Terri Hodge

Anchia to Tackle "Divisive and Misguided" Anti-Immigration Legislation

Credit Risks

Tracy Rowlett's Tired of the FBI Investigation at City Hall

Take That, Mayor Miller. That's Terri Hodge Talking, By the Way. Not Us.

Where You Will Find Schutze Tonight

Signed, Unsealed, Almost Delivered

Got Time to Kill? Here's That 166-Page City Hall Indictment You've Been Waiting For.

Street Tax

Talking Political Futures With Guests at Angela Hunt's Fund-Raiser Last Night

Why the New Smoking Ordinance Should Have Been Delayed, and Sorting Through the 10 Amendments

There's a line where government stops and the rights of the people begin, and when Mayor Tom Leppert and nine of his council colleagues voted to strengthen Dallas' smoking ordinance, that line wasn't blurred, they drove right past it as if it didn't even exist. But no matter where you stand on the ... More >>

The Odious Associates and Dubious Swords in City Hall Corruption Case

On Wednesday, less than a week after breaking bits and pieces of the City Hall corruption trial into smaller bites, U.S. District Judge Barbara Lynn issued another ruling concerning how the government will try its case (or, rather, cases) against the likes of former Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill, developer ... More >>

Discordant Meows

Plus: Bashing the Bard; Smokeless Night Out; Take My Vote, Please

Untouchable Hodge

Plus: Bashing the Bard; Smokeless Night Out; Take My Vote, Please

Gone Too Soon|Checkmate|City Hall Corruption|Devil in the Details

Plus: Bashing the Bard; Smokeless Night Out; Take My Vote, Please

Home to Roost

Plus: Bashing the Bard; Smokeless Night Out; Take My Vote, Please

Paper Trails

Morning News waits and waits to acknowledge CBS-11's scoop of an ethically challenged state rep

Vox Populi

Wait a minute...There's democracy in Dallas?

Stacked Deck

Giving penny-ante politicians a say over lucrative affordable-housing developments seemed like a good idea--until the FBI came calling

Kickback City

You wouldn't believe how bad Dallas looks in Austin

Basic Instinct

Plus: Move Over, Swifties; Thanks A Lot, Pal

The Case of the Virgin Couriers

An absentee ballot mystery: These ladies deliver, but who picks up?

Fixing the Fixers

Dallas makes slow but steady progress in cleaning up mail-in ballots

Absentee Minded

Hey, Mr. Zillionaire Developer, got a big public project you want to sell? Black Dallas has the votes you need--dirt cheap.

Busting the Ballot Brokers

County officials hope reforms will prevent absentee-ballot trickery

Look, It Has Always Paid to Be Royce West

Sam MertenState Sen. Royce West and friendsFormer Dallas Observer ace reporter (and sometime-Unfair Park contributor) Matt Pulle has a great piece up today on the Texas Watchdog Web site revealing that in 2008 alone, state Sen. Royce West's 10-person law firm billed the City of Dallas, Dallas Area R ... More >>

Because Nothing Says "Meet Your State Rep" More than a Wingding at Zubar Tonight

Sorry, Kurt Watkins, but your invite to tonight's Dallas County Young Democrats shindig at Mayor Tom Leppert's favorite Lower Greenville hot spot got spammed out -- don't take it personally, same thing happened to my mom earlier today. That half-hearted apology out of the way, the DCYD's communicati ... More >>

At City Hall, Politicians Gather to Raise Awareness About Human Trafficking in DFW

​At a press conference at Dallas City Hall this morning, Dr. Bob Sanborn, president and CEO of the Houston-based Children at Risk, ticked off the tragic statistics: Of the reported cases of human trafficking in the U.S., 25 percent of victims were from Texas. During the final few months 2007 alone ... More >>

Out Of Thin Air: "Making Ground" On the Woodall Rodgers Deck Park

Photos by Patrick MichelsMayor Tom Leppert and Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson with Linda Owen (second from left) and Sheila Grant of the Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation board.​As much fun as Mayor Tom Leppert and Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson could have had shoveling dirt down onto rush hour traffic, thi ... More >>

State Rep. Terri Hodge Has a Few Months Before Her Trial's Scheduled to Start

State Rep. Terri Hodge​Mark your calendars: March 8. That, says Jack Fink, is when state Rep. Terri Hodge will finally stand trial, per Judge Barbara Lynn's decision. Say what? You forgot Hodge was indicted along with Don Hill, D'Angelo Lee and the rest of the found-guilty gang? Then you should go ... More >>

More Ammo for Eric Johnson in Primary Battle Against Terri Hodge, But Will it Matter?

