Kunkle Also Wants to See Someone (City, DPD, DA's Office) Investigate Happy Trails Contract

I've left messages and sent emails all over Dallas City Hall -- to City Manager Mary Suhm, Assistant City Manager Forest Turner (who oversees Park and Recreation), City Auditor Craig Kinton, city spokesman Frank Librio and Chris Heinbaugh in Mayor-For-Now Dwaine Caraway's office. I've been told they are all presently...

By Robert Wilonsky

May 11, 2011

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I've left messages and sent emails all over Dallas City Hall -- to City Manager Mary Suhm, Assistant City Manager Forest Turner (who oversees Park and Recreation), City Auditor Craig Kinton, city spokesman Frank Librio and Chris Heinbaugh in Mayor-For-Now Dwaine Caraway's office. I've been told they are all presently tied up in meetings. I've also sent a note and left a message for Jamille Bradfield, spokeswoman for Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins.

The question is, simply: What, if anything, do they intend to do about allegations made on Channel 8 last night that then-Park Board president Mike Rawlings and Park and Rec officials, including director Paul Dyer, made sure one of Rawlings' good friends got the Happy Trails safety campaign contract when it should have been put out for bid?

Ron Natinsky already told us, in the wee small hours of the morning, there needs to be a "full inquiry" to see if laws were broken. And moments ago, former Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle told Unfair Park he thought Brett Shipp "did a good job building a case that city of Dallas officials intentionally conspired to violate state purchasing laws to benefit a friend of Mike Rawlings." Rawlings, Natinsky and Kunkle, of course, are all hoping to be elected Dallas mayor on Saturday.

Kunkle said he too believes an investigation is in order.

"I just don't know if the council is equipped to investigate," he said. "The city auditor maybe could, but I think it could potentially be a criminal investigation, so maybe they'd want to bring in somebody from the DA's office or the police department's white-collar crime section. The city of Dallas should initiate it, but it also could be initiated by the DA's office. I assume a citizen could also file a complaint. That's an allegation made on a network news affiliate that had a lot of viewers, and if what Brett Shipp said is true or close to true it appears there was an intent to violate state statutes when it comes to purchasing."

More to come.

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