Interim Dallas Mayor Dwaine Caraway refused to talk Wednesday about a temporary restraining order he won to stop his own city from releasing records about a police visit to his home.
Soon after the Jan. 2 police visit, Caraway was quoted saying the disturbance at his house was the result of a football argument between friends "Arthur and Archie."
Later at a council meeting, he admitted it was really a marital dispute with his wife, Rep. Barbara Mallory Caraway, a former Dallas councilwoman.
Last week, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott ruled that city documents and audio recordings about the issue should be made public, and City Attorney Tom Perkins was prepared to release them.
"The city was not going to appeal the decision of the attorney general," Perkins said. "We were not going to oppose the release of the documents, and the city has an obligation to promptly disclose the documents pursuant to the opinion."
The documents could include information about reports that Caraway had direct contact with the chief of police over the disturbance.
At the time of the incident, Caraway, then mayor pro tem, was chairman of the City Council Public Safety Committee, a panel that sets police policy and budget.
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But Caraway hired a private attorney, who sued to stop the release. On Tuesday, District Judge Teresa Guerra Snelson granted a temporary restraining order to keep the records under wraps until a March 22 hearing.
"He has the legal right to do what he's doing," Councilwoman Ann Margolin said. "Personally, I think he ought to just release it and get on with it."
Caraway ditched waiting reporters several times at Dallas City Hall on Wednesday and some of his fellow council members avoided the touchy issue, too.
Most of those who are talking refuse to be critical of Caraway.
"I do not have the time to sit back and worry about what Mr. Caraway is doing in his own personal life," Councilwoman Carolyn Davis said.
Councilman Jerry Allen said Caraway ran Wednesday's council meeting properly.
"He's doing a good job, so we'll leave it at that," he said.
The council named Caraway mayor pro tem two years ago, which put him in line to become acting mayor when Tom Leppert resigned to run for the U.S. Senate last month.
Caraway is running for re-election to his District 4 council seat in May, but not for mayor. He will only serve temporarily as Mayor until after the winner of the May election is sworn in.
Caraway's fight to block the release of records comes after public demands to block his rise to mayor for awarding a key to the city to pro football star and dog-fighting convict Michael Vick the week of the North Texas Super Bowl.
Some council members privately considered replacing Caraway as mayor pro tem then, but the talk went nowhere.
Margolin said no such talk has surfaced again.
"There hasn't been discussion recently," she said.
