Sources inside the Dallas County DA’s Public Integrity Unit have confirmed that felony charges have been levied against a sitting Farmers Branch City Councilman. Floyd Jeffrey Fuller has been indicted on grounds of theft and misuse of public funds. However, no public documents have been made available to confirm specifics, and as of this morning, an arrest had not yet been made.
The indictment comes after a resignation submitted by Fuller yesterday which cited “personal issues” that prevented him from maintaining his post. The email read:
“Mayor, it has been a pleasure serving as a Councilman for the past three years. I considered running for re-election this year, however, personal issues, health issues and opportunities for me and my family will not allow me to. I will be resigning my spot on Council in March so that I can pursue the opportunities for me and my family. I wish each of you the best and keep moving forward to make this the best place to work, live, and play. – Sincerely, F. Jeff Fuller”
Fuller previously caught the attention of concerned residents who allege he attempted to leverage his elected position on the Council in order to win a public contract. With the operational knowledge gained from serving on Parks and Recreation for over twenty years and competitive information obtained from his tenure in office, Fuller was well positioned to take advantage of an opportunity presented by the City of Dallas.
He formed a for-profit company in Houston, FJ Fuller and Associates, and submitted a bid with Dallas to manage the Elmfork Athletic Complex— a facility that directly competes with amenities in Farmers Branch. In fact, the Dallas facility is only a mile away from the border.
Adding to his “resume” with the City of Dallas, Fuller allegedly used Farmers Branch’s Mayor, Bob Phelps, as a reference without his permission. Interestingly, two other current Farmers Branch employees were also listed as employees of the business, FJ Fuller and Associates.
According to local sources, when officials in Farmers Branch were confronted with Fuller’s conflict, it was largely dismissed as one without merit. Only one councilman, Harold Froehlich, disagreed and urged citizens to push for a public forum to debate and resolve the conflict.
The voters of Farmers Branch will have an opportunity in May to replace Fuller with someone who takes his or her role as a public servant seriously. After all, public officials are elected to serve residents and taxpayers, not themselves.
