Transparency Failures

by friscowhistleblower | May 31, 2024 | Angelia Pelham, Campaign Signs, City Council, Code Enforcement, Elections, Frisco Firefighters Assoc, John Keating, Mayor Jeff Cheney, Politics, Public Information Requests

Wouldn’t the world be such a simple place if someone’s nose really grew when they told a lie?  Think about it for a moment, we wouldn’t have to spend so much time trying to determine if someone is telling the truth or a lie.  It is much easier in person through verbal and non-verbal ques to tell if someone is lying or withholding the truth from you than it is through filing a Public Information Request.  However, PIR’s are all we have here at Frisco Chronicles to get to the truth.

Recently we filed several PIR’s based on leads we received from “whistleblowers” to see if the city would disclose “The Truth” to us through PIR requests.  One of the PIR requests read, “We would like the list of the complaints made about political signs to code enforcement or the city secretary for the period of 1/1/2024 to present.  We would like a copy of any complaint made about electioneering at the election polls from April 20th to May 5th.”  It is a very simple request and after we paid the $6.30 we thought we would get a handful of responses.  Instead, we found that the city left a lot of complaints out of our request.  We know this because many folks sent us copies of their complaints to the city and they are not in the disclosed information given to us even though it fits the criteria of the request.

The first email we received a copy of was from Councilman John Keating, sent to Kristi Morrow on May 4^th, Election Day.  It states “poll greeters are playing loud music at FS 8 (they turn it down, then turn it back up).  Also, this truck passed through the parking lot several times.  Within 30 minutes of receiving the email Kristi Morrow forwarded it to Amy Moore in Code Enforcement who made her way out to Fire Station 8.  This is the incident we reported about in our blog Election Playbook: Code Enforcement. 

The interesting thing about this email is that John Keating failed to mention to the City Secretary his own team including himself, The Cheney’s, and his friends were electioneering in the parking lot for almost four hours that morning.  It is documented with pictures in our blog and proves our point that it is okay for John Keating to break the rules, but others can’t.  Just “PAR FOR THE COURSE” in the city council world.

The next email we received in our PIR was about “Illegal Signs” that was sent by Judy Adams on May 3 to City Secretary, Kristi Morrow.  It states, “These signs are placed by polling stations all over the city.  It is in violation since there are no disclaimers.  Very sad that ‘these people’ are claiming to uphold the law and order but are breaking the law by doing the things they accuse others of.  I believe they should be removed immediately.”  The picture just barely shows the corner of a sign, but we did recognize it.

Why did we recognize the sign?  It is a Frisco Chronicles sign!  Now to be clear we did not buy these signs, we did not put them out, and we have no clue who did.  With that said we do love them, and they gave us a good laugh!  We received an anonymous email from a whistleblower that they put them out to spread the word of our site.  They did confirm they were all placed on private property and none of them were placed on city property or at any fire station.  Lastly, it is not a political action committee, it does not support a candidate, so it does not need a disclaimer. 

Judy, think about carpet cleaner signs or we buy ugly houses signs, do they need disclaimers?  We suggest Judy Adams focus on what she does best which is blowing people aka blo me!  Now get your mind out of the gutter! We are referring to her focusing on her new Blo Bar she just opened for those who need a good blow, or maybe her real estate career, or her closed coffee bar instead of silly illegal signs on private property. Better yet maybe she should make her own BLO ME signs with a phone number to make an appointment, if she does, we will make sure to have readers call them in for being illegal signs.

The third email we received was from April 22 from Jeff Cheney to City Secretary, Kristi Morrow.  It is important to note the email was sent from JCheney@friscotexas.gov so clearly, he wrote this as the “Mayor of Frisco” and not as an individual resident.  It states, “Pretty clear this is not in compliance with the maximum size of 10×10” referring to the Firefighters tent at Station 7.   Kristi Morrow sent the email to Amy Moore in Code Enforcement and Amy replied Justin was on his way to the station.  Then Kristi Morrow replied and asked Amy to call her when she gets a chance.  Wonder what they talked about?

The next email we received was on April 25^th, from Councilman John Keating (JKeating@friscotexas.gov) to City Secretary Kristi Morrow and Assistant City Manager, Henry Hill. He questions if “these are allowed as they are showing up at polling stations.  He specifically notes the one at Fire Station 7 in the picture he submitted.  He is referring to a Voter Guide Stand that is put out at every election by a political conservative group called Red Wave.  You can see at the bottom of the voter guide it says Pol Ad Paid For Red Wave Texas. 

Why does Keating not like the voter guide stand?  Oh, that is because it has listed for Place 1 Mark Piland and for Place 3 John Redmond.  We want to know how often John Keating votes in elections.  These have been at polling sites during several election cycles.  If he is just now seeing it, then we are curious if he has been doing his civic duty to vote?  Maybe he just didn’t like it because it was not his name on the guide!

Lastly, we received an excel spreadsheet of complaints.  Not sure what to make of it!

Here is the problem, our request was very simple and straightforward which states, “We would like the list of the complaints made about political signs to code enforcement or the city secretary for the period of 1/1/2024 to present.  We would like a copy of any complaint made about electioneering at the election polls from April 20th to May 5th.”  We have several emails sent to us which reported about in our blog, Breaking All The Rules related to John Keating, Angelia Pelham and the Safety-First Frisco PAC putting up signs at 9am on Sunday April 21^st which was 6 to 9+ hours earlier than they were allowed.   We have several emails about the 4 x 4 political signs at Station 7 and questioning if they are on city property that were sent to us.

We also have several emails sent to the city secretary regarding electioneering occurring at the polls, some even documented with videos and pictures.

Yet none of these emails and others we have were given to us in our Public Information Request.  They fit the issue, time frame and criteria of the request we made so why don’t we have them from the city.  What other emails have they withheld that we don’t know about?  Readers and have sent them in but our own city will not be forthcoming and turn them over in a Public Information Request.  We have proof the city HAS WITHELD PUBLIC RECORDS…AGAIN!   The city claims TRANSPARENCY, yet they can’t even be honest with a public information request and fulfill it as they should.  WHY DOES THE CITY LIE AND HIDE INFORMATION FROM TAXPAYERS? 

We have a PIR out right now for the body cam footage from the Code Enforcement cameras worn during the election, but they have sent that to the Attorney General.  Why do they not want us to hear the conversations they had at the polls with the political candidates or the firefighters regarding code enforcement complaints called in? 

Most concerning is how our Mayor and Councilman Keating act like winey children when it is something they don’t like so they use their city emails and position to make complaints which are acted upon immediately by the city.  However, the numerous complaints about the signs being put out early at the fire stations by these same folks had no action or fines taken against them for clearly violating the rules.  Rules that they should know as they are sitting active council members.  Remember John Keating has 16 years on council so if he does not know the rules by now, then he truly is dumber than a bag of rocks.  In fact, those complaints are not even documented apparently, or they would have been in our public information request.   This is Frisco folks!  Rules for thee but not for me!