Seven, Including Four State Lawmakers Arrested in Bribery Scheme

AP, via Nashville TV-News Channel 3 ^ | 5/26/2005 | Associated Press

[archy]

Seven, Including Four State Lawmakers Arrested in Bribery Scheme

Memphis, TN -

Federal authorities arrested four Tennessee state legislators, a former state legislator and two others Thursday (5/26) as part of a corruption probe into the business dealings of state Senator John Ford of Memphis.

At a news conference in Memphis, authorities said those arrested are Ford; Senator Kathryn Bowers of Memphis; Senator Ward Crutchfield of Chattanooga; Representative Chris Newton of Cleveland; and Roscoe Dixon, a former senator who is now a top aide to Shelby County Mayor A. C .Wharton. Also charged were Charles Love and Barry Myers. Love is a member of the Hamilton County School Board. Myers' occupation wasn't immediately known.

All six have been indicted on charges of extortion and accepting bribes. The grand jury returned the indictments in Memphis following a two-year undercover operation. All six are expected to make their first court appearances sometime today.

Indictment lists bribes suspect accused of taking

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The indictment under which seven people, including four current Tennessee state lawmakers, were arrested lists payoff amounts in an alleged bribery scheme.

The federal indictment issued in Memphis states Senator John Ford accepted 55 thousand dollars. The records show other payments of 95 hundred dollars to former Senator Roscoe Dixon and Barry Myers; 12 thousand dollars to Senator Ward Crutchfield and Hamilton County school board member Charles Love; eleven thousand, five hundred dollars to Senator Kathryn Bowers and Myers; and 45 hundred dollars to Representative Chris Newton and Love.

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[archy]

Four Tennessee lawmakers arrested amid Ford investigation

Pictured: Kathryn Bowers, John Ford, Chris Newton, Ward Crutchfield

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - State government officials have told The Associated Press four members of the state Legislature were arrested this morning in Nashville. The arrests come amid a federal investigation into the business dealings of state Senator John Ford of Memphis. Government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity identified those arrested as Ford; Senator Kathryn Bowers; Senator Ward Crutchfield; and Representative Chris Newton. Crutchfield's law partner, Bill Pope, said in a telephone interview from Crutchfield's office in Nashville that Crutchfield was arrested as he headed to the state Capitol this morning. Pope says an indictment charges a number of people with a violation of the Hobbs Act, which covers extortion by public officials. A news conference is scheduled for eleven am at the US Attorney's office in Memphis. Governor Bredesen and Senate leaders were meeting this morning and couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[IncPen]

There must be a few Dems in there if we're not seeing their party affiliations called out....

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Their picturs show smiles. I'll bet they're not smiling now.

[pnz1]

Ford, Bowers, and Crutchfield are Dems.

[Grampa Dave]

"There must be a few Dems in there if we're not seeing their party affiliations called out...."

3 rats and one Rino. There was an earlier thread on this:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1410890/posts

[archy]

Hmmm. Hillary removing Harold Ford from consideration for a 1998 presidential run, perhaps....

[IncPen]

Imagine that, corrupt Democrats. Why, the only corrupt politicians I ever read about are Republicans!

[operation clinton cleanup]

Hmmm. Hillary removing Harold Ford from consideration for a 1998 presidential run, perhaps..

Planning behind?

[archy]

Their picturs show smiles. I'll bet they're not smiling now.

They were literally taken from the Tennessee statehouse in Nashville in handcuffs this morning. The buildinmg was surrounded by FBI agents and other police, reportedly so that search warrents could be served for records and other material inside. The total number of arrests is expected to number around a dozen or more legislators, in and out of office, from both parties.

They've got additional embarassment headed their way, as well:

-Persons convicted of murder, aggravated rape, treason, or voter fraud after July 1, 1986, or of rape after June 30, 1996, are ineligible to have their voting rights restored.

-For other felony convictions after June 30, 1996, a felon may seek restoration of voting rights after the maximum sentence imposed for his or her conviction has expired, or after the felon has been pardoned, by petitioning the circuit court of the county where the felon lives or was convicted.

-If a felon was convicted after July 1, 1986 but before June 30, 1996 of a felony other than murder, aggravated rape, treason, or voter fraud , a felon may request that either the board of probation and parole or the authority that supervised or incarcerated him or her during the sentence issue a Certificate of Restoration of Voting Rights. A felon is eligible to request this certificate after either being pardoned or after the maximum sentence which was imposed for the conviction has expired.

[714thinker]

3 Dems - 1 Repub (Newton)

[PissAndVinegar]

Psst....it's the 21st century. How'd you miss that whole 'y2k' thingy?
(we know what you meant - doesn't mean we can't poke fun :)

[jaydubya2]

Funny, but I never see anyone smiling in mugshots!

[archy]

Hmmm. Hillary removing Harold Ford from consideration for a 1998 presidential run, perhaps..

Planning behind?

Ooops! I meant 2008, of course.

But for some reason, I had the '98/2000 races in the back of my mind....

[Grampa Dave]

Send an email to Howie Mad Duck Dean, and ask him if these 3 rats should be in jail.

He wants to put DeLay in jail for no crimes.

[operation clinton cleanup]

Ha Ha! Like to see Algore play fixer now. Does he even still live in Tennessee?

[ravingnutter]

Ford apparently threatened to kill an FBI undercover agent as well...story here

[archy]

Imagine that, corrupt Democrats. Why, the only corrupt politicians I ever read about are Republicans!

There are indeed dirty Democrats involved, but neither is there a shortage of crooked Republicans in business with them. One particularly notorious TN governor does deserve recall, however....

[tgslTakoma]

Official Indictment here. (Posted by cpanter on another FR thread.)

[hgro]

The home of the corrupt Gore dynasty keeps producing more crime.

[archy]

Ha Ha! Like to see Algore play fixer now. Does he even still live in Tennessee?

Last I heard, Gore was on a *factfinding tour* in Korea. His most recent public pronouncements of which I'm aware were on the subject of the judicial filibustering, which can be read here.

If Gore is smart, he'll stay in Korea a mite longer than he might have originally intended. But if his overseas visit was made with foreknowledge of stormy weather at home, I don't think that'd come as much of a surprise to those who've followed his previous activities.