Posted on 07/29/2005 3:36:53 AM PDT by GailA
Maintains innocence, but doesn't want to be distraction
NASHVILLE -- House Speaker Pro Tem Lois DeBerry of Memphis resigned Thursday from the legislative committee examining ethics reform, two days after admitting she accepted $200 from an undercover FBI agent at a Tunica casino last year.
DeBerry, a 33-year House member, said she has "done nothing that I believe to be wrong, illegal or immoral" but stepped down from the panel because her presence could be a distraction from the committee's "important work of restoring faith in our system."
DeBerry co-chaired the 12-member House-Senate committee since its creation last month. It has met once, to organize its study of the state's governmental ethics laws and what improvements are needed, but has several more meetings scheduled.
Later Thursday, Rep. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown, asked the separate House Ethics Committee to review the matter and make a recommendation to the full House. He said her actions "seem to violate" state law banning gifts to lawmakers from lobbyists or companies that employ lobbyists.
Speaker Jimmy Naifeh appointed Rep. Johnny Shaw, D-Bolivar, to replace DeBerry on the special joint committee. During the April debate on the major ethics bill approved this year -- prohibiting state and local officials from paid consulting with businesses doing or seeking to do business with the government they represent -- Shaw condemned the bill as "bad legislation" and assailed the media for focusing on ethics issues.
DeBerry confirmed Tuesday in an interview with The Commercial Appeal that she rode to a Tunica casino with a man she knew as "L.C.," and state Sen. Kathryn Bowers, D-Memphis, to celebrate the lawmakers' birthdays in early May. It turned out that "L.C." was an undercover FBI agent posing as an executive of the fake E-Cycle Management.
At the casino, he handed her about $200 while she stood at a slot machine and said "here's a birthday gift to play with," DeBerry recalled.
DeBerry has not been charged with any crime, and is still the second-ranking member of the House.
In an interview Thursday, DeBerry reiterated that she never discussed any legislation with "L.C." and said she was not aware his company was interested in legislation.
The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville reported Thursday that her admission was a reversal of remarks she made in an unpublished July 13 interview in which she said she took no money from E-Cycle representatives. "No, no. I mean, cash would have been a red flag anyway. And you learn from other people that have gone through this kind of stuff and you know that anytime somebody offers you cash, that a red flag that should have gone up," the newspaper quoted her as saying.
The executive director of the state Registry of Election Finance said the agency's board likely will consider a complaint against DeBerry at its Aug. 10 meeting. Drew Rawlins said that while citizen Barry Schmittou's complaint against DeBerry about the Tunica trip raises troublesome questions, he doesn't think she violated the letter of the law because E-Cycle had no registered lobbyists.
In her words
Here's what state Rep. Lois DeBerrry said Thursday about her trip to a Tunica casino in May 2004:
"I went down at the invitation of Rep. Bowers (then a state representative). He ("L.C.") was not even in the invitation. He never called me and asked me to go. I went only at the request of Rep. Bowers. I guess she considered him as a friend.
"I never knew that they ("L.C" or E-Cycle Management) had any interest in legislation up here. I thought they were just bringing a new company, or were trying to introduce a new company into Tennessee. I've never been contacted by him or anybody else with E-Cycle as (far as) I know today.
"The only conversation that I remember talking to him about (at a reception, prior to the Tunica visit) was when he was trying to introduce his company. I asked him what he did before he got interested in this. He said, 'I was a musician.' ... That's the kind of conversation we had. We didn't have a conversation about what they were trying to do."
Lobbyist? Can Jimmy say conflict of interest?
Maybe she was lobbying to rub out a competing lobbyist?
Then again, maybe she was sexually attracted to young boys.
I have mostly weaned myself from Mikie since moving to the hills. He is all Hellfire and Brimstone when firing up the troops, but cannot deal, one-on-one, with Jr., Willie, Kirk, or any other of the offenders.
Rush's term "Show Prep" is never more relevant than the few occasions that I tune Fleming in. He has deteriorated into a daily rehash of Rush, Hannity, and -- I suspect -- whatever pearls he can pick up on FR. I wish I knew his username, ha.
I wish Fleming, or someone with a voice, would call for renaming or relocating Tom Lee Park, The Civil Rights Museum, and several other black-history memorials in the face of the clamor by race-baiters to rename parks commemorating Civil War history.
At the least, he could try to redirect the conversation to the real problems that cesspool of a city is faced with. I'm sure Desoto, Fayette, and Tipton county officials hope the race for the border continues, though. It will not be too long until all the hard-working, tax-paying folks will have abandoned the city to its ultimate fate, and that will be a good thing.
What a boon the Memphrica politicians are for neighboring counties; who needs a Chamber of Commerce when Willie, et.al., are doing their work for them?
During the April debate on the major ethics bill approved this year -- prohibiting state and local officials from paid consulting with businesses doing or seeking to do business with the government they represent -- Shaw condemned the bill as "bad legislation" and assailed the media for focusing on ethics issues.
As anyone can see, these and most politicians don't know the difference between being moral and immoral, what's right and what's wrong, and what ethics really stands for. I believe and has been said that the longer a person stays in public office, they loose site of what is really right and wrong because they have been looking at the grey too long. That is one of the main reasons that ALL public offices should have term limits.
I've also noted, with sadness, the propensity for Mike to fold when he has one of these slimeballs on.
He's the RATS water carrier. Notice the Tennessean had a different tone to their article...called shame on lois deberry. But not the Commie Appeal.
"We would, but the grandkids have us locked in."
LOL! I know the feeling.
"I would bet the farm that Jimmy is in there somewhere, or at least his wife."
Let's not leave Dumbquist out of the mix, either. He may nopt be Tennessee "Waltzing", but I wouldn't be surprised if was dancing to another tune in the near future.
These investigations - starting with Rep. Ronnie Davis three years ago, have renewed my faith in the system.
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