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.