08/12/2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: John T. Worstime, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Dallas Ebola National Monument
DALLAS EBOLA NATIONAL MOMUMENT BOARD, Dallas Disease District TIF DENY THAT CARAWAY PLEA WILL IMPACT THEM
Officials of Dallas Ebola National Monument and the Dallas Disease District TIF late Saturday dispelled rumors that former Dallas City Councilman Dwaine Caraway's recent plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas had anything to do with the formation of the district or its operations.
"To the best of our knowledge, at this time, with the information currently available, and based on credible facts we believe to be true based on limited information avaliable to us at present, we do not believe that either Dallas Ebola National Monument or the Dallas Disease District will be implicated as a result of former Dallas City Councilman Dwaine Caraway's recent plea deal," said Charlotte N. DeNile, general counsel for the monument and the district.
"It is perposterous to believe that the $37 million dollars appropriated to the TIF and the monument without a council vote and in secret by the city was in any way improper or illegal," DeNile continued. "This money barely covers the cost of our parking garage and fees to consultants," she continued.
"The claim that board members gave Councilman Caraway three Chevy Tahoes, a deck of poker cards autographed by Al Capone, two vacant lots in Dolphin Heights, and a $2 million condo in the soon-to-be-built Ivy Towers at Dallas Ebola National Monument Towne Center and Dallas Ebola National Monument DART Station is perposterous," said Ja'Naught Gonpleadout, Chairman of the TIF Board. "Everyone knows Dwain goes for much cheaper than that, and it only cost us one restored 1981 Buick Skylark, partial interest in a lot in Doplhin Heights, and a paper sack that contained items still secret to the board, provided by Walt Humann, to get this done," Gonpleadout said.
DeNile classified the gifts as "perfectly legal recognition items, like plaques."
"The rumor that our entire board, the mayor, and the former HUD secretary are all targets of the US Attorney's probe is something we cannot confirm or deny," Gonpleadout said. "Maybe, maybe not," she said. "It has been a busy week and frankly, none of the board has even had time to deal with this because they've been meeting with their attorneys non-stop in relation to matters that most likely have absolutely nothing to do with this, based on information now avaliable," she said.
If indictments are forthcoming, DeNile said her strategy is ready.
"We will vigerously defend the board," she said. "Graft like this is just how s**t gets done in Dallas, and we won't apologize for helping gentrify Five Points," DeNile said.
"I was finally able to reach Councilman Philip Kingston, which was difficult, because signal is very bad at his lofty moral perch high above everyone else in the city, and he told me he wasn't sure if we needed to worry. However, when I reached Councilman Tennell Atkinson, at an eight-liner parlor in his district, he just asked me if I was wearing a wire and told me to lose the number and cussed me out, so really, I don't know what the hell is going on, but I stand behind the TIF 100 percent," said Elizabeth "Sugar" Wergoindon, Treasurer of the TIF.
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