Since last week momentum across the nation on social media and in the news continues to grow about the tragic death of Austin Metcalf and the alleged suspect, Karmelo Anthony who has been charged with Murder – 1st Degree Felony. Our community is grieving, and it is compelled by the outside hate and accusations being hurled at the victim, the families, and the community.
Everyone has questions that of course will go unanswered until the Frisco Police Department finishes their investigation. The fact is that two families are torn apart, and both families are grieving in very different ways. Young adults witnessed this and will most likely suffer from some sort of PTSD as they cannot unsee what they experienced that day. What has transpired since the tragedy could have been avoided. What could have helped in this situation is for our City and ISD leaders to come out with a strong voice that a full and complete investigation would be carried out and to support the ongoing investigation by Frisco Police.
Where’s Waldrip? That is a good question! From a scan of social media, we can find no comments made by the Superintendent of the ISD anywhere. All he did on Twitter was repost the Frisco PD post about fake accounts and then Chief Shilson’s letters to the public. No personal comments from Waldrip anywhere. What a good way to lead during crisis. If you remember in 2024 he was all over social media in videos telling residents why they should support the four propositions on the upcoming Nov 5th ballot. Now, it is a game of Where’s Waldo Waldrip.
Where’s Frisco ISD? A clear view of their page shows a post at 10:01 am right as the first 911 call came in relating to 5th graders. Then April 5th at 6am reminds people the last chance to complete the k-12 survey and share your feedback with district leadership. Fast forward to today…nothing! Great leadership FISD telling students you will have therapists on hand, that our ISD community is strong, etc. Nothing – absolutely nothing!
Where is the Frisco ISD Board of Trustees? Dynette Davis, Frisco ISD Trustee made a statement on April 2nd at 2:33 pm. She writes “We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of a student within Frisco ISD. The Board of Trustees shares in the profound grief of this senseless act of violence and extends its deepest condolences to the victim’s family, friends, and loved ones. A young life ending far too soon is a heartbreaking reminder that violence is never the answer to conflict. In times like these, we must come together in support and compassion. Students who need help processing this tragedy are encouraged to speak to their parents or guardians and to reach out to school counseling services for guidance and support. Frisco ISD is committed to providing all necessary resources for everyone impacted by today’s terrible events.”
Current Frisco ISD Board of Trustees who made a comment or shared Davis comment includes Sherrie Salas and Stephanie Elad.
Current Frisco ISD Board of Trustee members who have made no comment are Keith Maddox Sr., Mark Hill, Marvin Lowe, and Gopal Ponangi (who is running for Frisco City Council).
Candidates running currently for the Board of Trustees that commented include Renee Sample, Stuart Shulman, Amit Kalara, Muniraj Janagarajan. and Melanie Jones
Others candidate running currently for the Frisco ISD Board of Trustees who have made no comment include Suresh Manduva and Ange Yao.
Just look back over time:
We had a bullet hit a Frisco ISD elementary school prompting the early release of students, where is that investigation? What happened?
What happened to the students involved with vandalism at Memorial High School a few years ago during a senior prank day. Damages included paint on the walls, furniture destroyed, and fire extinguishers set off, closing the campus for several days.
Multiple kids have been killed in Frisco just walking to school or riding their bike in the early morning hours to school. What is the district doing along with the city to prevent that?
We even had a child arrested for bring a BB gun to school back in 2019.
Heck the Attorney General of Texas sued our district for electioneering back in 2024.
Where is the leadership within our school district? What we don’t understand is why more people are not asking questions of the school district? This is the time for them to come out holding hands with a powerful message of unity, forgiveness and strength … but nothing! You could hear crickets’ chip from across the city. Where is the leadership in our district? Why is no one asking…. WHAT IS HAPPENING IN FRISCO ISD?
At Whistleblower, we have said we feel for both families – this was a tragedy that did not have to happen. These types of things should not be happening in our community. When it comes to Austin Metcalf and Karmelo Anthony, instead of being able to heal, we are faced with a firestorm of media outlets, content creators, and others whose goal is to create their narratives that include pushing hatred and divisiveness. Every rumor, accusation, and false narrative only hurts this case and our community.
