HOUSTON – By now, Houstonians know the name William-Paul Thomas. He is the federally convicted former City of Houston Director of City Council Relations.
Houstonians were paying his six-figure salary while Thomas was breaking federal law. Thomas was convicted by the feds of cash tied to cash bribes.
It was just last month, minutes after being appointed a federal public defender, that KPRC 2 Investigates captured Thomas getting into his convertible Porsche.
As it turns out, Porsche seems to be a thing for Thomas.
KPRC 2 Investigates discovered multiple images of Thomas behind the wheel of a Porsche -- from driving Mayor Turner on the back of one to showcasing his voting status multiple times from 2018 to 2020 inside of another.
See images of William-Paul-Thomas behind wheel of Porsche:
According to records, Thomas wasn’t the sole owner of a 2015 Porsche Boxter purchased in April 2018, because it also lists Jason Yoo on the title. Yoo is a Korean businessman KPRC 2 Investigates exposed in February 2020 for having sent a $500,000 offer directly to Thomas and the city’s Economic Director, Andy Icken. The offer is contingent on Icken and Thomas – both City of Houston directors at the time – helping Yoo close a lucrative private land deal. This email was sent years before Thomas was busted by the feds for conspiracy tied to cash bribes.
KPRC 2 Investigates spoke with former U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick about this unique “Porsche Partnership.”
“Other than family or business partners, you don’t see two adults on the same title of any significant asset. It raises a lot of questions,” said Patrick during a recent interview inside of Porsche Boxter.
The vehicle was nearly identical to the one Thomas and Yoo were partners on, which was purchased at a dealership on this city’s southwest side.
“If I’m the prosecutor on this case, I want to know, ‘Why?’ I want to know those conversations or the paperwork surrounding why these two are on the title of a really nice car like this because it doesn’t make sense,” said Patrick.
Mario Garza, the President of the Professional Bondsmen of Harris County Association, helped verify this connection. Specialized searches are something Garza does routinely when issuing a bond, which is not uncommon.
“I’d say over 2,000 searches,” said Garza.
See images of the original sales post below:
We provided Garza an image of the original sales post and provided him with the VIN number that the dealership posted on the internet. What did Garza discover? “I found that the vehicle was registered to both a Jason Yoo and a William-Paul Thomas, at one address,” said Garza who then questioned, “Why would two people who have done some type of city business together, would be on the same vehicle?”
It’s important to remember what KPRC 2 Investigates detailed over a year ago. While Houstonians were paying Thomas’ six-figure salary he was working against Houstonians. Instead looking out for Yoo’s best interests in the Houston Airports System. Attempting to have hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines Yoo owed at Bush-Intercontinental completely dismissed with Thomas detailing it all in an email directly to Yoo’s airport partner.
Then a few months after that email, the two purchased the Porsche. Then - only three days after - Yoo and Thomas were issued a title to their new ride, emails clearly show Mayor Sylvester Turner asking about Yoo’s status at Bush-Intercontinental. The Mayor’s inquiry coming after Yoo himself made Turner aware of his financial troubles with his partners at Bush Intercontinental in an email.
Remember, all of this being done on your dime and the benefit Thomas was discreetly tied to was huge. Since Yoo’s name is on the title Thomas is not fully responsible for payments.
Remember, Thomas is the Director of City Council Relations, he had no business being in business with airport concessionaires, “They are going to have some explaining to do,” said Garza.
We emailed Yoo’s Attorney Kent Schaeffer hoping he might have a logical explanation. Schaeffer’s sent the following response via email, “Whether or not Mr. Yoo ever did anything to assist Mr. Thomas is relatively unimportant. What is important is that Mr. Thomas never did anything to help Mr. Yoo.”
However, emails KPRC 2 Investigates obtained show the opposite. Including Thomas accommodating Yoo’s request to meet at City Hall to “resolve liquidated damages”. The total damages were approximately, $861,000 but according to Airport Director Mario Diaz in an email to Icken, the city settled the matter with him at $100,000.”
When it came to emails, whether it was the $500,000 offer for help on the land deal, or for assistance in securing Yoo a partner in a coveted concessions bid at Hobby Airport there were two people Yoo routinely emailed, Thomas and Icken.
However, when it came to the Porsche partnership that was strictly between Yoo and Thomas. We did attempt to contact Thomas’ federally appointed Public Defender Monique Sparks? She did not return calls or emails seeking comment.
KPRC 2 Investigates also went to Mayor Sylvester Turner for comment because he was not only close to Thomas but also Yoo. The two appeared in a television ad during Mayor Turner’s 2019 reelection campaign. Mayor Turner also honored Yoo – with Thomas and Icken present – by giving him a proclamation on his 70th birthday.
RELATED: Man who made $500K offer to mayor’s team for private land deal was later honored by Turner
When asked if he knew that William-Paul Thomas and Jason Yoo owned a Porsche together? Mayor Turner said, “Nope. Nope. I did not know that is their business, not my business.” Adding that he did not have any knowledge.
While Mayor Turner says the Porsche “is their business” and not his, KPRC 2 Investigates does know that City Hall was indeed aware of ownership issues involving Thomas Porsche. Following our brief interview with the mayor, the Mayor’s Communications team provided the following lengthy statement from City Attorney Arturo Michel, “Chapter 18 of the City’s Code of Ordinances prohibits any employee or officer from receiving any personal financial benefit from someone or an organization that does business with COH subject to certain exceptions that do not encompass the use of a vehicle. The City will not comment on information given or available to law enforcement or prosecuting authorities regarding William Paul Thomas. It remains an ongoing matter for the federal authorities. Any comment made has the potential to interfere with their investigation and prosecution. “.
Thomas is set to be sentenced next month in a separate matter. As for Yoo? He no longer has business inside of the Houston Airport System. In June, sold off his interests in Bush Intercontinental Airport Concessions this past June according to the businessman who purchased his interests.
As for the Porsche once co-owned by Yoo and Thomas? According to its car history, it was sold earlier this year out of a dealership in The Woodlands.