Campaign finance reports are essentially the political world’s version of a receipt drawer—crumpled, confusing, and full of clues about who paid for dinner and who’s expecting dessert later. They’re those legally required spreadsheets where candidates reveal who’s funding their dreams of public service (or at least their yard signs), listing donors, amounts, and expenditures with all the excitement of a tax audit but twice the intrigue. Why do they matter? Because buried between the $50 “grassroots supporter” and the suspiciously generous “consulting fee,” you’ll often find the real story of influence, priorities, and alliances—like a financial whodunit where the plot twist is that the money usually knows exactly what it’s buying.

Frisco Chronicles has questioned current and former council members, as well as candidates campaign finance reports for a few years now.  You can read about those as we have attached the links at the end of this article to each blog.  Most recently we wrote about John Keatings two recent donations of $50,000 each for a total of  $100,000 from Frisco 380 Partners in our blog Follow The $100K and how we could not locate much information on them.

Recently The Community Difference NTX – powered by The Business Development Alliance held a mayoral debate at the Nack Theater.  An audience member asked a two-fold question

1) What is your philosophy of accepting campaign contributions from developers?  

2) Should there be a limit on the amount a contribution should be?

John Keating is the first to respond because everyone from coffee shops to whispers at lunch, want to know about that One Hundred Grand sitting in his campaign account.  Keating made a few points we will summarize or for more humor you can watch his 2 minute clip here.

Point 1: Keating begins by explaining that donations must come from an individual or a sole proprietor LLC.  The name of the individual donor is on there unless it is sole Proprietor LLC.  Keating continues a Sole Proprietor, “it is not a developer per se, I mean, it could be a developer.”   Not sure what Keating was trying to say here.

Point 2: Keating continues that over the past 15 years he has run several campaigns for council and one for state rep which cost him at least $200,000.  Then he pointed out that it is money he will never get back. 

Frisco Chronicles would like to be clear over the years Keatings employment on several of his campaign finance reports list him as a “stay at home dad” which is fine.  But Keating did not have an income other than his military benefits so for full clarity his “campaign races” were funded by his ex-wife who was the bread winner and went to work every day all the years they were married.  Keating should clarify his ex-wife is out $200K for those races because clearly, he did not have that kind of money on his own.

Point 3: Keating begins to explain the donor (his words vendor) is Primary Media, a digital billboard company owned by Josh Feferman and he is the individual who donated to the campaign. 

Why would a billboard company donate $100K?  Keating explains the company is based out of Dallas and over the years as Highway 380 was expanded they had to move and find a new place for the digital billboards.  Keating points out at that time Frisco did not have a digital sign ordinance.  At the same time Primary Media was negotiating with other cities to take down several traditional billboards and replace them with one digital billboard. Keating said that while working with him here in Frisco he also helped with those other cities to understand the benefit of the digital billboards. 

Keating then says back in September 2025 when he was having a conversation with Feferman he mentioned the campaign would probably cost about $200,000 and that is when Feferman said he was in for $100K!

Keating makes sure to point out, “I have not taken a dime from him over the years that we were working together because I didn’t feel that was fair as we were trying to build here in Frisco.” 

FACT CHECK TIME

Fact, Ronald Feferman also donated $5,000 to Jeff Cheney in his last mayoral race in 2023 which can be seen on his campaign finance report.

Fact, on a 2024 Campaign Finance Statement – John Keating shows a $20,000 donation made on 4/12/24 by Ronald Fefeman who is listed as the CEO of Primary Media!

Fact, a simple Google search reveals a memo that shows the Frisco City Council acted in August 2023 with Primary Media, LTD.  The memo subject reads, “Consider and act upon authorizing the City Manager to execute the First Amended Settlement Agreement by and between the City of Frisco and Primary Media, LTD.” 

Want to read the agreement then click here: First Amended Settlement Agreement

The Mayor and City Council (including John Keating) voted 6-0 to approve the “Consent Agenda” and that included Item 18 about Primary Media, LTD.  Interestingly the minutes read, Mayor Pro-Tem John Keating moved to approve Consent Agenda Items #15 through #32. Deputy Mayor Pro-Tem Angelia Pelham seconded the motion.”

