RICHARDSON, Texas — Richardson city councilmembers this week voted to consider a development agreement tied to the former mayor's federal bribery case officially void, officials announced.
The council voted unanimously to direct city manager Don Magner to notify JP-KBS Holdings LLC that the city considers its agreement to pay incentives on the project void and that it does not intend to make any more payments.
The payments from the city would have totaled up to $47 million.
The project plans go back to 2012, when developer Mark Jordan began discussing a mixed-use project with the city, known as the Palisades Project.
The city in 2015 ultimately agreed to a development and economic deal with Jordan that would have provided up to $47 million in reimbursement for construction and infrastructure expenses, according to a city news release.
But as it turned out, then-Mayor Laura Maczka was involved in an affair and bribery scheme with Jordan, according to court documents in the case.
The release said city councilmember and staffers "were unaware of the facts that later came to light in the federal criminal cases.
“Given the outcome of the federal criminal cases of Mark and Laura Jordan, we believe the economic development agreement is void,” Magner said. “Since the federal convictions renders the economic development agreement void, we have not and will not make any payments associated with the agreement.”
Maczka later changed her last name to Jordan after marrying Mark Jordan. They were both convicted by a jury of bribery, conspiracy to commit bribery, tax fraud and conspiracy to commit tax fraud in July 2021.
During her time as the mayor of Richardson, from May 2013 through April 2015, Maczka and Jordan were involved in bribery schemes, according to court documents.
Maczka voted for controversial zoning changes sought by Jordan, allowing for the construction of the unpopular 1000-unit Palisades apartments in Richardson in exchange for $18,000 in cash, an additional $40,000 check, and thousands of dollars in renovations for Maczka’s home.
Maczka was also convicted of exchanging sex and getting luxury hotel stays from Jordan.
The two married after Maczka left the mayor’s office in 2015.
The couple was originally indicted in 2018 and convicted in a 2019 federal trial. But U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant III threw out the convictions after learning that a court security officer had discussed the case with a juror.
