Dallas Cop and Trump-Backed State House Hopeful Indicted for ‘Impersonating Public Servant’

On Friday, a grand jury in Collin County indicted Dallas police officer and Texas House candidate Frederick Frazier on a third-degree felony charge of impersonating a public servant, the Dallas Police Department confirmed by email.

Frazier, who works for the Dallas Police Department and is vying for House District 61’s seat, allegedly posed as a code compliance officer and asked a Walmart to take down political signs for his opponent.

On Friday afternoon, the Observer‘s call to the phone number listed on the Frazier campaign’s Facebook page was forwarded to voicemail.

The story goes like this: An investigation was opened after Frazier was accused of stealing and vandalizing signs during the Republican primary election season earlier this year. Then, it was learned that he allegedly impersonated a code compliance officer and ordered a Walmart to remove signs put up by opponent Paul Chabot’s campaign.

When the primary vote went to a runoff, Frazier beat Chabot for the spot.

“On June 24, 2022, the Dallas Police Department was notified of a grand jury indictment of Frederick Frazier, a Dallas Police Officer,” a Dallas PD spokesperson said by email. “The Texas Department of Public Safety conducted a criminal investigation into Frazier and a Collin County Grand Jury indicted him on Impersonating a Public Servant, Felony 3rd degree.”

The spokesperson added, “Frazier has been placed on administrative leave.”

In a Facebook post Friday, Chabot accused Frazier of “running one of the most dishonest campaigns” he’d ever seen.

“My campaign endured the slashing down of campaign signs and other thug-like tactics for months, even going as far as to say that I made up the ‘charges’ against him,” Chabot wrote. “Let me be clear, the Grand Jury saw it otherwise and I am grateful for the hard work involved by them, the Texas Rangers, McKinney Police Department, and Special Prosecutor.”

Chabot added: “Those who wear the badge must be held to a higher standard, and, regardless of the outcome of the future criminal trial, a lot has already been learned.”

“Frazier has been placed on administrative leave.” – Dallas Police Department

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In March, Dallas journalist Steven Monacelli reported for Rolling Stone that Frazier was under investigation by the Texas Rangers over the sign-stealing allegations.

Frazier, who’s been a law enforcement officer for 27 years, also serves as vice president of the Dallas Police Association and was once a city councilor in McKinney. DPA President Mike Mata could not be reached for comment.

Frazier’s attorney, Robert Rogers, couldn’t be reached by telephone. Earlier in the day, he told The Dallas Morning News: “This accusation that a public servant impersonated another public servant with less power and responsibilities defies logic and will not hold up in court.”

In his campaign, he’s boasted of an endorsement by former President Donald Trump. According to his website, Trump views Frazier as “a Strong Conservative who has been a great supporter of mine.”

The Dallas Morning News also endorsed Frazier in the primary election. The paper described him as someone with “a reputation as an honest, hardworking cop who straps on his gear in the predawn hours to go after some of the worst bad guys there are.”

Political yard signs are a touchy issue in this part of the world. In April 2021, Dallas Police rolled up on City Council candidate Sirrano Keith Baldeo as he was allegedly hacking down an opponent’s yard signs outside a Wendy’s.

This March, a former Kaufman County Justice of the Peace, Michael Jackson Myers, admitted to stealing political signs in a heated Republican primary race, inforney.com reported at the time.

Here at the Observer, we aren’t sure about the rest of y’all, but we can’t exactly recall a time when we marveled over the effectiveness of a roadside political campaign placard or a yard sign and entirely changed our mind about how we’d vote.

But if the allegations are true, it certainly says one thing: Frederick Frazier, whom The Dallas Morning News’ editorial board says “balances his strong conservatism with a respectful approach to others,” really dislikes seeing his opponents name in a public space.