AHUMADA CONTRIBUTOR IS ASSOCIATE OF FBI INFORMANT

By Juan Montoya
Who is Saleem Jafar of Plano and Dallas and why does he care who gets elected as Brownsville mayor?
In the latest political contribution reports, Jafar is listed by candidate (and incumbent) Pat Ahumada as having been his largest donor with two donations of $2,500 each.
And while other like Tony Martinez, Eduard Camarillo and Mike Garza list sizeable donations of $1,000 from various businessmen and attorneys, it is noteworthy that most of them are from the Brownsville area.
Jafar, however, serves as the President of Odyssey Residential Holdings, and is a LP's (ORH) general partner.
One of those listed as partners in that company is noe other than James R. (Bill) Fisher, who serves as Vice President of (ORH) and is responsible for Finance and Development. He is listed in the company's website as bringing over 10 years of significant experience in all aspects of housing development and finance, specifically affordable housing development and affordable housing finance programs.
However, the Dallas Observer contains much more in-depth coverage on the background of this partner. In 1995, after having been convicted in federal court for conspiracy to defraud, his conviction was overturned on appeal and in a retrial in 1998, he was found not guilty of conspiracy to defraud investors in a Florida land deal.
His conviction was overturned by the federal 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on multiple grounds in 1997 after he had spent more than a year in a federal prison.
It should be noted that Fisher has been sen locally at a swank dining spot in the company of Ahumada and Andy Muñiz, one of three new appointees to the Brownsville Housing Authority following the BHA Massacre where the mayor removed three board members (a majority) and swore them in himself. Under the city charter, the mayor is the sole city official who can appoint members to the BHA board.
The BHA board hasn't met since and will probably wait for elections to be over before they do.
Why is Fisher's (and Jafar's) role in the election so intriguing?
Less than two years ago, around July 01, 2009, an FBI agent has testified in the Dallas City Hall corruption trial that an investigation into corruption in Dallas began with allegations that associates of a top city official were trying to solicit bribes from a developer. The man making that accusation was Fisher, who was in a bidding war with a former associate and went to the FBI when the officials started upping the ante and demanding too much for positive votes on his zoning and housing projects request before the Dallas city boards.
In his testimony during the trial, Fisher was a key government witness against former Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill and others after he agreed to become an informant. The prosecution said that black leaders solicited bribes from white developers, with black leaders saying it was time for the white developers to pay.
Late that year, in August, Fisher admitted he had made several "contributions" to former council member Maxine Thornton-Reese. Fisher had projects in Reese's council district. Apparently Fisher had sent Reese three checks for $1,000 each, described as campaign contributions. All three had bounced.
When he heard details of her conversation, Fisher immediately sent cashier's checks to Reese by messenger.
The government played video of another meeting in which Fisher hands John Lewis a check for $50,000. Fisher told the court his zoning issue for Dallas West Village passed the city council the day he handed Lewis the check.
Fisher's testimony provided the government the evidence it needed to convict at least seven former city officials and their agents.
It should be noted that Fisher has been involved in bidding for local projects with the BHA and that many suspect that Ahumada's replacement of a majority on the BHA board might clear the way for their participation on projects in the future.
One of the projects that Fisher was able to get was the Candlewick Apartments that the BHA approved with a disadvantageous five-year contract, sources say.
Recently, Oddysey challenged the bid of a competitor for Citrus Gardens, a $16 million public-housing project being planned by the BHA.
Still wonder why Jafar so interested in influencing the mayoral race in Brownsville?