Donations, tax benefits and private meetings: The relationship between Greg Abbott and Colony Ridge developers

A brand-new investigative reporter revealed that Texas Governor Greg Abbott directly intervened in 2018, on separate occasions, so that the area where the controversial Colony Ridge slum is expanding today received federal classification as an "Opportunity Zone," a designation that allows large investors access to tax breaks if they meet a series of requirements. Shortly thereafter, the project's developers began generously funding Abbott's campaigns.

According to a report published by The Daily Wire journalist Spencer Lindquist, various letters to the Treasury Department, some meeting records, election donation records and other internal documents reveal that Abbott on as many as three occasions asked the federal government to secure tax benefits for Colony Ridge while developers visited the governor's mansion and made donations of tens of thousands of dollars.

The development, located in Liberty County, just outside Houston, has become the epicenter of a debate over the impact of illegal immigration on Texas communities, being directly impacted by the neglect of state public policies and left at the mercy of criminal groups operating in the area.

According to the Daily Wire investigation, the link between Greg Abbott and the leading developer of Colony Ridge, Trey Harris, dates back to 2018, when Abbott, as governor, sent a formal letter to then-Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin requesting that the Liberty County area be included in the federal Opportunity Zones program.

This program in particular offers juicy tax breaks to investors betting on developing areas deemed economically disadvantaged. This designation, which grants significant tax benefits, was crucial to Colony Ridge's commercial boom, becoming a fast-growth city of sorts.

In all, Abbott wrote three letters to Treasury, dated March 21, April 4 and April 10, 2018, and all were sent shortly after William "Trey" Harris and his wife, Celeste Harris, approached the governor to discuss the future of the project.

Harris and his wife were invited to a private luncheon at the governor's mansion the same month Abbott sent his first letter and Abbott received the first $100,000 donation by Celeste Harris, according to state campaign finance records.

"By July 9, 2018, the IRS had designated Colony Ridge and the surrounding land an Opportunity Zone," the Daily Wire reviewed.

The donations from then on did not stop and, between 2021 and 2023, developers of the infamous slum donated more than $1.5 million to Abbott's political campaigns. These large donations were stopped in their tracks after the Texas governor openly criticized Colony Ridge for its rapid expansion and its link to illegal immigration and crime, even pushing for raids in the area.

Governor Abbott's office defended his letters on Colony Ridge, asserting that they went beyond the project put forward by the Harrises and their relationship with the developers.

In addition, the governor's office also asserted that the problem with Colony Ridge does not lie with its "Opportunity Zone" designation, even if that has been beneficial in attracting investors.

"The Opportunity Zone designation did not create the problem in Colony Ridge. Governor Abbott is ensuring safety there and across the state. Governor Abbott directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to investigate any potential environmental issues in Colony Ridge, whether it be air, water, or land," the governor's spokesman, Andrew Mahaleris, told The Daily Wire. "He requested the Attorney General’s office to issue subpoenas to investigate any legal violations, leading to Texas filing suit against the development."

"The Governor also directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to deploy tactical strike teams to work alongside our federal partners to enforce immigration laws throughout the state, including in Colony Ridge. Governor Abbott also provided additional funding for enhanced law enforcement presence in Colony Ridge," the spokesperson added. "These teams will coordinate with Homeland Security agencies to track down the thousands of illegal immigrants with active warrants across Texas and deport them from our country."

Colony Ridge, promoted by its developers as an affordable project for the working class, has been singled out for its rapid expansion and its links to illegal immigration, which has raised concerns about public safety and living conditions in the area.

In fact, according to authorities, in the first raids in the area alone, more than 100 illegal immigrants were captured, including murder suspects, drug traffickers, sexual predators and a confirmed member of MS-13. Moreover, it is a fact that the developers promoted the expansion of the slum with an aggressive marketing campaign that targeted illegal immigrants, promoting Colony Ridge as a unique opportunity to acquire cheap land in the U.S. In an area where nothing existed a decade ago, there are now 100,000 people living on more than 35,000 properties.