Stunned legislators upset about arrests, vow to finish session

Knoxville News Sentinel ^ | 5/27/5 | Tom Humphrey

[SmithL]

NASHVILLE -- From a morning of shock and confusion, most legislators on Thursday seemed to move into an afternoon and evening of being sad and stunned, but rather resolute, about putting the 2005 session behind them quickly.

That means enacting a $25.7 billion state budget for the coming year -- today if things go according to plan -- and settling remaining differences over TennCare. It likely will not include any further action on major ethics legislation.

As they settled back into something resembling normal routine late Thursday, almost all legislators had something to say or tales to tell about the day when FBI agents arrested four of their colleagues to climax a two-year undercover investigation of corruption among them.

Consider state Rep. Jim Hackworth, D-Clinton, who says he almost ran into some people on a walkway as he left the Watagua Apartments, located about a block from the state Capitol, and offered a polite, "Excuse me."

As he walked on, Hackworth heard loud knocking and a shout, "This is the FBI! Please open the door."

After glancing back, he decided to head on and "mind my own business." Turns out, that was the neighboring apartment of Sen. Kathryn Bowers, DMemphis, one of the four arrested lawmakers.

The arrests revolve in part around a bill sponsored by Sen. John Ford, DMemphis, and Rep. Chris Newton, RBenton and two other arrested legislators. The FBI had set up a bogus company and allegedly made payments to the lawmakers for help in getting the bill -- which would supposedly financially benefit the fake firm -- passed.

Sen. Tim Burchett, R-Knoxville, recalled getting a call earlier this year from "Sen. Ford's office" asking if he would serve as prime sponsor for the bill in question as a favor to Ford.

"They said something about Sen. Ford having too many bills and could I take this one for him," said Burchett. "I just had a bad vibe about it. Don't ask me how I get these vibes -- I don't know whether it's because I pray a lot or not -- but I told them, 'No'."

Uniformly, lawmakers said they were shocked at the arrests and allegations of bribery in their midst.

Sen. Jerry Cooper, D-Morrison, said he recalled three years ago when a state budget crisis caused a temporary state government shutdown.

"I thought that was absolutely the worst day I could go through in my legislative career. I was wrong," Cooper said. "This is."

Senate Republican Caucus Chairman Jeff Miller of Cleveland, who cosponsored the questioned legislation with Ford, said he had been interviewed by the FBI.

"I cooperated fully with them and I will continue to do so," said Miller, who declined to give details of the interview because "I don't want to hinder the FBI."

At the same time, Miller said, he felt "compassion for the members, their family and their friends."

"I nearly fainted when I heard," said Rep. Joann Favors, D-Chattanooga. "Then I cried."

Of those arrested, Favors knew best Sen. Ward Crutchfield, D-Chattanooga, one of the state's senior legislators -- a 76-year-old cigar-chomping, yarntelling veteran of multiple political wars.

"He was my mentor," said Favors, a statement echoed by Anna Windrow, a lobbyist who previously served as Gov. Phil Bredesen's legislative liaison.

"He was my mentor and my friend -- yesterday, today and tomorrow ... because I love how he helped me grow," Windrow said.

But the unhappiness was not uniform in the Legislative Plaza.

"I'm finding it hard to wipe the grin off my face," said Barry Schmittou, a Clarksville man who has frequented the hallways to file multiple complaints alleging wrongdoing by Ford and other legislators. "I feel vindicated."

In the morning, there was talk of promptly recessing the session until next week, allowing time for things to return to a more normal status. Bredesen and legislative leaders huddled, however, and shortly after noon held a news conference to jointly declare the session would continue with the goal of ending today.

Crutchfield, arrested early in the day, returned to the Senate's afternoon session -- followed by a horde of reporters and TV cameras as he arrived and greeted by several colleagues when he entered the chamber.

He offered no public comment and sat quietly at his desk, mouthing an unlit cigar and casting votes along with the rest of his colleagues -- except Ford and Bowers -- as senators plowed through a 36-bill agenda.

The House Finance Committee took up the state budget bill in the afternoon and approved it. The full House went back into session Thursday evening and began working through its pile of bills.

There are several ethics bills in both chambers, though all those alive in the House appear dead in the Senate and all those alive in the Senate appear dead in the House.

Bredesen said he and legislative leaders had agreed to work on strengthening the state's ethics laws for legislators and lobbyists -- but only after studying the situation until next year.

"We don't want to have a knee-jerk reaction in the last day or two of the session," said House Majority Leader Kim McMillan, D-Clarksville.