​For reasons we can't explain, politicos are sticking by state Representative Terri Hodge in her bid for an eighth term in office despite the pending March 8 trial for her role in the federal corruption case involving affordable-housing developer Brian Potashnik. Her host committee includes lo ... More >>

Challenger Eric Johnson Takes the High Road Against State Representative Terri Hodge, But Where Will It Lead Him?

​For reasons we can't explain, politicos are sticking by state Representative Terri Hodge in her bid for an eighth term in office despite the pending March 8 trial for her role in the federal corruption case involving affordable-housing developer Brian Potashnik. Her host committee includes lo ... More >>

What's Up With the Whiteout on Terri Hodge's Petitions? Spoiler Alert: Turns Out, Not Much.

Sam MertenRep. Terri Hodge​We just love shenanigans, so it's no wonder why we found ourselves roped in by claims from Eric Johnson's campaign that some of the petitions attached to state Representative Terri Hodge's ballot application didn't pass the smell test. It appeared as though Hodge, wh ... More >>

State Representative Terri Hodge's Campaign Disappoints by Offering a Good Reason for Odd Petitions

Sam MertenRep. Terri Hodge​We just love shenanigans, so it's no wonder why we found ourselves roped in by claims from Eric Johnson's campaign that some of the petitions attached to state Representative Terri Hodge's ballot application didn't pass the smell test. It appeared as though Hodge, wh ... More >>

The County GOP Goes After Dems for Behaving Like Dems

Sam MertenRep. Terri Hodge​We just love shenanigans, so it's no wonder why we found ourselves roped in by claims from Eric Johnson's campaign that some of the petitions attached to state Representative Terri Hodge's ballot application didn't pass the smell test. It appeared as though Hodge, wh ... More >>

U.S. Attorney's Office: State Rep. Terri Hodge Has Taken a Guilty Plea, Is Stepping Down

Sam Merten State Rep. Terri Hodge, a state representative no more​The story's circulating this morning that Terri Hodge is this close to pleading guilty in her involvement in the Dallas City Hall federal corruption case and is stepping down from the Texas House of Representatives. Unfair Pa ... More >>

Hodge Admits to Receiving More Than $30,000 From Potashniks, Using Campaign Contributions For "Personal Benefit"

Hodge landed herself quite a deal.​The indictment against Terri Hodge has always looked much more damning than the evidence facing the rest of the gang involved in the City Hall corruption case, and it turns out that, well, it's all true. Hodge admitted as much in her factual résumé, which s ... More >>

Former CPC Neil Emmons Doesn't Regret Backing Terri Hodge, Says His Opinion of Her Hasn't Changed

Sam MertenNeil Emmons​Democratic precinct chair and former City Plan Commissioner Neil Emmons was certainly not alone in his support of Terri Hodge in her bid for an eighth term in Texas House District 100, as Hodge's endorsements included several of the city's most notable politicos. But even ... More >>

Once Trinity Toll Road Pals, Hunt Withdraws Support of Hodge "For Obvious Reasons"

​Reaction to Terri Hodge's plea deal with the feds continues to trickle in, with Angela Hunt telling us this afternoon that she has withdrawn her support of Hodge "for obvious reasons" and now supports Eric Johnson in the March 2 Democratic primary. While Hodge could still win the seat, forcin ... More >>

Pity For Terri Hodge? Save It for the Voters She Betrayed.

