Andy Taggart Fingering Moore … and Hood?
In a confusing post on the Ledger’s Red-Blue Blog, Republican pundit Andy Taggart complains that two of the attorneys now caught up in the Dickie Scruggs bribery scandal—Tim Balducci and Joey Langston—did not give back the settlement money from MCI-Worldcom that paid their attorney fees for recouping $108 million for the state:
A little over a year ago, then State Auditor Phil Bryant sent a demand letter to Joey Langston and the Langston Law Firm, where Tim Balducci used to practice, seeking recovery of the $14 million in attorneys fees improperly paid to Langston and Balducci in the MCI tax settlement case. Former Attorney General Mike Moore had represented MCI during the settlement.
The post seems designed to implicate former Attorney General Mike Moore (who played the odd role of representing MCI in the case) and current Attorney General Jim Hood, who awarded the contingency contract. What isn’t clear from this extremely partisan post is fourfold: (a) What did Moore know, and when did he know it? And did he know about anything illegal? (b) Ditto for Hood; same question, remembering that he and Moore are not necessarily joined at the brain. (c) What is the law that would have required them to give back the attorney’s fees that the company paid them? (d) Positing that those attorneys are now “known scumbags,” what exactly is the relevance of this to that case?
We’d really like some of the salivating pundits in the state to connect more dots for us, rather than deal in partisan innuendo. Maybe they know stuff they can’t tell us, or think they do. Time will tell.
Posted by ladd at 07:32 PM on 01/15/08. Discuss (1)
Haley Barbour’s 2008 Inaugural Address
[Verbatim/Jan. 15, 2008]
Mr. Chief Justice, Governor Bryant, Speaker McCoy, fellow state officials, Senator Cochran, Senator Wicker, Secretary Espy, members of the Congressional Delegation, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Legislature, other distinguished guests, family and friends: Four years ago Marsha and I were here to accept the highest honor the people of Mississippi can bestow on someone, and it was humbling, challenging and exhilarating all at once. It was an unbelievable day for Marsha, our sons and me. And today we are even more grateful for the confidence the voters have shown in us and for all the help so many of you gave us in the election. We also thank all of you who pray for us. We appreciate your prayers and need them.
No one deserves my thanks as much as Marsha, my helpmate for more than 36 years. As people on the Coast learned after Katrina, no one could have a better partner. Thank you, Marsha.
Looking back today it seems impossible that everything that has happened since that Inaugural Day could have taken place in only four years.
Posted by ladd at 01:57 PM on 01/15/08. Discuss (0)
AG Removes Langston from Lawsuit Against Eli Lilly
Attorney General has removed attorney Joey Langston from a state lawsuit against drugmaker Eli Lilly, according to Legal Newsline, a pro-tort reform Web site that is closely following the Dickie Scruggs bribery scandal. Langston has pled guilty to trying to bribe a judge. Langston was a contingency attorney who successfully sued Worldcom on behalf of Mississippi for back taxes. That case settled for about $108 million in money and property for the state, and the company had to pay Langston and other attorneys $14 million. The money did not come from state coffers, as anti-Hood pundits like to accuse. Hood’s Republican and pro-big-business critics are trying to link the attorney general to the scandal because, they say, Langston gave money to his campaign, and criticize him, as is apparent from the Legal Newsline article linked above, which complains that Hood “only” fired Langston, but doesn’t plan to prosecute the attorney himself.
Hood responded that it would be a conflict of interest for him to prosecute someone he worked closely with on the Worldcom lawsuit, but offered state resources to back up local prosecutions by district attorneys:
Since the matter is being handled by the federal government, it would be inappropriate for me to comment any further until all the facts are known,” Hood said.
“Due to Mr. Langston’s past representation of this office, it could create an appearance of impropriety for our office to participate in a potential state prosecution of this case. It will be up to the appropriate District Attorney(s) to handle any potential state case(s). The resources of my office will be available to them.
Posted by ladd at 08:10 PM on 01/14/08. Discuss (1)
Judge Rules That Barbour Wrong in Election Date
Hinds County Circuit Judge Bobby Delaughter ruled late today that Gov. Haley Barbour interpreted Mississippi statute incorrectly when he elected to schedule the election to fill Sen. Trent Lott’s vacant seat. Some political watchers believe that Barbour may run for that seat, but is just being inaugurated this week for his second term as governor. Delaughter ruled that the election should be held within 90 days. Delaughter ruled that the election should be held within 90 days of when Barbour declared a proclamation of writ of election on Dec. 20, 2007that is, on or before March 19, 2008.
