Fort Worth mayor, husband deny conflict of interest over data center lobbying

by Cecilia Lenzen, Fort Worth Report
June 20, 2026

Mayor Mattie Parker and her husband, David Parker, denied allegations Friday that he lobbies for a data center coalition, pushing back on claims that his position at a consulting firm  poses a conflict of interest for the mayor as Fort Worth grapples with how to regulate data center development.

A registered Texas lobbyist of more than 20 years, David Parker is a partner at the Austin-based consulting firm Longbow Partners. His employment there came under scrutiny this week when a local activist found David Parker's name on public filings with the Texas Ethics Commission, where he is listed as a lobbyist for the Virginia-based Data Center Coalition. 

In a social media post Friday morning, David Parker wrote that the coalition has been a client of his firm since 2023. However, it's his colleague — not David Parker himself — who advises the Data Center Coalition on “state-level policies and politics†impacting the data center industry, he said. 

“I have never received a penny of compensation, directly or indirectly, from the Data Center Coalition; I have never met with any Data Center Coalition employees; and I (never) conducted meetings on their behalf or held external conversations about anything related to the DCC,†David Parker's post read. 

Mayor Parker's spokesperson said the mayor was unavailable for a phone interview with the Fort Worth Report on Friday. In a statement, Parker doubled down on her stance that her husband's position as a lobbyist does not impact her decision-making.

“Let me reiterate again, David Parker has never advocated for or received any compensation from the Data Center Coalition,†the statement read. “David’s firm’s clients do not, nor does his profession, have any (bearing) on my voting or perspective for any zoning case or business before council.â€

Fort Worth has four existing data centers, and five more are under construction or in progress. City Council members are scheduled to vote in August on regulations that would limit where and how data centers can operate in the city, after pushback from residents concerned about how the centers will impact Fort Worth's natural resources such as water and energy. 

Under Texas Local Government Code, city and county government officials must file an affidavit, or conflict of interest disclosure, before helping deciding city matters involving a business entity or property for which they have a “substantial interest.†Officials must abstain from such decisions that would benefit them economically more than the general public or benefit their entity or property.

The city charter, which serves as the playbook for City Hall, states that council members will be excused from voting on matters “where (their) financial interests are involved.â€Â 

The city attorney's office “constantly†reviews questions about recusal and disclosures among city council, city spokesperson Sana Syed wrote via email. City leaders are committed to transparency and openness, she said.

“At this time, there is no known reason for anyone on Council to recuse or disclose any legal conflict of interest regarding data centers,†Syed wrote.

On social media, David Parker wrote that the Data Center Coalition “does not actively perform local education or advocacy†in Texas and has never been involved with Fort Worth.

The coalition says it advances data center interests by advocating for policies and investments that support their growth; informing state and local officials about data centers; and promoting data centers' “economic and community-building impacts,†according to its website.  

The group's clients that operate data centers include Google, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services. None of the groups seeking to build data centers in Fort Worth are listed on the coalition's client page. 

David Parker's employment came under scrutiny this week when local activist EJ Carrion published a video on social media detailing the Texas Ethics Commission filings, alleging “nepotism and corruption†run Fort Worth. Carrion, who hosts a podcast focused on local progressive politics, is a frequent speaker and critic at Fort Worth City Council meetings.

The day of Carrion's video post, Mayor Parker told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram neither she nor her husband had received direct benefit from the Data Center Coalition. But some residents critical of local data center projects suggested the mayor recuse herself from future council votes related to data centers to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.

In his post, David Parker acknowledged the media coverage, saying he and the mayor “genuinely respect and appreciate our local news sources and want others to as well.†However, he said, he wanted to clarify the facts by letting the community know he does not lobby for the coalition.

His name appeared on the Texas Ethics Commission filings because Longbow Partners requires all members of the firm to register their names for all the firm's clients, regardless of who serves each client. 

“This is not required by law, nor is it standard practice,†David Parker wrote. “We do this as part of our firm commitment to transparency and I do it personally given the microscope that our family voluntarily signed up for.â€

Council member Charlie Lauersdorf, who represents parts of north Fort Worth, defended the mayor, saying via email that readers focused on a “VERY misleading headline†without understanding the facts of David Parker's employment. The mayor still has his “full support and trust,†he added. 

“What we’re really talking about here is guilt by association, not an actual conflict of interest,†Lauersdorf wrote via email. He later added, “It’s like claiming a surgeon is responsible for a patient’s treatment because they work at the same hospital as the doctor who actually treated the patient.â€Â 

No other City Council members returned requests for comment Friday.

In March, the council faced backlash from data center critics when the Star-Telegram reported that the mayor and eight city council members had accepted a cumulative $46,000 in campaign contributions from the CEO of the energy consortium Black Mountain, which is developing a data center in Fort Worth. Council members said at the time that the contributions have not influenced their decision-making on the project. 

Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org. 

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