District Attorney: Not Enough Evidence To Prosecute Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen

AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — According to a district attorney, Texas GOP House Speaker Dennis Bonnen won't face criminal charges for offering House media credentials in exchange for campaign help.

The Brazoria County District Attorney released a statement Thursday calling Bonnen's actions and statements "repugnant" but said there isn't enough evidence to warrant criminal prosecution.

Bonnen was facing a state police investigation into allegations of misconduct after the release of a secretly recorded conversation in which he sought help ousting members of his own party in 2020 and used foul language to disparage Democrats.

The first-term Speaker announced on Tuesday he will not run for re-election as speaker or his House seat after a growing number of Republicans called for his resignation.

The scandal has thrown Republicans into disarray at a time when their state dominance is slipping.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)