DARK MONEY

by | Feb 22, 2023 | 12 Cowboys Way, Campaign Donations, Campaign Finance Reports, City Council, Developements, Developers, Fehmi Karahan, Fields West, Jerry Jones, Jerry Jones - Blue Star Land, Jerry Jones - Dallas Cowboys, PGA Frisco, Politics, Rex Glendenning - Rex Real Estate, Robert Elliott, Robert Elliott - The Associates, Stillwater, The Link, The Preserve & Fields, The Star, Wade Park

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

1/14/19 Woodard $500 from RJ Grogan (Grogan & Brawner PC) Fields Karahan Atty

1/14/19 Woodard $500 from William Vanderstraaten (Chief Partners) Fields Investor

1/14/19 Woodard $800 from Fehmi Karahan (Karahan Co) Fields

1/24/19 Woodard $750 from James Sinacola (Mario Sinacola & Sons) Fields Excavating

** NOTE: Woodard was up for re-election in the May 2019 election

4/3/19 Cheney $5000 from William Shaddock (Shaddock Homes) Fields Home Builder

9/20/19  Livingston $750 from Bill Vanderstraaten (Chief Partners) Fields Investor

9/21/19  Livingston $750 from Chris Klienert (Hunt Corp) Landowner

9/23/19  Livingston $1000 from Philip Rose (CrossTie Capital) Fields Investor

9/25/19  Livingston $750 from both Chris & Constance Kleinert (Hunt Corp) Landowner

9/25/19  Livingston $1000 from Fehmi Karahan (Karahan Co.) Fields

12/1/19 Cheney $5000 from Robert Elliott (Stillwater Capital) – PGA & Link

1/7/20 Cheney $1000 from Robert Rowling (TRT Holdings) Omni Resort

1/7/20 Cheney $2000 from Charles Adams (Stratford Group) Fields Capital Investor

1/13/20 Cheney $1000 from Kerry Britton (Britton Homes) Fields Home Builder

1/28/20 Cheney $1000 from Chris Klienert (Hunt Corp) Fields

1/29/20 Cheney $2000 from John Wagner (Stillwater Capital) – Fields

1/29/20  Cheney $1000 from James Sinacola (Mario Sinacola & Sons) Fields Excavating

1/29/20  Cheney $750 from Michael Sinacola (Mario Sinacola & Sons – Excavating)

1/29/20 Cheney $2500 from John Landon (Landon Homes) Fields Builder

1/29/20 Cheney $2500 from Steven Van Amburgh (KDC) Fields Development Team

1/29/20 Cheney $15,000 from Fehmi Karahan (Karahan Co) – Fields

1/29/20 Cheney $1000 from Chris Klienert (Hunt Corp) – Landowner

1/29/20 Cheney $5000 from Daniel Hunt (Hunt Corp)  – Land Owner

1/29/20 Cheney $1000 from Jeff Brawner (Grogan & Brawner PC) Atty for Karahan

1/29/20 Cheney $1000 from Ryan Griffin (FCS Trucking & Construction)

1/30/20 Cheney $1030 from William Shaddock (Shaddock Homes) Fields Home Builder

1/31/20 Cheney $2500 from Tobin Grove (KDC) Fields Development Team

**Note: November 2020 – Mayor Cheney 2nd Term, ran unopposed for re-election.

Feb 25, 2020, P&Z Approves Fields

March 17, 2020,  City Council Approves Fields

March 12, 2021,  P&Z Approves The Link

3/31/21  Keating $1000 from Chris Klienert (Hunt) Landowner

4/2/21  Keating $3000 from Philip Rose (CrossTie Capital) Fields Investor

April 6, 2021,  City Council Vote On The Link (heldover to 5/4/21)

4/10/21  Keating $1000 from Bill Vanderstraaten (Chief Partners) Fields Investor

4/12/21  Keating $500 from RJ Grogan (Grogan & Brawner PC) Karahan Attorney

4/12/21  Keating $1000 from Collin Fitzgibbons (Hunt Corp) Landowner

4/13/21  Keating $250 from Jeff Brawner (Grogan & Brawner PC) Karahan Attorney

4/15/21  Keating $1500 from Fehmi Karahan (Karahan Co.) Fields

**NOTE: Keating was running for re-election in the May 2021 General Election.

4/22/21  Pelham $1500 from Philip Rose (CrossTie Capital) Fields Investor

4/22/21  Pelahm $500 from Chris Klienert (Hunt Realty) Landowner

4/22/21  Pelham $500 from Bill Vanderstraaten (Chief Partners) Fields Investor

4/22/21  Pelham $500 from Colin Fitzgibbons (Hunt Corp) Landowner

4/22/21  Pelham $250 ea. from Jeff Brawner and RJ Grogan (Grogan & Brawner PC) – Fields Attorneys

** NOTE: Pelham was running for the May 2021 General Election.  She was not a seated member at the time.

May 4, 2021, City Council Approves The Link

7/1/21  Pelham $500 from Bill Vanderstraaten (Chief Partners) Fields Investor

7/1/21  Pelham $1000 from Colin Fitzgibbons (Hunt Corp) Landowner

7/1/21  Pelham $500 from Chris Klienert (Hunt Realty) Landowner

7/12/21 Keating $1500 from Fehmi Karahan (Karahan Co) Fields

7/25/21  Woodard $1000 from Bill Vanderstraaten (Chief Partners) Fields Investor

7/27/21  Woodard $1000 from Chris Klienert (Hunt Realty) Landowner

7/27/21  Woodard $500 from Whitney Grogan (Grogan & Brawner) Fields Attorneys

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!

