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May 28, 2009 6:45 pm US/Central
Judge Says FBI Questioned Him About J.W. Price
DALLAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
A Dallas County judge claims the FBI is looking into the activities of Dallas Commissioner John Wiley Price. The information came during a deposition to determine if Judge Jim Foster defamed Price, and if so, if Price should sue.
There have been bad feelings simmering between Foster and Price and the sentiment has gotten more open since Price publicly said he wouldn't support Foster -- a fellow democrat -- for re-election next spring.
Foster's testimony came during an abbreviated deposition earlier this month. The deposition was part of a petition Commissioner Price sought in March to depose Foster about comments the Judge had allegedly made about how Price was involved in a so-called "shakedown" over Price's opposition to some plans for the Inland Port in South Dallas County.
During the deposition, Price's attorney, Mark D. Johnson, asks Foster if he knew of any investigation of Price. "
Question: Did you speak with the FBI?
Foster: On many occasions.
Question: About Commissioner Price?
Foster: On many occasions about Commissioner Price."
In the deposition, Foster claimed discussions with the FBI began last fall, though the bureau won't comment one way or the other.
It's a long way from where this all started. Foster is frustrated with Price, thinking the commissioner is deliberately putting up roadblocks to slow growth of the Inland Port.
A local newspaper quoted foster as calling Price's actions a "shakedown". In the deposition though, Foster said that wasn't his
exact quote. "I said there's a lot of people that believe it's about a shakedown," he said.
"I haven't seen anything that would suggest that Commissioner Price was involved in a shakedown," said Johnson. "When you look in Webster's [Dictionary] and shakedown means extortion; and that was something that Commissioner Price took very seriously."
Neither Foster, nor Price, is willing to be interviewed about the issue on camera.
The deposition was so contentious that Price's attorney is going back to court to force another deposition -- this time wanting a magistrate to sit in, acting as a judge, to referee the two sides.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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