The art of political rhetoric is where promises flow like honey from the lips of our esteemed leaders, only to be swiftly forgotten once the ink dries and the votes are counted on election day. It is a delightful game of “he said, she said,” politicians masterfully navigate the treacherous waters between sincerity and self-interest, leaving behind a trail of broken vows and conveniently misplaced principles. We want you to embark on a whimsical journey through the whimsical world of political doublespeak, where words are but mere tools in the grand symphony of deception!
For months now we have heard the political rhetoric about the “Big Bad Unions” coming to town from our city leaders who run the Vote No PAC which is funded by developers of the Fields project. Keating & Pelham, in their own words, have openly said at forum after forum residents should vote “NO TO UNIONS” and the propositions on the ballot.
Keating’s political rhetoric via campaign mailers on the other hand has changed and the new approach is to claim he was pro-public safety and that he has been a champion for the police and fire departments. Was lying to the residents at the forums or is he lying to residents via mailers now? Now he is trying to change his message at the polls so he has instructed his poll greeters not to hold the “Vote No” signs because he thinks it might be hurting him at the polls. We think Keating is a typical politician who will spew whatever political rhetoric he wants depending on how the wind blows and that his word is no better than a grain of salt.
Meanwhile, Matt Sapp, President of the Frisco Firefighters Association, and several Frisco Firemen and women we spoke to told us over and over “Unions are not legal in Texas” and that is by Texas Law called an Association. If you ask any city leader, they are going to give the big bad union story, but Keating “In His Own Words” admitted that it is regulated by Texas Law and it is an “Association.” Why are Keating, Pelham, Cheney, Woodard, and Rummel then misleading the people of Frisco with the scary term Union when they know it is an Association? Well, it better fits their narrative and creates fear in residents which is what they want.
Pelham has claimed the push for the propositions is because someone wants POWER and CONTROL. In her own words, she said this is not about the whole fire department, it is about a select few called the Fire Association.
Well, that “select few” is over 90% of the association made up of 200 or more firefighters according to Matt Sapp. That leaves us wondering who wants the power and control in question. At certain times Pelham is about “data” and at other times she is about generalizations which ever best fits the narrative. Who do you believe?
Why are we sharing this with you? Voters must realize our elected officials are not being straightforward with us. That is all we have been trying to show and prove to you since the day we started this journey of Frisco Chronicles. Voters need to have all the information to be able to make the best decision when they cast a ballot. Next up more WWE Smackdown of In Their Own Words – Part 2.
To follow the elections up close, we have visited several of the polling stations this week in both Denton and Collin County. Our goal was to talk to the candidates and those on both sides of the two propositions to get a first-hand response and reaction. We were surprised to learn that many were being paid to be at the polls and when we asked why we should vote for the candidate many couldn’t answer that. We also met some who were very friendly, and they spent time talking to us and explaining the reason for their support of a candidate or proposition on the ballot. Lastly, we talked to some who came across as angry and crass like they had a chip on their shoulder. We sometimes walked away with the feeling that they were pretending to care about people they’d never seen before, all for the sake of getting their vote. Nothing says “genuine concern” like a forced smile and a rehearsed “have a nice day” as they enter the polling station. Truly, democracy at its finest.
It was eye-opening and all done for the sake of research. However, just like any good novel or reality TV show, there must be some drama. First, we wanted to talk to the Vote No group, and upon arrival, the first thing we noticed was that most of them had on Keating candidate shirts. We only saw a few Pelhams holding vote no signs but that was only if there were other Pelham greeters holding Pelham signs with them. We talked to an older man holding a Vote No sign and when we asked why we should vote against the propositions, we were taken aback by his answer. He told us the firefighters were lying to us by saying they needed more staffing and that this was about money, power, and control. He went on to say the men in yellow shirts were not even Frisco Firefighters they were “out of towners” and if this passed it would decimate the city. Honestly, he came across as angry and outright vengeful! We asked about the recent arson fire, and we were shocked when he said with a flippant attitude well, they probably started it to help themselves at the polls. It took everything in me to not whip the man upside the head with my walking cane.
