An infamous local affordable housing developer previously convicted on federal bribery charges secured an acquittal in his retrial on Thursday, with jurors siding with the defense’s argument that the defendant didn’t break federal law when he paid two Dallas City Council members tens of thousands of dollars.
Ruel Hamilton, who until his indictment was best known for heading AmeriSouth Realty Group, was convicted back in 2021 for bribing former Council Members Dwaine Caraway (District 4) and Carolyn Davis (District 7). Hamilton was sentenced to eight years in federal prison but the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a retrial, finding that the jury received improper instructions regarding bribery law.
The appellate court argued that the jurors in Hamilton’s first trial were permitted to convict based on gratuities instead of being required to find proof of an actual quid pro quo. Apparently, as decided by the Supreme Court, it’s not bribery if you’re just paying a state or local official for an act they’ve already taken.
In Hamilton’s case, he was accused of paying Davis at least $40,000 and promising her a consulting gig after she left public office in exchange for lobbying for and voting in favor of one of his housing projects — Royal Crest Apartments at 3558 Wilhurt Ave. in Oak Cliff, according to the indictment…