Elon Musk's SpaceX has filed a lawsuit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Grimes County, according to court records.
The lawsuit was filed Sept. 8 in the 126th District Court in Travis County. Space Exploration Technologies Corp., commonly known as SpaceX, is listed as the plaintiff. The case is classified as an “other civil” matter and remains open.
According to the court docket, SpaceX filed an “Original Petition for Declaratory Judgment and Application for Temporary Restraining Order, Temporary Injunction and Permanent Injunction.” The docket does not provide additional details about what SpaceX is challenging or what specific actions it wants the court to block.
Why SpaceX filed a lawsuit against Texas
The court docket currently provides limited information about the substance
of the dispute.
According to Business Insider, the lawsuit stems from public records requests filed by two Grimes County residents seeking documents related to SpaceX's proposed Terafab project and the tax incentives negotiated with the county.
In July, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office ruled that most of the requested records should be released under the Texas Public Information Act. The records include SpaceX's tax-abatement application and communications between the company and Grimes County officials about the incentives.
SpaceX is now asking a judge to prevent the records from being released.
In its lawsuit, SpaceX argues the documents contain confidential information and that releasing them could expose the company's negotiating strategy, including concessions and limits it could use in future negotiations with other jurisdictions.
The records were requested by Marie Egyed and Vanessa Burzynski, both Grimes County residents. Egyed is a member of Grimes County Citizens for Responsible Development, a group that has opposed the Terafab development.
SpaceX's lawsuit does not mean the records will remain private. A judge has not yet ruled on the company's request to block their release.
What is SpaceX planning in Grimes County?
The proposed project, commonly referred to as Terafab, would include semiconductor manufacturing and advanced computing facilities.
Grimes County documents say the project would be located at or around Gibbons Creek Reservoir, roughly 20 miles east of Bryan-College Station.
The project has drawn attention because of its potential size. The county's public notice put the estimated investment at between $55 billion and $119 billion, depending on how many phases are ultimately constructed.
SpaceX's latest court filing adds a new legal development to the project, but the available docket information does not yet clarify how the lawsuit relates to the previously approved county agreements or what role Paxton's office plays in the dispute.
Brandi D. Addison covers weather across the nation as the Weather Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network and contributes to Texas Connect coverage across the state. She can be reached at baddison@usatodayco.com. Follow her on Facebook here.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Elon Musk's SpaceX sues Texas AG over Terafab tax-break records
