Austin Area Real Estate Mogul Tramples Tenants Rights to Freedom of Expression to Benefit Rep John Carters Re-election Bid

Darren Quick, President, Don Quick & Associates, Round Rock, TX forbade anyone from displaying political campaign signs on “property we control”, but only for those running against candidates he supports.

In an email sent to Charles Carter, a local political consultant, Darren Quick was candid that this new edict only applied to “…anyone that runs against Scott Heselmeyer, Russ Boles, Frank Leffingwell, or John Carter….”.

We are not sure if Don Quick & Associates has the ‘right’ to exercise control over property they manage, but do not own, without the owner’s consent. We questioned whether Darren Quick was trying to exercise dominion over property his family owns personally, or owned by Don Quick & Associations, or property they manage, or both. 

We sent multiple inquiries to Darren Quick for clarification and asked whether his “corporate policy has been vetted with property owners for which they have only a management agreement?”. We have not received a response at the time of this publication.

_{“I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.” – James Madison}

It is a chilling effect on Don Quick and Associates commercial real estate tenants’ freedom of expression. The use of the word ‘control’ implies exercising dominion over property managed, but not owned by Don Quick & Associations. This appears to infringe on tenants’ rights to freedom of expression guaranteed under the First Amendment of the US Constitution.

John Carter is a Republican Congressman and incumbent for the Texas 31st Congressional District running for re-election and is running opposed, by both Republican and Democrat, in the March 2018 primary election. 

We reached out to each of the aforementioned campaigns for comment and received a response only from Mike Clark.

“This is yet another example of voter intimidation, restricting voter choice, and suppressing tenant’s 1st amendment rights,” stated Clark. He went on to say, “When I ran in 2016 for Congress, I encountered many such bullying and scare tactics with my road signs.” 

  AUSTIN, TX - 12/09/2017 (PRESS RELEASE JET)

_{“If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” – George Washington}

Research regarding the other names mentioned in the Darren Quick email revealed the others are running for local elections, or re-election.None responded to our inquiries for comment.

Don Quick & Associates control and impressive amount of real estate in an around the Texas 31st Congressional District, which includes the counties of Williamson and Bell.We also researched their website DonQuick.com and conducted our own property search to better understand how much property they ‘control’. According to their site Don Quick & Associates, control 210 properties that include industrial buildings, office buildings, retail space, and land. They control hundreds, if not thousands of acres of land.

We contacted two tenants who lease commercial real estate from Don Quick and Associates and they were surprised to learn about Darren Quick’s email. Both tenants, one an attorney from Round Rock, and the other a medical professional from Georgetown, TX requested anonymity out of an abundance of concern because they are presently under contract and one is preparing to renew the lease.

Freedom of Speech is important to a free and open democratic society. It is of such paramount importance it precedes all others in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. The founding fathers wrote this right to make sure that United States will be a different country where people can feel free to express their thoughts, views, and opinions without retribution.

If we do not have freedom of speech, freedom of expression, then the people will be submitted to a dictatorship.

_{“Censorship is to art as lynching is to justice.” ? Henry Louis Gates Jr.}