Ex-Dallas City Council member pleads guilty to taking bribes

DALLAS (AP) — A former Dallas City Council member has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from a real estate developer in exchange for supporting an affordable housing project, according to court documents unsealed Friday.

Carolyn Davis, a former chair of the council's Housing Committee, took tens of thousands of dollars from the developer between November 2013 and June 2015, according to her plea agreement.

The developer, Ruel Hamilton, is accused of paying Davis at least $40,000 in bribes and promising her future consulting work. In return, Davis lobbied and voted for more than $2.5 million in city "funds and obligations" for Hamilton's development in southern Dallas, according to a separate indictment.

The charges come as the latest out of a series of public corruption probes federal prosecutors have brought against government officials and elected leaders in the North Texas city.

Read more: https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/ap/national/ex-dallas-city-council-member-pleads-guilty-to-taking-bribes/article_9c43f1cb-0619-5776-b07e-a83c9d7d544c.html