Then we met a woman wearing a “Keating” shirt at another station who repeatedly told us the Firefighters were liars and they should be ashamed of themselves for how they have tarnished the reputation of Frisco and its leaders. She talked about how great our city leadership was and that if we voted for the propositions on the ballot, it would be our greatest regret. She said we need to trust our officials to see that they are doing the right thing. Her disdain for the Firefighters and her arrogant and condescending attitude didn’t help her case at all and it sure didn’t help Keating.
The last man we spoke to at the college came across with the best message. He was calm and reasonable and gave us his side of the facts. He had valid reasons or concerns for the propositions, and it felt as if he was truly concerned. He made no horrible innuendos or nasty remarks about the firefighters and simply said he disagreed with them on this. We asked which candidate he supported and because he did not have a t-shirt on for Pelham or Keating like the other ones did this week and he said they were told not to hold the Vote No signs while wearing the incumbents’ shirts because they felt it was hurting their campaigns.
Then we talked to the firefighters and surprisingly the statements were the same at each visit. We asked why we should vote for the propositions and if it was about a power struggle. Repeatedly we were told no, it was not a power struggle for them it was about safety, transparency, and accountability. Several said they just wanted to make it to the end of each shift so they could go home to their families. We heard over and over that they were very happy with their pay and benefits, and this was not about more money. They talked about the concerns of working off-duty events, with city gear and apparatuses, yet not being covered by city benefits in case they were injured. They talked about the concerns regarding how dismissive the city management and fire leadership is with the rank. They talked about staffing levels and how they currently compare to other cities and how as we build out and up, they feel they take more risk. They are truly concerned there is no plan for more staffing in a city that has grown 10-fold in the last 5 to 10 years. While they expressed concern for recent actions by the city and council, they never once personally attacked anyone calling them names. They were personable, factual, and non-emotional about it and simply said we hope you vote for public safety.
What did we learn from the two interactions? The two groups took very different approaches to the polls. One group came across as unhinged and the other came across as expressing concern for the safety of residents and themselves. The vote-no group needed more guys like the one at the college who appeared rational because all the others we spoke to were angry and hateful. We are not the only ones who felt this way because post after post on social media residents talked about their experience at the polls and how they felt about the vote no and council members came across in a negative way.
What became very clear, is that both Keating and Pelham are rebranding the message to the public. We thought the statement about them being told not to wear the incumbent’s t-shirts while holding a vote no sign was interesting. If Pelham or Keating think it is the vote no sign a poll greeter is holding while wearing their shirt that is hurting their campaign, they are dead wrong. It is how the city has violated its own “CORE VALUES” which might be the reason they are shocked come Saturday, May 4th. Core values, like “Integrity” which reads, “Integrity is honesty, trustworthiness, ethical behavior and always doing the right thing. Integrity matters because we are entrusted with building and maintaining our community. Integrity is the foundation of all other core values.” Better yet, maybe the core value that is called “Our Employees” states we support, develop, and reward the contribution, diversity, and talents of all employees.
As for the candidates, most of the poll greeters on the front line had a passion for whomever they were supporting, from ISD candidates to City Council candidates. It is clear the ISD races are not as contentious as the city council races. All of the candidates in the ISD races took time to answer questions and greeted folks and thanked them for voting. Much more civil across the board.
As for the city council race, two things were quickly apparent when talking to them. At the city council level, one group continually undercut or made negative references about their opponents while the other simply did not acknowledge the opponent and only talked about why their candidate is or was the best choice. Secondly, it was clear some were getting paid because they could not give us one reason as to why we should vote for the candidate. When it came to the ISD races that was very different, as each poll greeter knew their candidate and only talked about how their candidate was the best choice. Some poll greeters could learn something from them.
The one thing we do know is soon the sign wars will be over and life will go back to boring. Recently one candidate filed a police report regarding their sign being stollen and the next day on the same corner appeared a new blue sign. The chance to drive by a fire station with people waving and wearing colorful shirts will be over! Then what happens, we will see!
Driving around our city today, we were very upset to find that Angelia Pelham, John Keating and the Vote NO PAC thought it was okay for them to just break all the rules. We passed our first fire station at Cotten Gin to see political signs out at 9am, then around 10:30 we passed our second fire station at the Denton Government Center, to see more signs displayed. Why is this a problem? The signs according to the rules should not be displayed until 6pm the night before the poles open.