Today the Next Generation Action Network in Dallas met with Frisco Police. They are concerned about a fair trial, and they are concerned about the false narratives across the board. They were concerned about the Anthony families fear to leave there home and the death threats the family is receiving because their child was involved in this incident. They want to make sure the Anthony family is receiving the protection they need. The President of NGAN said the disinformation out there is actually hurting the case, and social media has been a stomping ground for them to launch any disparity they want to. President, Dominque Alexander said after he met with Frisco PD, he feels comfortable as of right now things are being done properly, but they will have to wait and see how things go moving forward. Frisco PD should look into the threats against the Anthony family as well. We agree they should!
Next NGAN wanted to clear up some of the rumors being spread which include:
The Autopsy Report Online: Fake
The Statement From an account under Chief Shilson’s name: FAKE
Austin Metcalf and Karmelo Anthony knew each other before this incident: False
Austin Metcalf and Karmelo Anthony partied together before: False
Austin Metcalf and his twin brother were not on the roster to be at the track meet: False
Kamelo Anthony was not on the roster to be at the track meet: False
ALL THREE BOYS WERE ON THE ROSTER AND SUPPOSED TO BE THERE!
All three young men arrived at the track meet via Fisco ISD school buses.
Karmelo Anthony was kicked out of his home days before this event: False
Concern about if all witnesses have been interviewed: Per the President of NGAN, Frisco PD confirmed they have interviewed several people and are ongoing, and they have more to interview.
Video of the event: Yes – Frisco PD confirmed they have confiscated video footage of the event. That will not be released to the public as it is part of the investigation and will come out in court.
At Whistleblower we would also like to clear up two issue we have heard:
Frisco ISD does not own the event/stadium? False, it is owned by the school district, so state laws apply
What was Anthony right when it came to him carrying a knife on school grounds?
Can a weapon, such as a knife be carried on school property? Texas Penal code Section 46.03 (Places Weapons Prohibited) states, “A person commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly possesses or goes with a firearm, location-restricted knife, club, or prohibited weapon listed in Section 46.05 (Prohibited Weapons)(a):
(1) on the premises of a school or postsecondary educational institution, on any grounds or building owned by and under the control of a school or postsecondary educational institution and on which an activity sponsored by the school or institution is being conducted, or in a passenger transportation vehicle of a school or postsecondary educational institution, whether the school or postsecondary educational institution is public or private, unless:
pursuant to written regulations or written authorization of the school or institution;
on the premises where a high school, collegiate, or professional sporting event or interscholastic event is taking place, unless the person is a participant in the event and a firearm, location-restricted knife, club, or prohibited weapon listed in Section 46.05 (Prohibited Weapons)(a) is used in the event;
Instead of creating a narrative that this is a race issue, ask Frisco ISD and its leadership some serious questions about how their actions have failed students. Why don’t they back up their teachers? What have they done over the years to bury issues? Why would they not have security at the stadium? What medical personnel did they have at the stadium? The big shockers that come from this are going to fall on the lack of leadership from our school district, starting with Superintendent Waldrip.
Most of all, continue to pray for both families and our community.
***** IF YOU WORK FOR FRISCO ISD AND WANT TO TELL US SOMETHING YOU CAN EMAIL US AT FRISCOWHISTLEBLOWER@PROTONMAIL.COM. WE WILL PROTECT YOUR IDENTITY ********
We have told you over and over how Frisco is “For Sale” to the highest bidder, and while some scoff at the notion, we hold steadfast that for a price a developer can have whatever they want in Frisco, Texas. Leading the helm of that “pay for play” practice is Mayor Jeff Cheney, who along the way went from broke (his comment to a local newspaper) to one of the largest Real Estate Moguls in Frisco. Guess he is not penny-less now! With the vote of the council members locked in, each bit of Frisco is for sale piece by piece.
Today we were sent an email from a reader who was upset that they received an email from their BUILDER LANDON HOMES telling them to vote no against the firefighters. They felt it was a violation of their privacy, and because it was political and had nothing to do with new homes or their home it crossed the line. That’s right, a builder LANDON HOMESused their sales list and client list to email everyone who bought a home from them and tell them to VOTE NO in our local election.
