For some time now we have questioned the campaign finance reports of local leaders.  Back in February of 2023 we wrote about Dark Money where we laid out how individuals associated with the PGA, The Link, or Fields projects donated to our current sitting city council members.  If you haven’t read it, you should because it is alarming.  Then we asked the question, did Keating and Pelham accept “DIRTY FUNDS?”  We are talking about the $10,000 Keating took and $5000 Pelham took in 2021 from Veton Krasniqi, a man who appears to owe the school district $24,093.47 in back taxes.  How did we learn about this, a campaign finance report.  As we said they can be Shakespearean sonnets of bureaucratic paperwork.

Well Friends, we have hit that moment in every local election where you stop arguing about yard signs and start arguing about spreadsheets.  Campaign finance reports are in, the ink is dry, and the numbers are… well… robust. The kind of robust you usually only see in luxury hotel valuations and developer prospectuses.  

Let’s do what Frisco Chronicles does best: open the books, raise an eyebrow, crack a joke, and ask the questions everyone else is politely avoiding. Because when the money talks this loud, voters deserve to listen carefully.

Exhibit A: John Keating — “Show Me the Money” Edition

Mayor John Keating filed his January 12, 2026, campaign finance report covering 7/1/25 through 12/31/25, reporting $142,909.24 in Total Political Contributions.  That’s not couch-cushion money. That’s “somebody expects a return on investment” money.

Let’s stroll through a few highlights:

• Myles Freeman, President of Wiley X Inc – $1,000
• Joe Hickman, Blue Star Land – $1,000
• Jordan Wallace, Wallace Ventures – $1,000
  • (Appears to be invested in a $130 million luxury hotel… casual.)
• Gerrit Parker – $2,500
• Ryan Griffin, Rockhill Investments – $5,000
• James Webb – $5,000
• James Webb (again) – $10,000

James Webb’s name kept nagging at us.  Turns out, we’d written about him before in “Election Fix: Developer Dreams & Dollars.” According to the DMN, Preferred Imaging LLC, headed by James H. Webb of Frisco, allegedly performed services requiring a supervising physician without one on-site. The company did not admit wrongdoing but still paid a $3.5 million settlement following investigations by federal and state authorities, including the Civil Medicaid Fraud Division.  So, here’s the uncomfortable question no one else is asking out loud: When Keating accepted Webb’s donation in 2017, should he have known about Webb’s past?  And knowing what’s publicly available now, why keep accepting the money? Did he have any concerns in 2026 taking two donations that totaled $15000?

Asking questions is not an accusation. It’s civic hygiene.

Then …the Real Jaw-Dropper

Frisco 380 Partners made two donations of $50,000 each. That’s $100,000. From a developer.  Let that marinate.

Who is Frisco 380 Partners? Great question. We tried to find them. Information is… sparse. Very sparse. Which only adds to the mystery.  Because when a developer writes a six-figure check in a local mayoral race, voters are allowed—no, obligated—to ask: What do they want?  What do they expect?  And will Frisco residents be paying the bill later?

Oh, and let’s not forget: HillCo PAC – $5,000

Exhibit B: Mark Hill — LLC Palooza 🎪

Mark Hill’s report shows: Total Political Contributions: $110,434.25

And this one read less like a donor list and more like a Chamber of Commerce speed-dating event for LLCs.  A sampling:

• ARKONS Ventures LLC (Irving) – $15,000
• Yash Vasti (Irving) – $10,000
• Atchuta Rao Roppana (Frisco) – $10,000
• CMSW Realty LLC – $5,000
• Orange Roofing & Construction – $5,000
• Lone Star Food Plano LLC – $5,000
• Bawarchi Holdings LLC – $2,500
• Trilock Foods, LLC (McKinney) – $2,500

Plus a long list of donors from Irving, Richardson, Southlake, McKinney, The Colony, San Antonio—which raises another question: Why does so much outside money care deeply about who runs Frisco?

Jennifer Luney donated $2,000 and we are curious if this is the same JL connected to the Visual Arts Guild of Frisco? We’re genuinely curious.

Now, Let’s Talk Law (Because This Part Matters)

Straight from the Texas Ethics Commission FAQ: Corporations (including nonprofit corporations) and labor organizations may not make political contributions in connection with Texas and local elections.

While the word “LLC” isn’t explicitly shouted from the rooftops, the practical effect under Texas law is clear: Individuals may donate personally.  Corporations and most LLCs may NOT donate directly to a candidate. 

LLCs with only individual members may donate if the contribution is properly attributed to those individuals—not the company.  Business entities can donate to ballot-measure-only PACs, not candidates.  So, the million-dollar (or $15,000) question becomes: Were these LLC donations properly attributed to individual members? Or were businesses writing checks directly to candidates?

Because that distinction isn’t trivia—it’s the law.

Final Thought: Residents Should Be Concerned

This isn’t Republican vs Democrat. This isn’t pro-growth vs anti-growth. This is about who gets heard in Frisco—and who gets drowned out by money. Residents should be asking loudly $100,000 grand from one developer. When developers, PACs, and LLCs dominate campaign finance reports, regular residents are left wondering whether their $25 donation, no donation—or their vote—still matters. For years you have heard voters in Frisco have voter apathy but maybe they just don’t think it will matter because our elections are bought and paid for. Voters are wondering if Frisco’s elections are bought, or merely… heavily leased?  And when City Hall opens for business, who exactly is the biggest client?  Next up, the other two mayoral candidates.