Jan 4, 2007 7:46 pm US/Central
Despite FBI Investigation, Hill Will Run For Mayor
by Steve Pickett
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
The man at the center of a corruption investigation at Dallas City Hall now wants to be mayor. Councilman Don Hill formally announced his intentions to run for mayor.
For 18 months this investigation has gone on and nothing has publicly changed since agents raided Don Hill's office.
Hill says he has a vision for the City of Dallas, and today he said he won't let the cloud of a corruption investigation blur that vision.
"That is a serious matter, but I'm going to focus on this campaign, not the FBI investigation," Hill said. "I'm focused on making this city one city, one Dallas, working together in one direction."
Hill is currently mayor pro tem for the city. He has spent over seven years on the city council. In June of 2005 FBI agents searched his city hall office.
Hill would be at the center of a wide-scale investigation into possible influence peddling, involving the development of affordable housing units. But to this day, Hill, nor anyone else, has been charged with any illegal activity.
An official with the FBI said today, the investigation remains on-going and they would not discuss Hill.
The mayor pro tem wants the FBI to clear his name, but he'll move forward regardless.
"I've continued to walk in this building with integrity, do the job the citizens ask me to do, and we had success. I think people will evaluate me on that and not on an FBI investigation. I believe that," Hill said.
Hill has a strong support in the southern sector. He plans to campaign on building "One Dallas," targeting North Dallas voters.
Seventeen other people have expressed an interest in becoming mayor by naming campaign treasurers.
Among them are current council members Gary Griffith and Ed Oakley, former councilman Max Wells, attorney Darrell Jordan, writer Zachary Crain and businessman Thomas Leppert.
The election is May 12th.
(CBS 11 News)
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