Fields West Dynasty

by | Feb 17, 2023 | Cheney Group, Developements, Developers, Fehmi Karahan, Fields - Brookside North, Fields - Brookside South, Fields West, Mayor Jeff Cheney, Omni PGA Resort, PGA Frisco, Politics, Stillwater, The Link, The Preserve & Fields

I remember as a teenager sitting around the living room with my family once a week to tune in to our favorite family show Murder She Wrote. Jessica Fletcher played by Dame Angela Lansbury was not cocky, but she did know her own skills.  She knew to ask questions when she didn’t understand something and how to rely on others who may have the expertise in an area she didn’t.   My favorite thing she used to say episode after episode was “Now, I may be wrong, but frankly, I doubt it.” She taught me to be curious and to ask questions which is why once my interest was peaked I could not stop diving into what I believe is the Shady Shit happening in Frisco.

As I said in my last blog I had all these questions about how Mayor Jeff Cheney could represent Fehmi’s Fields lots and advocate for Universal at the same time.  In my humble opinion, there is a clear conflict of interest and that made me want to deep dive into Fields.  To start, you must understand that the PGA, The Link, and Fields are 3 separate world-class developments, but one would not have happened without the other.  Hunt is who identified and purchased the 2544 acres of land on the DNT.  Hunt has partnered with Stillwater Capital to do the PGA and The Link.  Hunt then announced its partnership with Fehmi Karahan (Legacy West Developer) to do the Fields West development.  Fields website states it will be home to restaurants, businesses, ten thousand homes, schools, parks, and open spaces.  It will also be home to the PGA headquarters and the University of North Texas.

Now we have identified two players in the Fields project: Hunt Realty Investments and Fehmi Karahan.  The investors are Chief Partners and CrossTie Capital, and the development team is led by KDC Architects.  Home builders will include Darling / Taylor Morrison, Britton / Perry, Highland Homes, Olivia Clarke, Shaddock Homes, Toll Brothers, and several more custom home builders.  Mario Sinecola & Sons will probably be doing the excavating and FCS Trucking will also be involved.  In a nutshell, there are a lot of players in the overall project.  So how does Jeff Cheney fit into this?

Let’s follow the social media trail. On October 13, 2022, the Cheney Group announced The Preserve at PGA was teeing off.  It went on to read the Cheney Group would be the Fields Experts. Just days later October 16th the Cheney Group released a video with Jeff Cheney presenting all things PGA. You can check it out on the Cheney Group YouTube Channel.  On October 17th Jeff Cheney led Monument Realty’s Roadmap 2023 event where they shared tips and tricks with top agents.  The same day on social media the Cheney Group released a video of the Championship Holes 14 & 15 the Preserve lots overlooking them.  On October 19th they announced they just got their hands on the first set of floor plans for Brookside South at PGA and they had several more upcoming builder meetings planned and could not wait to fill us in!  Fast forward to Nov 2nd Capital Title hosted a knowledge session for Realtors in North Texas at Stonebriar Country Club led by Jeff Cheney.  On Nov 8th they meet with architects involved at The Preserve to learn about the level of standards they would be bringing to the Preserve.  We could keep going but I think you get the idea!

Just following the social media trail, we are left with several questions. Does the Cheney Group have an exclusive to the lots?  If so, is that because they are a top-producing team or because Cheney is mayor, and when was the deal made?  The Monument Realty Roadmap Show was that for Monument agents only or were other agents outside the brokerage invited?  How did other brokerages in DFW learn about the PGA’s future homesites? Did other brokerages get to have exclusive sit-downs with the architects?  Can any agent go out to the 14th and 15th holes and take photos of The Preserve homesites overlooking the course?  Did other brokers and agents get their hands on the floor plans the same day as the Cheney Group or after? The Capital Title knowledge session that was held for local realtors, was the Fields representatives, home builders, and developers there, or was this led by Mayor Jeff Cheney or Jeff Cheney of the Cheney Group?  It makes me curious, why are other agents and brokerages not outraged by the exclusive access Cheney seems to have?

Just the other day I visited my favorite coffee shop and two agents sitting next to me were talking in low whispers about how they felt it was a massive conflict of interest that the Cheney Group has an exclusive.  I wanted to jump up and say, me too but I didn’t.  I just sat quietly with my head tilted back reading the paper and listening to them vent their frustrations.  I don’t fully understand if Cheney has an exclusive right to these lots but it is clear that the Cheney Group has a leg up on any other brokerage or realtor when it comes to the PGA which is one of the most notable developments to hit North Texas. If the Cheney Group does have an exclusive and he is profiting from his position and connections as Mayor then an argument could be made there is a serious conflict of interest and Mr. Cheney should recuse himself from all talks, votes, well anything that has to do with Fields West.  

Someone told me once “It would be better for us to have some doubts in an honest pursuit of truth than it would be for us to be certain about something that was not true.” So in my search for transparency, and the need to know the truth, I decided to file a PIR to obtain more information.  That is where I found some shady shit!