Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney has some tough questions to answer.
Phillip Michael Carter, a local developer recently indicted for fraud, donated $5,000 to Cheney’s campaign in 2018, and an additional $10,000 through his company, Carter Family Office LLC. Cheney accepted this donation even though he supposedly has a policy of not accepting donations above $10,000.
The donations came after a meeting Carter had with Cheney regarding an ordinance Carter claimed affected his “multi-tenant commercial property” off of Preston Road. Cheney has said that there is no connection between the two. “This was never a this for that.”
Even though the most recent campaign finance report shows Cheney’s campaign to be cash poor, with only $441 on hand and $113,874 in debt as of December 2018, the Frisco mayor said he will try to “rid himself” of Carter’s $15,000 donation as soon as possible.
There are also questions about Cheney’s campaign crossing over with city operations. When Dallas Morning News columnist Sharon Grigsby sent Cheney a text message inquiring about his campaign finance reports, not only did a member of Frisco’s communications staff call her to follow up on the request, this same government employee sat in on the meeting Cheney had with Grigsby about the issue.
Grigsby also shared with Cheney disturbing allegations she had heard that his chief of staff, Lorie Medina, has acted in a capacity which would be more appropriate for the Mayor Pro Tem or a member of city council. Cheney flatly denied the allegations that Medina sits in for him on official business while also saying that his chief of staff “does what every chief of staff does,” including meeting on behalf of the mayor when it’s suitable.
Cheney has been a controversial figure of late with his vocal opposition to property tax reform. The mayor’s connections and actions raise questions to which Frisco taxpayers deserve answers.