According to their privacy policy online Landon Homes respects your privacy and is committed to treating information about you responsibly. It clearly states they collect your information to give you superior service and to provide you with convenient access to a wide range of products and services and customer service surveys. No where in the written privacy policy does it say they will use one’s email for political purposes or to basically electioneer in their best interest.
The irony is the same builders ask the Fire Department to come out to their events and do “community engagement” events but they don’t want to support them back.
Why is it okay for builders to dictate how “WE, TAX PAYING RESIDENTS VOTE?”
While Landon Homes clients probably agreed to get marketing emails from them for things such as new homes or developments, did they agree to become recipients of political messages? Is that outside the scope of marketing?
How do you feel about a local builder being ANTI-FIREFIGHTER AND FIRST RESPONDERS? Would you buy a home from them now?
Do you think it is IRONIC that the same builders ask the Fire Department to come out to their events and do “community engagement” but then they don’t want to support them back?
It is no secret that John Landon, owner of Landon Homes has been a donor to certain members of the city council over the years:
Jeff Cheney Jan 2020 $2500
John Keating April 2024 $1500
Safety First Frisco April 2024 $10,000
We have no issue with Landon’s donating to the ANTI PAC as that is their right as an individual. However, they crossed the line went they entered their business into our political election and told home buyers how to vote! Ask yourself, what other developers have sent out this same message during this election cycle? How deep does this corruption go with our builders and city council?
VOTE FOR CHANGE! It is time for the residents to take back our city and to have a voice! Don’t be fooled by big-money developers with self-personal interests. Go out and support your Firefighters and first responders Saturday. Send an email to Landon Homes and let them know to stay out of our elections at onlinesales@landonhomes.com
Dark Money is a powerful documentary by Kimberley Reed about a dangerously corrupt campaign finance system that has shifted the power in politics from the people to pay-to-play corporations at the state and federal politicians. In Texas, Title 15 of the election code regulates political funds and campaigns. It was adopted by the Texas Ethics Commission and applies to candidates and officeholders in local municipalities across our state. In Texas, campaign finance reports are accessible to the public and show how much money is coming into a campaign and how much is being spent. The Texas Tribune said it best, the disclosure of the reports makes it hard to hide some kind of corrupt bargain. An individual can make a donation to a campaign, but a corporation is prohibited. The City of Frisco has campaign finance reports available online at https://www.friscotexas.gov/634/Campaign-Finance-Reports for each candidate or office holder present or past. You can also see mayor and council reimbursement reports.
I was interested to see if any individuals associated with the PGA, The Link, or Fields projects donated to any of our current sitting city council members. While doing the research it has hard to be sure a specific individual is connected to a specific project but my wife and I did our best to try and piece it together. We listed it by date, candidate, amount, the person who donated & possible association up through the year-end of 2021. The donation date, dollar amount, and donor name came directly from the council member’s campaign finance reports. The “possible association” to the project is based on what we could find from news articles, websites, city council meetings, and online research.
3/29/17 Cheney $2000 from John Wagner (Republic Property Group) – Fields
3/29/17 Cheney $1000 from John Wagner (Republic Property Group) – Fields
3/29/17 Cheney $2000 from Anthony Ruggeri (Republic Property Group) – Fields
December 4, 2018 – City Council Approves PGA
1/14/19 Woodard $750 from Chris Kleinert (Hunt Corp)
1/14/19 Woodard $750 from Michael Sinacola (Mario Sinacola & Sons – Excavating)
1/14/19 Woodard $500 from Jeff Brawner (Grogan & Brawner PC) Fields Karahan Atty
7/28/21 Woodard $500 from Jeff Brawner (Grogan & Brawner) Fields Attorneys
7/30/21 Woodard $2000 from Philip Rose (CrossTie Capital) Fields Investor
8/1/21 Woodard $1500 from Fehmi Karahan (Karahan Co) Fields
8/6/21 Woodard $1000 from Colin Fitzgibbons (Hunt Corp) Landowner
What did we learn as we followed the yellow brick road? First, we looked for donations that occurred within a few months of a vote. For example, Woodard received almost $4500 dollars in campaign contributions from individuals with connections to these projects in January 2019. That was just one month after the city council approved the PGA. While it doesn’t look good to get donations so close to a vote it could be justified as he was running for re-election in the May 2019 general election.
