posted on August 12, 2005 03:55:25 PM new
FBI launched bogus company to root out influence peddling
Posted: May 26, 2005
5:00 p.m. Eastern
A state senator already under scrutiny for ethical allegations, was indicted today on bribery charges along with three lawmakers, a former lawmaker and two others in a federal probe of his business dealings.
Tennessee state Sen. John Ford, a Memphis Democrat from a powerful political family, is charged with the five others for taking bribes from undercover investigators to influence legislation concerning a sham company set up by the FBI.
Ford and former state Sen. Roscoe Dixon appeared in federal court today handcuffed and shackled at the ankles, according to The Tennessean newspaper.
"He's shocked as you can imagine," Ford's lawyer, Martin Grusin, told the paper. "He's upset."
Ford, who heads the Senate committee that guides Tennessee's child welfare policies, was under the spotlight earlier this year for trying to make personal use of a law he authored that keeps court-ordered support lower when a father is financially responsible for other children.
The senator testified in a juvenile court hearing in November that he maintains two households, living with two different women whose five children he has fathered.
Ford said he pays nearly all the bills for both families and argued he can't afford to pay any more court-ordered support for a third woman, the mother of another 10-year-old girl he fathered.
In its probe of the lawmakers, the FBI established a bogus company called E-Cycle Management Inc. that purported to recycle old electronic equipment.
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director Mark Gwyn said authorities hope the case "will bring back some of the trust to state government."
In a news conference, Gov. Phil Bredesen emphasized that people are innocent until proven guilty. But, he said, according to The Tennessean, ''Even the fact of these indictments and arrests are a challenge and a sadness to us all, and cannot help but shake the confidence of the people of Tennessee.''
Charged along with Ford and Dixon are Sens. Kathryn Bowers and Ward Crutchfield; and state Rep. Chris Newton.
All are Democrats except for Newton, a Republican.
Also charged were Barry Myers and Charles Love, a registered lobbyist.
Ford, alleged to have taken a payoff of $55,000 from E-Cycle Management, also is charged with three counts of attempting to threaten or intimidate potential witnesses.
He is the brother of former U.S. Rep Harold Ford Sr., an 11-term congressman, and his nephew is Rep. Harold Ford Jr., who has served five terms in Congress.
Harold Ford Jr. is running for the Senate seat now held by Republican Majority Leader Bill Frist.
The arrests took place as the Tennessee General Assembly tried to conclude debate on the state budget by Friday.
"It's a sad day for the state of Tennessee. It's a sad day for the Legislature," said Senate Speaker Pro Tem Micheal Williams, according to the AP.
"Why, it appears that we appointed all of our worst generals to command the armies and we appointed all of our best generals to edit the newspapers. I mean, I found by reading a newspaper that these editor generals saw all of the defects plainly from the start but didn't tell me until it was too late. I'm willing to yield my place to these best generals and I'll do my best for the cause by editing a newspaper." --Robert E. Lee
posted on August 12, 2005 04:11:50 PM new
A Crook is a crook is a crook.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
No, I'm saying -- I'm merely -- I'm saying what I'm saying. I don't know why I'm always having people say, are you trying to say -- you know what you can do if you want to know what I'm saying is listen to what I'm saying. What I'm saying is what I said ...
posted on August 12, 2005 04:35:50 PM new
[i]The senator testified in a juvenile court hearing in November that he maintains two households, living with two different women whose five children he has fathered.
Ford said he pays nearly all the bills for both families and argued he can't afford to pay any more court-ordered support for a third woman, the mother of another 10-year-old girl he fathered[/i].
Let's see....who is responsible for his choosing to have fathered all these children and just who established two households with basically two wives? HE IS. Pay up the full amount due...buddy....YOU are the one that played....so now you get to pay. Sounds fair to me. No reason taxpayers should have to pick up the difference of what you SAY you can afford and what's needed to support all of them. Only you are responsible for bringing into the world more children than you could afford.
"Whenever the nation is under attack, from within or without, liberals side with the enemy. This is their essence." --Ann Coulter
And why the American Voters chose to RE-elect President Bush to four more years. YES!!!
posted on August 12, 2005 05:10:26 PM new
The conservatives better throw the book at this guy for destroying the sanctity of marriage.
Absolute faith has been shown, consistently, to breed intolerance. And intolerance, history teaches us, again and again, begets violence.
----------------------------------
President George Bush: "Over time the truth will come out."
President George Bush: "Our people are going to find out the truth, and the truth will say that this intelligence was good intelligence. There's no doubt in my mind."
Bush was right. The truth did come out and the facts are he misled Congress and the American people about the reasons we should go to war in Iraq.
posted on August 12, 2005 05:33:14 PM new
Ha ha! LindaTwelveK gets TOUGH!
""Pay up the full amount due...buddy....""
LOL!
YA, BUDDY! OOOOOh Linda THAT'S tellin' him!
Hey, BUDDY, when Linda calls you BUDDY you better get scared
