Democrats.
Longtime Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price pleaded not guilty Friday to federal charges of influence-peddling and conspiracy after the FBI arrested him and three associates.
Price was led into court along with longtime assistant Dapheny Fain, 52, political consultant Kathy Nealy, 61, and Nealy associate Christian Lloyd Campbell, 44. All had their hands cuffed behind their backs, and the commissioner was dressed in a shirt and dark slacks, without his signature bow tie.
He and the others were later freed on their own recognizance. As Price left the courthouse, now wearing a jacket and a bowtie, he repeated that he was not guilty and he was eager to get “back to work.” He then hopped into a dark colored SUV that quickly drove away, and by late afternoon, he was working at his downtown office.
Shortly after Price’s arrest Friday morning, U.S. Attorney Sarah Saldaña outlined the charges against the 64-year-old Democrat and his associates, 11 against him and 13 in all.
“For more than a decade, in a shocking betrayal of public trust, Commissioner Price sold his office on the Dallas County Commissioners Court in exchange for a steady stream of bribes,” she said at a news conference.
Friday’s indictment may be the biggest challenge to the way Dallas County has done business for decades. It raises disturbing questions about the county’s contracting process and oversight by other commissioners and staff.
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