Third Person Associated With Price Investigated

FBI agents raided on Monday the address of a third person with business and political connections to Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price, several sources confirmed Wednesday.

Investigators raided the homes and businesses of Price and two top aides on Monday.

Agents were also at a building that, according to public records, houses the home and businesses of Karen Manning, an interior designer and art collector.

Manning's art studio at the building at 1409 S. Lamar St. was the location for an April 28th birthday fundraiser for Price with prominent Dallas business people serving as sponsors.

Records show Manning has received more than $30,000 in Price campaign money in the past three years for gifts and services.

"It's legitimate expenses for events that were held at her event center," said Dodi Ravkind, an attorney for Price.

Price and Manning are both listed in public records as officials in a nonprofit organization called Watch Foundation, which shares Manning's art business address on Lamar Street.

The Watch Foundation website says it raises money for children with vision problems.

Another Price associate, county aide Dapheny Fain, is also a Watch Foundation officer.

Fain and political consultant Kathy Nealy were the other two people visited by the FBI on Monday.

Price, Fain and Nealy are officers in KwanzaaFest, a nonprofit organization that stages an annual festival at Fair Park that celebrates black heritage.

KwanzaaFest is another likely topic of FBI interest, Price’s attorney Billy Ravkind said.

Price's attorneys have hired accountants to help document and explain all of the transactions.

"There's nothing that's happened that anybody would have a problem with," Ravkind said.

Price has been an active collector of classic and luxury automobiles over the years, and his real estate holdings increased substantially the past 10 years, according to public records.

Included in his portfolio is a tract of vacant land along the Spur 408 freeway in southwest Dallas with a property tax value of $196,000.

Price recently purchased two vacant lots near his Oak Cliff home valued at more than $50,000 from Dallas attorney Bill Knox.

Knox handles bail bonds, a business Price oversees as a county commissioner.

Knox said there was never a word exchanged about bail-bond business and said the real estate transactions were at arm's length.

"There were no favors, no sweetheart deals," he said.

Supporters of Price, a longtime black commissioner, have been sounding off on KHVN-AM's midday talk show hosted by Robert Ashley.

"There's this perception that there is been selective prosecution from the federal government and the U.S. Attorney's office, and many people feel that Commissioner Price may be victimized by that," Ashley said.

He said people are anxious to hear what evidence the government presents.

"It’s a wait-and-see situation," he said. "But once the evidence pops out, the evidence could shut everybody up."


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