Pelham, Keating and Bill Woodard who runs the Vote No Pac know the rules and they JUST DON’T CARE! It is an absolute slap in the face and show of blatant disrespect for the rules. It is a behavior that happens over and over because our council members feel entitled and special and as if the rules were made for the peons not the elite.
Angelia’s campaign slogan is “YOU KNOW ME!” Yes, Angelia we do! You expect us to follow the rules, but you are exempt from them. Neither you or your campaign team are naive campaigning and the rules around it, which means there is no excuse.
Keating claims “Promises Made, Promises Kept!” If that is true, then he read the campaign booklet you get when running for office which states the rules. He also signed off on that he understood those rules and agreed to adhere to them. After 13 years on our council and multiple elections if Keating does not know the rules by now, then he is A) an idiot, or B) entitled and thinks he is exempt from the following the rules because he is THE JOHN CHEATING KEATING! Well, you made a promise when you signed off you understood the rules and guess what, YOU BROKE YOUR PROMISE, AGAIN!
Now, we would bet money their response would be “oh our sign guy didn’t realize the rules and we are so sorry.” We would believe that but, the sign guy is Fred “The Lawbreaker” Lusk, and he has been doing this for years and been through many elections. HE KNOWS THE RULES INSIDE AND OUT but obviously does not care! The worst part is our council approves of “The Lawbreaker Lusks” ways and methods and use him over and over for the elections.
As we go into tomorrow, the first day of early voting, we hope residents realize that these people who claim credibility, integrity, transparency, and accountability yet they are lying to you right to you. The rules apply to you and me, but let’s be clear they do not apply to Jeff Cheney, Angelia Pelham, and John Keating. They are literally showing you they think they are above the law, so open your eyes and realize enough is enough. It is time to change Frisco!
Ah, the riveting world of campaign finance reports – where every local candidate in Frisco must parade their fiscal acumen before the discerning eyes of the public. It’s like Christmas for political sleuths, unwrapping the financial mysteries behind each contender’s bid for office. Because, let’s be honest, nothing screams “transparency” like the stress-induced wrinkles of trying to get those reports done on time. In Frisco, Campaign Finance Reports must be filed by local municipal politicians or political candidates seeking office and they must be filed with the City Secretary, Kristi Morrow.
We give each candidate the benefit of the doubt and assume from time to time there may be a mistake on the reports. If a candidate finds a report has a mistake they can file to correct the report. A candidate must file using a correction affidavit and make sure the pages of the report being corrected are attached. Easy, Peasy!
January of 2024, we download the semi-annual report or the annual report of unexpended contributions for each candidate for the time of July 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023. We were surprised to see on page 4 of Angelia Pelham’s report she had a donation of $1000 dated 12/26/23 that had the name of the Contributor and the address redacted. You cannot redact the field of the contributor as that is a public record. At the time the report was released, we of course saved it and filed it away with all the others.
On March 7th we noticed Angelia Pelham had filed a Correction/Amendment Affidavit for Candidates with the City Secretary. It noted she neglected to include an In-Kind amount in the total contribution. She attached the updated “totals” sheet, and the update changed her total political contributions from $3,630.00 to $8630.00 which is a difference of $5000. We were curious about what the In-Kind donation was and what it was for. We went back to the website and looked at the original report filed, and the contribution dated 11/1/23 was from Scott Ellis for $5000. The description stated it was for web design and hosting.
As we began to scroll back up through the report, we immediately noticed something was different than the first time we reviewed the report. That item from 12/26/23 reporting a donation of $1000 that had been completely redacted now showed the name of the donor. It was the very own Dono and Angelia Pelham who donated to herself. We thought for a minute, are we crazy we were pretty sure when we looked at this report in January that it was completely redacted. Luckily, we saved the report back in January, and thank goodness it confirmed we were not crazy!
Now is this life shattering or ending – no of course not. But when did Pelham or the city “un-redact” the report? Why did they not file a correction or make a note of the change on the report that the redaction was incorrect and updated? What it does do is build mistrust, because now we have no idea when the redaction was corrected. If we file a PIR to find out, they will probably send it to the attorney general to avoid answering our question.
