Former Dallas councilman convicted in extortion case
From Sunshine Review
October 6th, 20009 A former Dallas councilman, Don Hill, and four of his associates and his wife, were convicted on Monday for extortion. They were found to have extorted real-estate developers. The conviction marks a key point in the scandal, which is known locally as the Dallas City Hall ethics scandal [1].
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[edit] Extortion
Don Hill, his associates, and his wife were convicted by a jury who had strong evidence against them. In the case, two real-estate developers testified against Hill. Both of the real-estate developers said they pursued city zoning approval, so that they could develop low-end housing in Hill's district. They said Hill indicated to them that he would not approve of their zoning permits unless he received payment [2].
In addition to the testimonies, the prosecution presented audio and video evidence that was collected by the FBI. In one conversation between Hill and his associate, his associate told Hill to delay a vote over zoning permits, allowing the associate more time to shake-down a developer. In another instance, photos show Hill receiving $10,000 from an associate who had, shortly before, received $20,000 from a real-estate developer [3].
Besides extorting money, Hill also secured questionable consulting contracts. His wife, for example, had a $14,000 per month consulting contract for her involvement in community development projects[4].
[edit] Accusations of Racism
In the defense, Hill and his lawyers have argued that Hill's conviction has been motivated by racism. The defense points out that white politician's whose campaigns received money from a real-estate developer were not investigated by the FBI. The defense plans to appeal the case on these grounds [5]
The merits of the argument, however, are in doubt. The jury who convicted Hill, for instance, had a black majority. [6] The black community, in general, has not been rallied by Hill's accusations of racism [7].
[edit] External Links
[edit] References
- ↑ Wall Street Journal, Former Dallas Officials Convicted in Extortion of Developers
- ↑ Wall Street Journal, Former Dallas Officials Convicted in Extortion of Developers
- ↑ Wall Street Journal, Former Dallas Officials Convicted in Extortion of Developers
- ↑ Wall Street Journal, Former Dallas Officials Convicted in Extortion of Developers
- ↑ Star-Telegram, Dallas convictions may fuel statewide push for ethics reform Dallas convictions may fuel statewide push for ethics reform
- ↑ Star-Telegram, Dallas convictions may fuel statewide push for ethics reform Dallas convictions may fuel statewide push for ethics reform
- ↑ Wall Street Journal, Former Dallas Officials Convicted in Extortion of Developers
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