[topher]

How on earth does this guy get caught on video stuffing 20 grand in his pocket and get off?

Louisiana politics. Maybe it was "advertising costs" for campaigns for telling the Afro-American community all about the good deeds of "Fast Eddy" (jail bird Edwin Edwards).

[topher]

A darling ping (to Darlin')...

[Theodore R.]

In 1971, Edwin Washington Edwards unveiled his "Era of Excellence." The hapless Democrat Louisianians have been looking for the "excellence" every since. Pretty soon a few of them are going to figure out that they have been "had." But probably not before they get around to reelecting Mary Landrieu Snellings.

[Darlin']

"How on earth does this guy get caught on video stuffing 20 grand in his pocket and get off"

Ah, yes. How did he get off.... Well, would ya believe they couldn't exactly prove or disprove how he "earned" the money ? That is the short version. Also, they weren't after Fields, they were after Edwards, his son and couple of their close associates.