CBS-11 NEWS EXCLUSIVE: FBI INVESTIGATION EXPANDS TO TWO MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS, PLAN COMMISSION APPOINTEES

Aug 15, 2005 10:09 pm US/Central By Sarah Dodd, CBS-11 News

The FBI has dramatically expanded its public corruption investigation of Dallas City Hall, CBS-11 News has learned.

Councilwoman Maxine Thornton-Reese and Councilmember Leo Chaney, as well as two additional Plan Commission appointees are under investigation for alleged bribery and corruption, sources tell CBS-11. Last Wednesday, the FBI issued more subpoenas, asking for emails, phone records and voting records on affordable housing issues.

The subpoenas bring the number of council members under FBI scrutiny to four, including Mayor Pro-Tem Don Hill and James Fantroy. Mayor Pro-Tem Hill's Plan Commission Appointee, D'Angelo Lee, also is under FBI investigation. In June, the FBI executed search warrant raids on all of their offices, homes and, in the case of Hill and Lee, their vehicles..

The new subpoenas also expand the FBI probe to Fantroy's Plan Commission appointee, Carol Brandon. At least one other Plan Commission appointee also is the subject of FBI interest, but that individual's name was not immediately available Monday night. That brings the total number of Dallas public officials under the FBI's magnifying glass to seven.

None of the newly targeted council members could be readily reached for comment Monday evening. But Councilwoman Reese, during an interview with CBS-11 News earlier Monday, gave no indication that she was grappling with an FBI subpoena herself.

CBS-11 has learned that almost every department at City Hall is frantically working to gather the required information by Aug. 23.

Sources at City Hall say that after the new round of subpoenas was served Wednesdays, documents were shredded in Don Hill's office. He could not be readily reached for comment, but earlier Monday gave no indication in email correspondence with CBS-11 and other media outlets that new FBI activity had targeted City Hall offices.