The same could be said for Mayor Cheney who in December 2020 received $5000 from Robert Elliott of Stillwater Capital and then in January 2020 received $30,000 + in campaign contributions from individuals associated with these projects. Most of the donations occurred between 1/27/20 to 1/31/20. The largest donor was Fehmi Karahan with $15,000. Then the city council approved the Fields project in March 2020. Cheney did run for re-election in 2020 unopposed so the public could justify the contributions. In general, it is not a good look but that will be up to the public to decide.
Another important “hot” race in 2020 was between Robert Cox, Dan Stricklin, and Laura Rummel. With them being all new candidates, why was this important? Robert Cox was Chairman of the Planning & Zoning Commission for the City of Frisco in 2020. While he did not vote on the decision he did oversee the committee which approved the Fields project on February 25, 2020. After the vote, he received about $45,000 in campaign contributions before the November 2020 election. The general public has to determine if it looks bad or is justifiable since he was running for council.
Keating & Livingston also has the same dilemma. From the end of March 2021 to July 2021 John Keating received around $14000 from individuals associated with these developments. The vote for the Link was expected to be in April 2021 but it was held over until May 2021. One would say the timing does not look good for Keating, but he was running in the May 2021 General Election. Livingston received around $6000 in September 2019 which was six months after a vote and 6 months before the next vote. No votes occurred in the immediate proximity to the timing of his donations which bodes well for him.
In a previous blog, I wrote “Pretend for a moment, everything is above board, and there is no shady shit happening but there is an appearance of wrongdoing, that appearance is just as important as reality in the minds of the public, citizens, and voters.” Frisco residents are calling for transparency and that is not an unreasonable request of those “WE” elect to office. Council members push their own personal agenda, and it is time they listen to what “WE” the citizens want. I learned that looking at campaign donations can show who is invested in certain candidates. Donations are not a sign of any wrongdoing or illegal activity, but they can create doubt or a perceived conflict of interest. It is a fine line between a simple campaign donation and a pay-to-play scheme or dark money. Matlock would say to look at it from another angle. Pretend a project is not popular with residents so they speak out against it and the council votes to pass the project. Several months later we find out that the candidate had accepted thousands of dollars from individuals involved in said project, would you believe the candidate voted for it because that is what was best for the city and residents or because they got paid? Residents should call for an end to the shady shit and ask the City of Frisco to adopt a similar policy to the City of Plano which states a campaign contribution of more than $1,000 to any city council member(s) shall create a conflict of interest based on an appearance of impropriety. Problem Solved and peace of mind for everyone!
Rain, rain go away, come again some other day! Many were hoping and wishing for that back on August 22, 2022. The metroplex had a few days of intense rain and the overcast sky gave off a humble gray tone. By mid-morning to everyone’s delight a glorious glow from the sun appeared from behind the two-tone gray moving clouds. This was going to be a monumental day for Frisco as the PGA of America unveiled its new $33.5 million dollar headquarters. Along with the new headquarters, Forbes Magazine reports the 600-acre campus will include two 18-hole courses, Fields Ranch East and Fields Ranch West, plus The Swing, a 10-hole, par-3 short course.
There is no doubt the PGA was an extraordinary WIN-WIN for Frisco. It was reported that the deal included a $90 Million abatement, which means the PGA won’t pay property taxes for at least two decades. The economic impact is expected to be $2.5 BILLION over the next 20 years for North Texas according to a State of Texas study. PGA President Jim Richerson said, “the new HQ will be a first-of-its-kind golf laboratory that offers the best in professional development for our nearly 28,000 PGA professionals.” The big draw for the PGA was the opportunity to create a destination instead of the standard office development.
Surrounding the PGA campus will be the Omni PGA Resort which Texas Monthly reports will be the second largest resort in Texas at a cost of $520 million. A pedestrian promenade will link the PGA to its neighbor, The Link, a $1 Billion-dollar mixed-use development featuring office space, dining options, and green park space. The 240-acre master-planned project is the brainchild of Dallas-based investor/developer Stillwater Capital.