Senate Majority Leader Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, who has been at odds with Democrats over ethics legislation, said he agreed. And when asked at the news conference whether there was a Republican response to the day's events, he replied:

"No. There is no Republican response. This is not a Republican issue or a Democratic issue. It leaves us all somber."

Also, the Senate Ethics Committee -- which Ramsey chairs -- issued an official report Thursday afternoon on a review by the attorney general's office of Ford's acceptance of consulting fees from companies with state contracts.

But those allegations paled in comparison to the bribery charges leveled against Ford Thursday and drew scant attention.

"I've felt kind of sick to my stomach all day," said Rep. Harry Tindell, DKnoxville. "It's bad for them (the arrested legislators), but it's worse for the people of Tennessee, a black eye for the Legislature.

"But there's no need to mess around at this point, posturing and negotiating. We need to do our job and go home."

[SmithL]

Stunned!

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

"It likely will not include any further action on major ethics legislation."

Well, seeing as how they aren't obeying the existing ethics laws, passing new ones would be a waste of time...

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Stunned, AKA bad Karmna when your buds get found out for the creeps they are.

[Alright_on_the_LeftCoast]

Like we should be surprised politicians are dirty and corrupt....??? They should probably all be thrown in jail were the truth known...

[backhoe]

 Extended info about Tennessee Politicians Indicted on Charges of Bribery

-- Here is what I could find on this subject:

  Lawmakers arrested In Federal Bribery Probe - (FBI sting; "your Gov't at work!")

 Official Indictment here. ( PDF format )

The accused:

    MORE STENCH IN TENNESSEE    Seven, Including Four State Lawmakers Arrested in Bribery Scheme    Legislators’ Court Arraignment and end of Session (Explosive allegation re John Ford)    There was an earlier thread on this:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1410890/posts    Bill Hobb's blog for the latest and not widely reported happenings on this and all TN legislative news    It is interesting that the current investigations centered on Bad-Boy TN Sen Ford's "non-disclosure" of campaign funds. Click here for background. This sounds similar to Hillary's Hollywood Party problems.    This could shed a little light on what is happening.

Ongoing Investigation

17 posted on 05/27/2005 6:33:52 AM EDT by backhoe

[freepatriot32]

Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here

[John Thornton]

Uniformly, lawmakers said they were shocked at the arrests and allegations of bribery in their midst.

Uniformly? Shocked? Don't these idiots read the newspapers? There have been stories every week about Ford's relationship with TennCare.

[Fledermaus]

The only "shock and confusion" they had was wondering how they didn't get caught themselves.

[battousai]

Shame we can't have the same thing happen to all our corrupt Liberals up here in Canada.

[Fledermaus]

Besides, the arrested were done so under the Hobbs act of, like, 1950 something.

Old or new state ethics legislation is moot.

[TASMANIANRED]

They are all quivering. Was the last bribe they took from an FBI agent.

[Coldwater Creek]

There has been a Ford scandal every week as far back as I can remember. Jr. says that this will not affect his chance for senator. I believe that it will. People on FR could not keep the Fords straight, so how would you expect people in Middle and East Tennessee to?

[Wormwood]

Arrest them all, then move on the U.S. Capitol Building.

[HangnJudge]

Way cool events

Taking bribes
Threatening the life of a constituent
Suborning to perjury

Our public servants at work Time to pull out the popcorn, wings, and beer

[Dog Gone]

I think this story is a great thing for America. There is far too much corruption at the state legislative level, and the states are too afraid of their own legislatures to tackle it.

This is one instance where I'm glad Federal law enforcement moved in. Putting the fear of God, or at least of the feds, into the hearts of state legislators around this country is a good thing.

[ApplegateRanch]

Uniformly, lawmakers said they were shocked at the arrests No doubt and allegations of bribery in their midst.Only that some were caught.

[Log]

There has been a Ford scandal every week as far back as I can remember. Jr. says that this will not affect his chance for senator. I believe that it will. People on FR could not keep the Fords straight, so how would you expect people in Middle and East Tennessee to?

What blows me away is that John Ford is asking for a public defender and is claiming that he is impoverished. The dude must be one of the wealthiest men in Tennessee!!

[FreeKeys]

This is just the tip of the iceberg. I think this type of thing only represents 10% of the corruption. The main source, 90% of it, is when the politician picks up the phone FIRST, and asks for campaign contributions from a businessman whose business he could cripple just because he has the power to. This is what the MSM does NOT want to cover; that the MAIN problem with politics isn't the money; it's the power. See this page.

[TNdandelion]

It's good news but I wouldn't be suprised if John Ford were to be reelected AFTER serving a prison sentence. Here in Memphis, we seem to think a few felonies on one's record to be the sign of a well-balanced politican.(blech!)