Arrests by federal agents this morning of Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price on bribery conspiracy charges, along with charges against three associates, have set off a new round in everybody's favorite courthouse whisper game, "Who's flipped?" Multiple sources this morning say federal agen ... More >>
Reporters do not gasp, generally speaking, but there were muttered exclamations that might as well have been gasps when Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price, age 64, was led into a large and formal federal courtroom this afternoon. His hands were manacled behind his back, his awkward gait in ... More >>
What will Ron Kirk do when he returns to Dallas after leaving the Obama cabinet next month? If I had to bet, I'd say he won't return to Dallas, which will be a shame. If he did come home, maybe he could do something about these local Democrats. Former Dallas mayor Kirk is getting high marks from bo ... More >>
Buzz looks back on 2012 before the memories go where they belong: up in smoke.
Pretty soon, any day now, maybe tomorrow, well, possibly in a week or so, I may join a 12-steps program in which I stand up at the beginning of every meeting and say, "Hi everybody, my name is Jim, and I can't stop talking about John Wiley Price." Not today. If you are visiting from out of town o ... More >>
The FBI dropped a bombshell in federal court today with an affidavit by Special Agent Donald Sherman as to why, exactly, law enforcement felt the need to seize more than $400,000 in cash (thick stacks of $100 bills) and other assets from Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price last year. In br ... More >>
It costs north of a million bucks to win a U.S. House seat these days. Winning District 33, the new DFW block carved out of the totally riveting and not at all arcane redistricting process, should cost considerably less, thanks to a shortened primary and probably noncompetitive general. Still: It wi ... More >>
Speaking of the company that operates the American Airlines Center ...While going through some federal courthouse docs this morning, which is how everyone should spend the day before the day before Christmas, I discovered that lawsuit concerning the former Chili's at the AAC lives on, with a tria ... More >>
On June 30, as I'm almost positive you'll recall, FBI agents raided the offices of Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price; his executive assistant, Dapheny Fain; and Kathy Nealy, the well-connected political consultant. What you may have missed: Nineteen days before the raid, Center Operatin ... More >>
Trey Kemp at Colligan sends us this sneak peek at the 15th hole at Stevens Park Golf Course.The city-run Stevens Park Golf Course, the crown jewel of Oak Cliff, closed in December for renovations -- not just a tiny redo, either, but a wholesale makeover that cost upwards of $8 million (using '03 ... More >>
Hizzoner swears he'll keep vow to clean up City Hall lobbying.
Tribal politics at the heart of Dallas' corruption problems.
The current issue of Texas Monthly takes on the Dallas FBI corruption investigation, sort of, in a "Behind the Lines" essay by deputy editor Brian D. Sweany. He invokes Dallas, the TV show, and another TV show, The Wire, to conclude that, "Like any good drama, it may take a while for the trut ... More >>
The end is near ... sort of. The city's Redistricting Commission is inching towards putting together a city map it can forward on to the city council, and everyone -- the public and commissioners alike -- is trying to get in a parting shot before then. Last night's meeting was a marathon ... More >>
"Queens for a day" could be a sign that feds are getting really ambitious.
One month ago, Jim broke down exactly how Kathy Nealy spent the $270,000 paid her by Mike Rawlings's campaign: $50,000 to phone-bank workers, $15,000 on "religious outreach," $65,000 on the so-called "walk program" and so on. A few days later it was revealed tha ... More >>
Ross Perot Jr.We've known since June 30 -- days after FBI agents raided the homes and offices of John Wiley Price and Kathy Nealy, among others -- that the feds had also paid a visit to Ross Perot Jr.'s Hillwood HQ. As Haynes and Boone's Barry McNeil told The News: "The FBI has served subpoenas t ... More >>
To keep his promise, Dallas' new mayor will have to distance himself from the city's political machine. Good luck with that.
