Posted on 05/26/2005 1:09:01 PM PDT by the anti-liberal
Hot political story of the day is out of the Volunteer State. Huge FBI corruption sting--dubbed "Operation Tennessee Waltz"--has resulted in the arrest of four state legislators, including the uncle of recently announced Dem U.S. Senate candidate Harold Ford. State legislator John Ford apparently threatened to kill an undercover FBI agent. (Indictments posted in full at Newschannel 5.) Another arrested was state legislator Kathryn Bowers, chairman of the Memphis-area Democratic Party.There's one Republican in the bunch. More arrests expected.
Is it possible for the Dems to stoop any lower? I ask you, is it possible??
Poor Harold Ford..he had ONE day to enjoy his entry into the senate race..
Typical DEMs, they got more money than the republican being charged. Graft does work better for the democrats.
GOP ex-Mayor Bob Corker ain't gonna like this investigation, since one of his Democrat allies (Crutchfield?) was one of the perps.
Dang it all JOHN Ford.
Then I apologize for the duplicate... but it still deserves repeating.
Do ya think hard-hitting journalists like Chris Matthews will be all over this? [/s]
I can't wait to hear Ford's excuse...
"Hah-hah!"
[/s] indeed!
oops... Hell, I live in TN. You'd think I could tell those two apart. I guess one crooked Democrat looks the same as any other.
Well, yes... just ask Vince Foster and Ron Brown. Some Dems do more than just threaten.
He'll say it was his cell phone. Isn't that what he said when the truck driver accused him of waving a gun at him?
FBI arrests 4 state legislators
Ford, Bowers, Newton, Crutchfield arrested on bribery, extortion charges
By MATT GOURAS
Associated Press
Those charged were Ford; state Sen. Kathryn Bowers, D-Memphis; state Rep. Chris Newton, R-Benton; state Sen. Ward Crutchfield, D-Chattanooga; and Roscoe Dixon, a former state senator who is now a top aide to Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton.
Federal authorities said during a news conference today that the charges were extortion and accepting bribes following a two-year undercover operation dubbed “Tennessee Waltz.” The grand jury returned the indictments in Memphis.
Also charged were Barry Myers and Charles Love. Myers couldn’t immediately be identified. Love is a member of the Hamilton County School Board.
“We hope it will bring back some of the trust back to state government,” said Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director Mark Gwyn.
The arrests happened as the Tennessee General Assembly was trying to wrap up debate on the state budget and adjourn the session by Friday.
Gov. Phil Bredesen met with Senate leaders after they got news of the arrests, several of which happened early today in Nashville.
Sen. Joe Haynes said Bredesen told the leaders that no more lawmakers were to be charged in the case. The governor told the lawmakers that he had been briefed on the investigation early in the day by FBI and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents.
Newton and Bowers previously said they were interviewed earlier this month by FBI agents about Ford.
Newton said he was asked about Ford’s dealings with TennCare contractors, including a contract worth $429,000 with Doral Dental, and about legislation he had sponsored or co-sponsored with Ford, including one bill that would allow companies to buy and sell used electronic equipment from the state.
During the close of the session on Wednesday, Newton asked to withdraw that bill, HB0037, from the House. The bill would have required state government to route surplus computer and electronic equipment to local schools districts. It also required that any equipment the schools didn’t need be disposed of by a qualified electronic recycling company.
Love, a registered lobbyist and principal in Charles Love & Associates in Chattanooga, said last week that he lobbied legislators on behalf of an Atlanta company, E-Cycle Management, even though records show he was not registered to work for that firm.
Sponsors of the legislation were Ford, Bowers, Newton, Crutchfield and six other lawmakers — Rep. Ulysses Jones, D-Memphis; Rep. Charles M. Sargent, R-Franklin; Rep. Larry Miller, D-Memphis; Rep. Paul Stanley, R-Germantown; Rep. Joe Armstrong, D-Knoxville; and Sen. Jeff Miller, R-Cleveland.
You know, most don't realize that if he had been born 4 months earlier, he'd have been Kerry's VP nominee..
Guess there will not be a second President Ford. (one was enough!)
The stuff of cold sweat nightmares!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.