Source: Happy Hippie Brewing Co..
We've been getting down in the muck examining the hypocrisy hidden in plain sight in Mayor Bob Dubey's campaign finance reports. Manasseh Durkin, a big developer in Richardson, gave money to Dubey's campaign for mayor, then sent out a mailer to voters smearing Dubey's opponent for having some lawsuits in his past, with neither mentioning the serious lawsuit Durkin himself is facing.
Manasseh Durkin is facing a million-dollar lawsuit (DC-24-19007) by a former business partner, who accuses Durkin of stealing funds, diverting funds, charging hundreds of thousands of dollars of personal expenses to the companies' credit cards, etc. You get the picture. Serious charges. Go back and read the story.
In researching that story, I found a second lawsuit (DC-25-00638) that's ongoing. It's partly a sad business story about bankruptcy. But it's audacious when you learn who the parties to the lawsuit are. The defendent is "500 Lockwood L.P.", a limited partnership formed by Manasseh Durkin. The plaintiff is the City of Richardson. You can't make this stuff up.
500 Lockwood Dr. is also the address that used to be home to the Happy Hippie Brewing Co. According to the City of Richardson's 2023 announcement of the opening of Happy Hippie Brewing Co., "The 500 Lockwood Drive property is owned by Durkin Properties. Manasseh Durkin, president of Durkin Properties, has worked closely with the City on area revitalization efforts." In this case, "worked closely" means entered into an Economic Development Agreement (EDA) in the amount of $300,000. In the lawsuit the City claims that Durkin took the money but failed to live up to the conditions of the EDA. The City is trying to claw its money back. It's playing out in court. Sad. Not sad.
To recap, Durkin gave Dubey two campaign contributions sandwiched around him receiving a $300,000 EDA grant from the City approved by none other than Mayor Dubey. Funny how that happens. Then, allegedly, Durkin failed to meet the terms of the agreement and now the City is suing Durkin. Oh, and somewhere in there, Durkin found the time and money to research Amir Omar's background for dirt and found...not much. At least compared to Durkin's own alleged actions, alleged by the City of Richardson itself. Who are you gonna believe? Did Dubey realize that he (or the City he is mayor of) was suing the developer who was smearing Dubey's own political opponent? Does Dubey's left hand not know what his right hand is doing? Is there actual malice at work here? There's another possible explanation. Hanlon's Razor states: "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." Which applies to Mayor Dubey?
"City dreams big things —
Durkin and Dubey shake hands.
Guess who wakes up broke?"
—h/t ChatGPT
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