Did Councilman Hill trade an endorsement in mayor's race in hopes of future profits?

David Webb - The Rare Reporter

As the news spread of South Dallas African-American Councilman Don Hill's endorsement of North Dallas' Tom Leppert for mayor, if was almost as if you could hear the ghosts of old Dallas cronies chuckling in the background.

"Now, we're really getting back to the basics," they seemed to be saying. "This is how it's supposed to work in Dallas."

The very idea of Ed Oakley, a gay politician from South Dallas, rising to the city's top elected position "Unthinkable, never going to happen, no matter what it takes to stop it," the ghosts chortled.

Five years of that unbearable Yankee journalist Laura Miller as mayor was bad enough, but an avowed homosexual to replace her? "Don't make us laugh so hard. If we weren't already dead, it'd probably give us a heart attack."

And there you have it the strategy for ensuring that wealthy white business people resume control of Dallas city government. Get the third-place African-American contender in the general election on board so he'll bring his votes from South Dallas to the side of the conservatives' choice.

Paranoia? I think not, especially when you hear what Oakley and Hill's former treasurer have to say about their dealings with Hill and his campaign staff since the African-American councilman lost his bid for a spot in the runoff to Oakley and Leppert.

Oakley said he was approached by Hill's campaign team after the general election and asked to pay them $750,000 in three installments of $250,000 each to help get the South Dallas vote out in the runoff election.

"I couldn't afford their campaign team, and I couldn't intermix them with ours," Oakley said. "I truly believe it goes back to there had to be some tit for tat in there."

Oakley said there was "just no way" he could accommodate Hill's campaign team's request. The candidate said he already had a southern grassroots campaign team organized, and the price for Hill's team was exorbitant.

Oakley said he suspects that a lot of Hill's campaign team members did not get paid because the African-American councilman had not been able to raise enough money for his campaign. That theory will most likely be supported by campaign finance reports that are due to be filed soon, he said.

And a conversation with Dallas attorney John Barr, who recently resigned as Hill's campaign treasurer, supports Oakley's version of the events.

"Don Hill and the campaign went to Ed Oakley to endorse Ed Oakley conditioned on Ed Oakley paying and hiring the campaign staff of Don Hill," Barr said in a telephone interview. "That was rejected.

"Hill has endorsed Tom Leppert, which is a surprise to me and inconsistent with any conversations we've ever had. Basically, I think they made an arrangement. I have no personal knowledge of the arrangement, but I don't think it is best for the constituency of the southern sector."

Leppert denied that anything had been promised to Hill, who immediately after the general election sent out a press release saying he was evaluating the campaigns of Oakley and Leppert to decide which one to endorse.

"Absolutely none," Leppert said about the speculation promises had been made to Hill.

Hill said in a press conference that he had chosen to support Leppert because of the candidate's leadership skills, his commitment to inclusiveness and his vision for the city and the southern sector.

When told that Leppert had denied making any promises to Hill, Barr said he didn't know Leppert and therefore could not comment on the candidate's veracity.

"I do know that what I've told you about the issue of they would endorse Oakley if Oakley would pay for the campaign staff I know that to be factual. You can draw your own inferences to why, when that was refused, the endorsement went to someone else."

OK, I will.

I tend to believe Leppert's statement that he has not promised anything to Hill, who reportedly is unemployed, struggling and still under the eye of an FBI investigation into possible fraudulent dealings at City Hall by some officials.

That's because he doesn't have to. I'll just bet that both Leppert and Hill know how the system works in Dallas business circles. One of Leppert's grateful supporters will come to Hill's assistance at some point in the future. They don't have to be asked to do it. They don't have to agree in advance. It will just happen. It's the old Dallas way. It's understood.

But maybe something could still go wrong with their plan.

Despite spending twice as much money as Oakley's campaign an estimated $4 million by the time it is all over Leppert is still behind in the polls by about three or four points, according to Oakley's calculations.

Oakley has a host of South Dallas leaders  including John Wiley Price, Yvonne Davis, Terri Hodge, Leo Chaney and Domingo Garcia endorsing him, according to his campaign. And Oakley said he is also supported by former gay City Councilman John Loza.

"To be where I'm at and ahead of him in the polls is amazing," Oakley said.

So it looks like just maybe the joke could be on the ghosts after all. And wouldn't that be a riot?

E-mail webb@dallasvoice.com



This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, June 8, 2007.