Texas state rep, who is also Dallas cop, pleads ‘no contest’ to misdemeanor charges

A Republican state representative from McKinney has pleaded no contest to two charges of impersonating a public official, a Class A misdemeanor, according to court records.

Frederick Frazier, a Dallas police officer who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and elected last year, also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor criminal mischief, the Texas Tribune reported.

Frazier, after being on administrative leave with Dallas police during the investigation, is expected to be dishonorably discharged, Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV reported. The mark on his record, which will prevent him from ever working as a police officer in Texas again, comes because Frazier filed to retire from his 28-year career with the department the day before he entered the no contest and guilty pleas.

The state representative has been given one year of probation for each charge of impersonating a public official, along with a $4,000 fine for each. On the misdemeanor criminal mischief, the Texas Tribune reported Frazier was assessed a $500 fine.

The charges stemmed from accusations in 2022 that Frazier impersonated a code enforcement officer to tell the manager of a Walmart that signs on the property were out of compliance, WFAA reported. The signs were for his opponent’s campaign.

Paul Chabot, the man running against Frazier in the election, reported in 2022 that his signs began “disappearing,” including outside the local Walmart, according to WFAA. The city manager told Chabot his signs “were fine” after the manager told him someone claiming to be a code compliance officer said they were out of compliance. Frazier was later determined to be the man impersonating a code compliance officer.

The accusations of signs being stolen, later outlined in a complaint filed with police by Chabot, were investigated by the Texas Rangers, according to WFAA. While Frazier did not make any statements Tuesday, his attorney told WFAA that it was a matter of miscommunication.

“To this day, [Frazier] denies that he ever specifically said he was a code compliance officer,” the attorney, Robert Rogers, told WFAA. “He’s just pointing out these signs are in the wrong place.”

He also called Chabot a “sore loser,” according to WFAA. Chabot called Frazier the “George Santos of Texas.”

Frazier, who filed for reelection last month, said calls for his resignation are “stupid,” WFAA reported. Rogers called the charges against him a distraction and said Frazier was happy to “put this to bed.”

In his bio on the Texas State House of Representatives website, Frazier describes himself as the first active-duty police officer to hold office in the state House. He lists accomplishments including awards for work in law enforcement and a 2020 appointment by Trump to the president’s commission on law enforcement.

His bio says he is a member of the Knights of Columbus fraternity and that he has lived in Collin County for 20 years.