Photo by Sam MertenWillis JohnsonLooks like at 11:18 this morning, John Wiley Price attorney Billy Ravkind, or someone in his office, faxed to Channel 5 the search warrant issued on June 24 by U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Stickney. It's a seven-page catalog of everyone and everything with whom the ... More >>
This weekend I have been sitting around ruminating on the last three years of reporting I have done on the Inland Port story, which now seems to an element in the FBI corruption probe of Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price. By the way, I happen to know the FBI has been hearing about this ... More >>
Mayor Mike Rawlings' chief campaign-runner, Mari Woodlief of Allyn Media, responded this afternoon to questions I had posed about the $270,000 paid by the Rawlings campaign to consultant Kathy Nealy, whose offices were searched by the FBI Monday as part of the federal investigation of County ... More >>
It's the "other expenses" that caught Channel 5's attention last night.It's land! No, no, it's Kwanzaa Fest! No, silly, it's an art gallery owner at the South Side of Lamar! On the other side, some video and an IRS return we're entering into evidence as we begin Day Three of Hunh, I Wonder Why Th ... More >>
Photos by Mark GrahamState Rep. Rafael Anchía with Mike Rawlings at this morning's ceremonyIt was only after Mike Rawlings became the new mayor of Dallas, only after council members new and old and in-between (in the case of Sandy Greyson) were sworn in at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center ... More >>
Photo by Alex ScottI sent one of our interns, Alex Scott, to the law offices of on-and-off John Wiley Price attorney Billy Ravkind about two hours ago. Turns out, John Wiley Price was there -- had been all morning. Moments ago he came out and spoke. And this is what he said:The Dallas County comm ... More >>
Photos by Sam MertenWe're guessing this was Rawlings's reaction when he received bills from his consultants.Former TracyLocke CEO Mike Rawlings easily outpaced the field of mayoral candidates by raising a whopping $1.03 million -- nearly three times the combined haul of Ron Natinksy and David ... More >>
I gotta say: The coming mayoral election season already smells like a holiday for mediatoids. Things are rockin' and rollin' early. Looks to me like the money just tilted way away from North Dallas city council member Ron Natinsky, who thought he had the money. Meanwhile the campaign of for ... More >>
Hodge landed herself quite a deal.The indictment against Terri Hodge has always looked much more damning than the evidence facing the rest of the gang involved in the City Hall corruption case, and it turns out that, well, it's all true. Hodge admitted as much in her factual résumé, which s ... More >>
Sam MertenCouncil member Carolyn Davis talks to zoning lawyer Kirk Williams as Willie Cothrum (right) listens.If nothing else, the city council's hastily planned ethics reform briefing early this morning showed that this group is capable of a spirited debate. For the most part, Mayor Tom Leppert has ... More >>
Mark GrahamSure, Woodlief's Allyn Media has brought in about seven times the amount Reed has from Tom Leppert-related campaigns, but Reed remains the queen of consulting.As the city council continues to discuss ethics reform in the aftermath of 23 guilty verdicts in the Dallas City Hall corruption t ... More >>
Photos and cutlines by Danny FulgencioAn inclination for religious references did not save Don Hill from lawful judgment.A little more than 24 hours after a jury found Don and Sheila Hill guilty on a total of 12 counts in the City Hall corruption case, the two sat down with me for a lengthy intervie ... More >>
Sam MertenFormer Dallas Mayor Laura Miller outside the Earle Cabell Federal Building and Courthouse, when she testified in the City Hall federal corruption trial a few weeks agoVictor Vital, attorney for Sheila Farrington, began the morning's proceedings in the federal Dallas City Hall corrupti ... More >>
Carol ReedEverybody knew it was about "pay-to-play" at City Hall. Don Hill, a former city council member and 13 alleged confederates are accused of strong-arming real estate developers for money.But nobody knew...1. Carol Reed's name would come up. Reed is the top political guru and campaign cons ... More >>
Sam MertenWhat, them worried? D'Angelo Lee, Don Hill and Sheila Farrington outside the federal courthouse[Editor's note: Jim's on deadline, and Sam's on vacation. So Trey Garrison's down at the Earle Cabell Federal Building and Courthouse live-blogging the City Hall corruption trial for Unfair Pa ... More >>
Sam MertenDon and Sheila Hill left the courthouse Tuesday afternoon in good spirits.An admittedly nervous Steve Williams spent all of Tuesday afternoon on the stand discussing his eight-year tenure as Don Hill's administrative assistant, pushing the anticipated debut of developer Brian Potashnik to ... More >>
While Obama has events going on throughout the city, Clinton is nowhere to be found
Why does everybody want to eat WRR?
Laura, Mary says you're a phony! Now now, girls.
The DA was hot to do something about it until his own campaign got going
And the Tom Dunning staff member who has been subpoenaed to the grand jury is...
Hint: His initials are D.G., and he has a moustache
Downtown�s real estate barons are terrified that Perot-Hicks� slick Victory project could wreak havoc on their own tax-funded plans to fix the city�s core
Hey, Mr. Zillionaire Developer, got a big public project you want to sell? Black Dallas has the votes you need--dirt cheap.
John Wiley Price, the man who once toted a bullhorn in protests outside Mayor Ron Kirk's home, learns that it helps to have friends in high places