The entire project is nothing short of extraordinary and I wanted to know how did it end up in Sports City USA? I found an amazing article by LocalProfile.com that talked about how in 2014 a local dad convinced The PGA to move to North Texas. David Ovard’s two sons had a natural talent for golf but there were a limited number of courses available for teen boys to practice. He felt like Sports City USA forgot one major sport, Golf! It started with a napkin, some connections to important people, and a father’s determination to give his two boys and other teens a chance to achieve their golf dreams. I was stunned to learn that one man had the idea and the golf drive (a long-distance shot) to make it happen.
I had no idea the project dated back to 2014 or that the first visit by a PGA official to tour sites was in 2015. In 2017 city officials and local movers and shakers traveled to North Carolina for a championship PGA event to talk with PGA officials. The turning point was in 2018 when Omni Hotels & Resorts, local Dallas-based developer & investor Stillwater Capital, and Woods Capital came together and committed to the project. This commitment is what helped to solidify an amazing win for so many.
Stillwater Capital is a co-owner in PGA Frisco today and is owned by Robert Elliott. In reading several articles that name stuck out to me. Elliott also owns a full-service real estate brokerage called The Associates which was formed in July 2016. While sitting in my favorite lazy-boy recliner, I glanced at a timeline I had written on a little notepad with my old teeth-marked pencil (old habit) sitting on the side table. In November 2017, just a few months after that official visit to North Carolina, Cheney’s Real Estate Group joined The Associates, owned by Robert Elliott. Based on that relationship, Cheney had to file affidavits to recuse himself from discussions in executive session. Filing the affidavit was 100% the right thing to do! There was one thing that puzzled me, did the new relationship give Cheney behind-the-scenes access to these 3 world-class developments since he shared an office with Stillwater Capital and worked with The Associates? Did he recuse himself as Mayor from all conversations or meetings with developers and did he recuse himself from council discussions, due to his relationship with Stillwater Capital? What is the city’s policy when it comes to conflicts of interest? What is the State of Texas policies when it comes to politicians and potential conflicts of interest?
There is one thing for certain, after the Win-Win of the PGA the goal to become Sports City USA was complete. Its fantastic for local residents, businesses, future teen pro golfers and for the City of Frisco and the State of Texas.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Curiosity is lying in wait for every secret.” One of the driving forces behind human discovery is curiosity. What if Galileo never bothered to look through his telescope? He would have never observed celestial bodies proving that there were objects in space. A person’s curiosity to look at something and then want to know the story behind it is what changed the world thousands of times. I am no Galileo, but my curiosity is what drives me to investigate to find the truth.
For years drivers along the DNT, Panther Creek and 380 roadways wondered “what will these fields develop into one day?” I don’t think Frisco residents ever expected 3 world-class developments centered around the PGA & Golf. There is no doubt about it, the deal is a win-win for Frisco and its residents. The portion that intrigued me was Fields, a 2100-acre master-planned community. Plans for villages (neighborhoods) and a network of trails built around the natural topography sound brilliant! It soon became clear with the Cheney Group announcement of being the Fields experts, that he had access to information, homesites, and builder information before anyone else in real estate and that was a red flag for me.
I am not the first to ask questions or have the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Take a moment and browse social media and you will see residents ask questions in regard to Cheney profiting personally from his position as Mayor. In May of 2018, Texas Scorecard released an article by Ross Kecseg asking will the Mayor profit from the PGA deal. On June 25, 2018, Texas Scorecard writer Ross Kecseg released another article regarding the Frisco mayor lashing out at PGA deal coverage and that he has threatened to sue Texas Scorecard to uncover their sources. The articles questioned the conflict between Stillwater Capital, The Associates and the closely tied relationship to Cheney.
In going through documents from a PIR request, I came across a series of emails. The first email was August 1, 2019 and it was written to Mayor Cheney from Holly McCall, Admin Assistant to the Mayor & Council. It reads On Thu, Aug 1, 2019 at 11:23 AM Holly McCall wrote: Mayor Cheney, A gentleman named John Baumgarten, from (redacted) (investors group), came by the office this morning to invite you to attend a dinner on Sept. 10 at 6 pm at Del Frisco’s, Legacy West. Beau Welling plans to speak about building golf courses, including the PGA project. They would love for you to participate in a Q&A at the end if you are willing. Mr. Baumgarten says this is a group (of @ 25 investors) with an interest in golfing and the PGA Project, and that they “are not selling or promoting anything.” They have also invited some of the Omni Group and Joe Trahan from Channel 8. John Baumgarten Principal, Private Wealth Management
The same day at 10:13 pm, Lorie Medina who was known as Mayor Cheney’s Chief of Staff responded. It’s important to note that Lorie Medina was not a city employee, she was paid by the Mayor $5000 a month from his campaign.
