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Secret recordings in Texas: A brief history of some Capitol controversies

(Todd Wiseman / The Texas Tribune, Todd Wiseman / The Texas Tribune)

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It was a secret recording that ultimately led to Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen announcing that he would not seek reelection. But this wasn't the first time a recording caused a stir at the Texas Legislature. In 2015, The American Phoenix Foundation spooked lawmakers with undercover video recordings. In 1995, documentary filmmakers caught some flak after letting a charismatic state senator talk with colleagues on the Senate floor while wearing a hidden microphone.


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