Fact, according to Primary Media’s website, “Primary Media is a Dallas-based outdoor advertising company and the first digital billboard provider in Frisco, TX.”  The website also lists Josh Feferman as the CEO of Primary Media and identifies Ronald Feferman as the Real Estate and Government Relations contact for the firm.

Just wondering, is there any possibility Josh and Ronald are one and the same as a simple internet search reveals the name Ronald Josh Feferman and R Josh Feferman as the names associated with Primary Media, or is it just coincidence?

Trust Is Broken

So here we are, staring at the glowing billboard in the room—the one that flashes $100,000 in bright, undeniable lights—and we’re supposed to just…not squint?

Because if Keatings claim is “I have not taken a dime from him over the years,” then how does a documented $20,000 contribution from Ronald Feferman in 2024 fit into that narrative?  Is that a forgotten footnote…or a conveniently misplaced decimal in the story?

And if a $5,000 contribution went to Mayor Jeff Cheney’s campaign shortly before council action involving Primary Media, are we really expected to believe timing like that is just civic-minded coincidence?  Three months. A donation. Then a council item. No raised eyebrows?

Maybe the bigger question isn’t about one vote, but about the next one.  If another item involving Primary Media lands on the council agenda tomorrow, can John Keating truly walk into that discussion as a neutral party? Or does six figures—paired with prior contributions—quietly take a seat at the dais with him? Influence doesn’t always announce itself; sometimes it just shows up early, shakes a few hands, and waits patiently for the vote.

Keating is running for Mayor and his word MATTERS!  He lied!  He did take a donation in the past and it was not a small one!  It was $20,000 dollars.  Frisco deserves more than explanations that require this much interpretation. From a mayoral candidate, it deserves clarity that doesn’t change depending on which report you’re reading—or which microphone is on.

Because at the end of the day, this isn’t about one donation, or even one donor.

It’s about trust. Can we trust John Keating?  No!  Why?

He has made questionable personal decisions that became public.

He (along with Pelham) has taken dirty money in the past from Veton Krasniqi who was sued by Frisco ISD for back taxes of $24,000. 

He (along with Cheney) took donations in the past from Phillip Carter who bilked millions out of elderly investors.

He promised, in writing, he would support 4-men staffing for Frisco Firefighters then went back on his word when an election was over.

He knows as a Mayoral Candidate someone is bound to fact check his statements.  No one forgets a $20,000 donation less than two years earlier. The issues go on and on, and for once the public is asking whether the math adds up.  In his stories, it usually doesn’t! 

Disclaimer: This blog includes satire, parody, and comic relief.  It contains summarized accounts created solely for humor and commentary.  Any resemblance to real events is either coincidental or intentionally satirical.  Reader discretion — and a sense of humor — are advised.

Previous Blogs About Campaign Finance Reports

Follow The $100,000 – about John Keatings recent donation from Frisco 380 Partners and fellow opponent Mark Hill

Follow The Money (Part 2) – about Shona Sowell and Rod Vilhauers campaign finance reports

Who Failed The Campaign Finance Reality Check – look at campaign finance compliance across both Frisco ISD trustees and City Council candidates.

Double Standards or Honesty Matters: 2025 PAC Groups

Frisco Bought & Paid For: 2024 Safety First Frisco PAC,

The Election Fix: Politicians Pocket Change – 2024 Keating & Pelham

The Election Fix In Full Swing – John Keating Campaign Finance Transparency

Ping Pong With Campaign Money – 2024 Review of Campaign Pelham, Rummel

Dirty Funds: 2023 – Questioning the ethical donations by some on Keating and Pelhams reports

Dark Money: 2023 Cheney Campaign Finance Report

Frisco, Are You Ready For Some Football?  What big names are donating to council

The Cost of Doing Business – Cheney and Keatings Questionable Donations