​Reaction to Terri Hodge's plea deal with the feds continues to trickle in, with Angela Hunt telling us this afternoon that she has withdrawn her support of Hodge "for obvious reasons" and now supports Eric Johnson in the March 2 Democratic primary. While Hodge could still win the seat, forcin ... More >>

Democratic Party Chair Darlene Ewing Explains Why Admitted Felon Terri Hodge Will Win Today's Election

Sam MertenHodge with Larry Duncan, who's running for county judge and is one of many politicos wishing pics like this would simply disappear.​If you thought the efforts of former Dallas City Council members Diane Ragsdale and Sandra Crenshaw to get Terri Hodge reelected were futile, think agai ... More >>

Two Who Took Guilty Pleas in City Hall Corruption Case Were Sentenced Today

Hey, Don Hill, how many years in prison did guilty-plea-taker John Lewis get today?​John Lewis and Kevin Dean were among the first two to plead guilty, both to one count of extortion, in the Dallas City Hall federal corruption case -- Lewis in March of last year; Dean, in June. When Lewis pleaded ... More >>

SMU's Jillson Says Local Democratic Elected Officials "Are Not to Be Trusted," Questions Friends Chosen By Jenkins

Danny FulgencioCal Jillson​Much like Richard Allen's interview, our conversation with Southern Methodist University political scientist Cal Jillson didn't make it into the cover story on Dallas County Judge Jim Foster appearing in last week's paper version of Unfair Park. But that's not to say ... More >>

There's No Need for May 8 Special Election to Fill Terri Hodge's Empty Seat

Eric Johnson​Wednesday at 5 p.m. was the filing deadline for anyone interested in running in the May 8 special election to fill state Rep. Terri Hodge's District 100 seat -- and the Texas Secretary of State's Web site shows there's but one candidate, Eric Johnson, who trounced guilty-plea-taking H ... More >>

Two Months After Taking Guilty Plea, Terri Hodge Sentenced to Year in Prison

Sam MertenTerri Hodge​The staff was all tied up today and couldn't make it to the Earle Cabell for Terri Hodge's sentencing. But the guilty-plea-taking ex-state represenative got a year in federal prison, because U.S. District Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn didn't really buy her story that, look, it was ... More >>

Wade Emmert Counting on Dissatisfaction With Both Parties to Land Him in County Judge's Seat

Wade Emmert​Just came back from an interesting chat with Wade Emmert, the 40-year-old lawyer who is the Republican candidate for Dallas County Judge in the November election. I asked him how a Republican can win in what everybody is now calling a Democratic county."I don't think it's such a Democr ... More >>

The City Would Love to Get Its Hands On the Dawson State Jail. It'll Have to Keep Waiting.

​This morning, a reader wondered: Has the state decided if it's going to renew its contract with Corrections Corporation of America regarding operations of the Jesse R. Dawson State Jail on the Trinity River? When last we looked at the issue, the contract was set to expire January 15,  only ... More >>

Back in Federal Court, Awaiting Sentencing for the Brian and Cheryl Potashnik (A Live Blog)

Sam MertenBrian Potashnik back in July 2009​[Update: Cheryl Potashnik was given two years probation and has to pay $50,000 to the U.S. Attorney's Office within seven days.] It's sentencing day for Brian and Cheryl Potashnik this morning at the Earle Cabell Federal Building, as U.S. District J ... More >>

It's a diary of a mad year as Buzz recalls a P.O.'d 2010.

Sam MertenBrian Potashnik back in July 2009​[Update: Cheryl Potashnik was given two years probation and has to pay $50,000 to the U.S. Attorney's Office within seven days.] It's sentencing day for Brian and Cheryl Potashnik this morning at the Earle Cabell Federal Building, as U.S. District J ... More >>

Sandy Greyson "Seriously Considering" Running For Her Old Far North Dallas Council Seat

Photo by Sam MertenSandy Greyson (far left) and Angela Hunt debate Tom Leppert and Veletta Forsythe Lill at Rosemont Primary School in September 2007.​In yesterday's item about the District 14 candidates, we mentioned how strange it is that three-term incumbent Angela Hunt has drawn four oppo ... More >>