If someone made a mistake (ok, no problem) but now it feels like they tried to change out the reports and hoped no one would notice the mistake. It feels shady that there would not even be a note that it was incorrectly redacted, and the new one was updated. Sound familiar? It should. Remember Sassy Safranek, the City HR Director, who edited a job description for the Fire Department that ultimately affected the pay of firefighters. You can read all about it in our Twelve Days of Christmas stories.
Why was it a big deal what Sassy Safranek did? She lied when caught back in the day and continues to lie today. She said Piland was aware of the change and that she didn’t feel it was a big deal to remove one word and not get an updated signature from the Chief. Based on emails from a PIR it was clear Piland had no clue the change had been made. The City of Frisco requires each department head to sign off on each job description. Sassy Safranek, THE HR DIRECTOR, knows that. If you change anything on a document that requires a signature, you get A NEW SIGNATURE! Imagine Fire Chief Mark Piland’s surprise when one of his firefighters inquired about the change and that is how he found out about the Sassy “Cover Up!”
Our point, if you upload a report to the public and you need to change something like a redaction there should be a note as to why, when, and who made the changes. It is simply a note in the ledger or the report. Are we surprised the city tried to change out documents and withhold the change from the public? No, it is a standard practice apparently for both internal and external documents.
When you open a campaign finance report the first thing you see is a list of donors supporting a campaign. But beyond the pages, if you dig and go back far enough you find a treasure chest that shows you the politicians’ political expenditures. It is the section where politicians showcase their exceptional talent for creative accounting! It is truly a treasure trove of clandestine expenditures that should make any commonsense reader wonder if they’re funding a campaign or planning a covert mission to Mars. From “strategic consulting fees” to “research expenses” it’s a riveting read for anyone interested in the fine art of obfuscation. Who needs transparency when you can have a thrilling game of financial hide-and-seek?
On John Keating’s report there is one name, Mustang Strategies LLC that appears 7 times. We were curious how one politician in less than two and half months can spend $18,655.50 with one company. We looked up the company on OpenCorporates.com and the agent’s name of record is Jason Zelovics and its office is right here in Frisco. It appears the certificate of formation is dated 08/27/2019. He also has another company called Round Table Strategies. We looked at Angelia Pelham’s report and it appears she paid $0.00 to a “consultant”, so again why has Keating spent so much?
The next item is Hope Floats Creative LLC, for whom he made two payments each for $975 on 3/1/24 and 3/20/24. According to their website they are the official publication for Frisco Lakes Community Association, Inc. Makes sense!
In January, Keating donated $2500 to Linking Cultures of Frisco for the 2024 MLK Gala. We were curious to know who runs Linking Cultures of Frisco? We visited the organizations website and according to the MLK Gala invite if you would like to be a sponsor email AngeliaPelham@LinkingCulturesOfFrisco.org. Ding, Ding Ding! Here we go again one council person donating to another council person or their organization. It leaves us asking how can Angelia ever claim to be impartial with Keating when it comes to a vote or if he were ever charged with an ethics complaint?
The last two expenditures are the most interesting and got us thinking. The first was for $2500 to Collin County Republican Party on 1/24/24 for there 2024 Lincoln Day Dinner fundraiser. Turns out he has donated a lot to them over the years and that makes us wonder, can that affect an endorsement? If up against another candidate, are they going to go with Keating just because he has given money to the GOP? On a side note, OpenSecrets.org has John Keatings occupation listed as “househusband.”
The next is $475 to the Frisco Chamber for Membership fees paid on 1/2/24 and has donated or paid fee’s several times to them. It begs the question, in the upcoming forum being held April 11, 2024, will the Chamber show “BIAS” towards a new candidate. They did last year so we can only assume they will this year. Which makes us believe any new candidate who has not paid a group may have a harder time than candidate who has paid that same group.
In the end, we cannot get the math to add up on Keating’s reports. Can you?
Carried Over from Last Reporting Period: $9207.27 + Political Contributions $35,125.00 = $44,332.27
Total of Last Report and Contributions = $44,332.27 + Loan $50,000.00 = Total $94,332.27
Total $94,332.27 – Political Expenditures $31,345.83 = Total $62,986.44
Yet his Totals Page has $66,691.66 which is a difference of $3705.22. Either he can’t do math, his campaign finance person can’t do math, or something smells like a German man’s armpit. That leaves us asking, who is checking these reports and where are the checks and balances? The other concern we have is how much some of these “Consulting” companies are being paid, but that is a whole other issue to go down the rabbit hole with. One thing is clear, these practices can raise concerns about the integrity of the electoral process and the fairness of decision-making in local government.
