Dwaine Caraway — on his second stint on the city council and currently serving as mayor pro tem, essentially second in command at City Hall — will plead guilty to criminal conspiracy, wire fraud, and tax evasion charges. He will be going to federal prison for a term not to exceed 84 months. We will know more soon.
We will also have a post about what happens next for Caraway and the council, next steps and all of that later. I was asked to write an immediate reaction, since I’ve spent the most time with Caraway. First and foremost, riding around his district, District 4, with him for this story a few years ago.
That story is largely if not completely complimentary, and I don’t regret any of that. Not even a little. No one can say that Caraway has not fought for his constituents, time and again. He has done great work for District 4. I believe he does care for his people there, and not just for political reasons.
Which is why it is so sad to me that, as one colleague put it, he joins “a sad parade of southern Dallas politicians” —Don Hill, Al Lipscomb, and others — “who have sold out their people for so little money.” I had hoped this was not true, but I am glad it has not dragged out any further.
Now I hope that Dwaine pays his debt, gets out, and becomes the host of Come Fishin’ with Dwaine. Maybe he should have done that a long time ago.