On Aug 1, 2019, 10:13 PM -0500, Lorie Medina , wrote: Would you like me to ask Jon McCary about this firm? This could be a good discussion since we are trying to attract VCs and PE firms to Frisco for Inspire Frisco. Also, it might be good to include him at the meeting, if possible.
VC standards for Venture Capital Firm and they invest in industry startups and PE stands for Private Equity Firm and they buy companies and overhaul them to earn a profit. Capital for investments comes from outside investors. Inspire Frisco helps to build a network for Frisco entrepreneurs.
August 2nd the Mayor replies from his Cheney Group personal email where he was a Broker Associate with The Associates Realty and it reads On Fri, Aug 2, 2019 at 12:58 PM Jeff Cheney wrote: Would love his input if he thinks it’s a worthwhile use of time. I do not normally want to kill an entire evening unless necessary. Jeff Cheney, CPA Broker Associate The Associates Realty One Cowboys Way Frisco, Tx 75034 www.CheneyGroup.com
Were the emails a big deal? We didn’t think so until we hit another email sent from John Baumgarten to Jeff Cheney on September 11, 2019. It reads
From: “Baumgarten, John” Date: September 11, 2019 at 11:24:14 AM CDT To: Jeff Cheney JCheney@friscotexas.gov Subject: B & B dinner
Jeff, Cannot thank you enough for carving out some time for us last night and sharing the history and vision of this spectacular project. Congratulations for putting this audacious project together. As a small token of my appreciation, I would love to make a donation to a charity that is connected to this project – let me know what you suggest. I would also like to get on the unofficial lot list – let me know what is involved in that. Thank you again. Maybe we can host another event as we get closer to the next phase being completed. Again, thank you for participating. My guests really enjoyed it based on the early feedback. John
To understand why this email is important you must rewind to the Facebook post on 10/13/22 where the Cheney Group announced they had been working on somethingspecial for the last year. They were excited to announce the Cheney Group team were the Fields Experts and that The Preserve at PGA was teeing off and lots were going fast. The Perry Mason in me had some serious questions.
First, the email above was from 2019 and John asked how to get on the unofficial lot list mentioned at the dinner and what was involved in that. What unofficial lot list and were these lots for the Preserve village? Was Mr. Cheney the only one with access to sell these lots? How many of the unofficial lots were sold prior to the public announcement lots were available? The post said his group had been working for the last year, but the emails were from 2019 so did he work on it for more than a year?
Second, John also mentions making a donation to a charity connected to the project and we safely assumed he meant the PGA/Fields project. We were surprised that Mr. Cheney forwarded that to Lorie Medina to ask her thoughts. She responded with how about we send him to www.giveforfrisco.com and he can pick a charity of his choice. Wait a minute! Was the donation part of getting on that unofficial lot list? Was there an expectation that if a donation was made the person would have more access to the unofficial lot list? The fact that he forwarded the email to Lorie asking for her thoughts, does that display his willingness to accept a donation?
Third, the thank you email was sent to the mayor’s official email address. However, we did not see a response to it! Does that mean the mayor never responded to the gentleman’s two questions? Does it mean he replied through his private email since he knew any communication could be a public record? To give the benefit of the doubt, we are going to assume it was not included since it was out outside of the scope of the PIR.
Truth and Transparency are what residents want and it seems like we always moving in circles without an end or satisfactory answer. The emails by themselves seem like little concern but the emails as a whole have very shady implications. Even if nothing wrong took place, the appearance of impropriety is enough to cause doubt that shady shit is happening in Frisco.
I literally just saw this. Yeah, she used to forward everybody’s emails behind their backs.
You're dropping truth bombs! These mom and pop shops are what should be the least of Karen's worries. If they…
Interesting Article
I don't know, Patrick, and I'm not familiar with SREC, so I'm unable to answer your questions.
Hi Patrick—when is your SREC30 meeting. Missed the one and want to together before Sept.