In 1991, an American Dance Group called C&C Music Factory released their third single, “Things That Make You Go Hmmm…” from their debut album, Gonna Make You Sweat. Many don’t know this, but the song was inspired by a running gag on The Arsenio Hall Show, where Aresenio who often pondered certain thoughts on live TV would say “Things that make you go hmmm…” The song had a catchy tune and the video that aired on MTV was done in all black and white.
Well, my wife and daughter loved that song so much, it often played on repeat in our house. Fast forward to today, when my wife and I do research, and we come across a golden nugget of information, we will look at the other across the table and say, “Things that make you go hmm!” Whoever is on the receiving end of that statement usually gets excited to see what the other has uncovered.
After we wrote our last blog asking the question regarding Keating and Pelham taking dirty money, we received a few emails from fellow whistleblowers. One of the emails said we should look further into the connection between Keating and Dos Amigos, so we did!
Now remember we filed a PIR with the city for any communication between Veton Krasniqi and Keating and Krasniqi and Pelham. We were told there were no responsive records which we found odd. After receiving that email telling us to dig deeper, we decided to go back and look at the timeline of events:
3/10/21 – Crook Krasniqi donated $10,000 to John Keating’s campaign.
5/15/21 – Crook Krasniqi donated $5000 to Angelia Pelham’s campaign.
The timeline looked fine at first then we noticed something, the election was on May 1, 2021. The first question we had was why did Krasniqi donate $5000 to Angelia Pelham, AFTER THE ELECTION? Then we searched social media to see if we could find any connection between Keating and Dos Amigos, and then we searched Pelham and Dos Amigos. Things that make you go hmmm…
John Keating documented election day in several social media posts. The first post states he is voting in the Frisco Municipal Election with 3 other people. He reminds residents that it is election day, and the polls are open till 7 pm. He asked residents to cast their ballots, make their voices heard, and send him back for another term on the Frisco City Council. He ended the post with “I would be honored to have you as my guest at our Election Night Party at DOS AMIGOS, 2552 Stonebrook Parkway, Frisco, TX 75034 starting at 7:30 pm as they watch the results come in.”
Then later that day he posts again, “Thank You Frisco for sending me back to YOUR city council for another three years! I won’t let you down, and you ain’t seen nuthin yet!Victory Party at “DOS AMIGOS!” Things that make you go hmmm…
In past blogs, we have said that John Keating is the gift that keeps on giving, and we appreciate that here at Whistleblower. After learning that Keating had his victory party at Dos Amigos, we decided to search his political campaign finance report for the party expense. Then we also searched to see if Dos Amigos did an In-Kind donation. No Chalupa! Did Keating pay for this expense out of one of his private funds? If yes, then why not use Campaign Money? If he used campaign money, why is the expense not documented on any of his campaign finance reports? Things that make you go hmmm….
As we searched for his Victory Party Expense, we found another interesting donation. In February of 2022, John Keating donated $1000 to Frederick Frazier. Then in June 2022, Frederick Frazier, a 28-year Dallas Police officer and freshman lawmaker was charged by a grand jury for two charges of impersonating a public servant. The charges stem from allegations by his opponent Paul Chabot regarding political sign tampering. Frazier who was re-elected in 2022 was able to delay the court case over a year due to his “legislative work” in Austin. In December 2023 State Rep Frederick Frazier pleaded no contest to two Class A misdemeanor charges of attempting to impersonate a public servant. He also pleaded guilty to a Class C misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief. His plea deal included one year of deferred adjudication probation and several thousands of dollars in fines. His plea came one day after he filed to retire from the Dallas Police Department. The DPD released a statement that because Fraizer is retiring while under investigation, he will be released with a dishonorable discharge. To this day Frazier denies he impersonated a code compliance officer. Frazier is currently on the ballot in Collin County for re-election. Things that make you go hmmm…
It is a Merry Go Round that just keeps on spinning!
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