen , Kimberly Snyder , Dan Patrick , Robert Earl Keen , Meg Gazzini , Georgew Bush , Lindsay Sheeder Brown , George Strait , Mindy Hildebrand , Mark Jones , Greg Abbott , Messina Touring Group ,