Texas House Speaker announces he tested positive for COVID

Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend, according to a post from his Facebook account.

“2020 just keeps on giving!” Bonnen wrote in the post. He went on to explain that his wife had tested positive last week, and continues to face “difficult but manageable symptoms.”

After multiple inquiries about his health, Bonnen decided to get tested as well. He has mild symptoms. He said he was unable to pinpoint the initial exposure and urged everyone to continue to social distance.

“This disease is no joke in its unpredictability and severity, so please continue to keep your guard up and your loved ones protected,” Bonnen wrote. “Mask up and social distance, avoid large gatherings, and take care of one another.”

The Republican announced this fall that he would retire at the end of this term, following a scandal that surfaced in July when right-wing activist Michael Quinn Sullivan alleged that Bonnen attempted to bribe him during a June meeting. Bonnen allegedly asked Sullivan, the CEO of Empower Texans, to put money behind targeting 10 moderate Republicans in primary elections in exchange for press credentials for the House floor.

Originally published at https://www.expressnews.com on December 27, 2020.