Nathan Johnson, a Texas Democrat running for attorney general, has pledged to investigate the state's $110 million grants awarded to Elon Musk’s SpaceX for its Starlink satellite internet program if he wins the November election. Johnson, who won the Democratic primary runoff in May, criticized the deal as "lopsided" and said it "sure looks like" misconduct was involved, raising doubts about the integrity of the bidding process.

In an interview with the Dallas News, Johnson called for increased legislative scrutiny of the grants, which were approved by Republican Governor Greg Abbott. Abbott's office reportedly revised rules to favor low-Earth-orbit satellite providers like Starlink in the competition to provide rural internet access, a move that has sparked controversy.

Bryant Clayton, director of the BDO, told KUT News that the governor's office asked for a review comparing Texas’s grant structure to other states and found it generally out of step with nearby states. Johnson emphasized that the attorney general's role is to ensure government serves the public good over private interests. He also linked his criticism to his Republican opponent, Mayes Middleton, a declared Trump loyalist.

Starlink, headquartered in Starbase, Texas, received 99% of the available grant funds, a fact Johnson highlighted as evidence of an unfair process. The current attorney general, Ken Paxton, a Republican facing multiple controversies, was recently nominated by his party to run for the U.S. Senate.

Johnson’s campaign promises include overhauling the attorney general’s office and increasing transparency around state contracts and grants.

Sources