Barbour released a statement saying he is confident that the Mississippi Supreme Court will back him up and reverse Delaughter:
When I set the special U.S. Senate election for November 4, 2008, I felt very strongly that it was the legal and appropriate action under the U.S. and Mississippi Constitutions and state law. Nothing in this decision by the Hinds County Circuit Court changes that belief. As I have said all along, the final decision in this case will be made by the Mississippi Supreme Court, and I look forward to that decision.
Posted by ladd at 07:39 PM on 01/14/08. Discuss (0)
Bryant Names Senate Committee Chairmen
By Adam Lynch
January 11, 2008
Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant appointed committee chairmen (PDF, 16 KB) in the Senate this morning. Heading the Appropriations Committee is Republican Alan Nunnelee, of Tupelo. Former Insurance Committee Chairman, Republican Dean Kirby, of Pearl, now chairs the Finance Committee. Bryant also appointed Republican Eugene Clarke, of Hollandale, over the Insurance Committee.
Posted by ladd at 04:52 PM on 01/11/08. Discuss (0)
DNA Exonerates Sunflower County Man of Rape … 15 Years Later
[Verbatim release from the Innocence Project] On Friday, January 4th, the Mississippi Supreme Court ordered the Sunflower County Circuit Court to determine whether Arthur Johnsons conviction fifteen years ago for rape and burglary should be set aside. Recent DNA testing shows conclusively that Mr. Johnson is not the source of biological evidence collected immediately after the offense. Should the conviction be set aside, Mr. JohnsonҒs exoneration would be the first in Mississippis history resulting from post-trial DNA testing.
Posted by ladd at 04:46 PM on 01/11/08. Discuss (2)
Steve Holland Will Run for U.S. Congress
The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal is reporting that the flamboyant state legislator, Rep. Steve Holland, plans to run for Roger Wicker’s seat. In addition: “Phone calls Thursday showed these people have qualified for the 1st District House of Representatives - Republicans - Greg Davis of Southaven and Glenn McCullough Jr. of Tupelo; and Democrats Travis Childers of Booneville and Brian Neely of Tupelo.”
Posted by ladd at 12:45 PM on 01/11/08. Discuss (0)
McCoy v. Barbour: Democrat Comes Out on Top … This Time
Read Adam Lynch’s coverage and analysis of the battle of wills that took place this week over the Mississippi speaker of the house:
Amid Tears, McCoy Keeps Seat, Jan. 9, 2008
2008 Legislative Preview: New Session, Old Problems, Jan. 2, 2008
Posted by ladd at 05:11 PM on 01/09/08. Discuss (0)
Charlie Ross Running for Congress
The following e-mail just came, verbatim, from Charlie Ross for Congress. (Read the lengthy JFP Interview with Charlie Ross here: “Red and Ready to Rumble.”)
Dear Friends:
Sharon and I hope that each of you had a happy and blessed Thanksgiving and enjoy the upcoming holiday season with your family.
Several weeks ago when Congressman Chip Pickering announced he would not seek re-election in 2008, I reached out to friends and supporters to get your thoughts on my running for his seat. Sharon and I received responses from many of you and they were overwhelmingly in support of my seeking the Third Congressional District seat.
After prayerful consideration, we have decided that I am going to run for Congress. We believe that I will be able to use the experience from my military career, law practice and service in the state legislature to serve the people of Mississippi.
Posted by ladd at 12:47 PM on 12/05/07. Discuss (0)
Here’s A Surprise: Lott Is Weighing Lobbyist Offers
Trent Lott’s son has told Bloomberg that his daddy may ... drum roll ... become a lobbyist.
We coulda told ‘em that.
Bloomberg:
Senator Trent Lott is weighing a new career as a lobbyist when he retires from Congress and may team up with his former colleague John Breaux, the Mississippi Republican’s son said.
``He was a lawyer years ago, and a lot of the lobbying law firms are calling,’’ Chester Lott, who heads a Lexington, Kentucky-based lobbying firm, Lott and Associates, said in a telephone interview. ``It’s all over the map.’’
He said his father is considering a partnership with Breaux, a former Democratic senator from Louisiana who announced today that he is leaving the Washington lobbying firm Patton Boggs LLP to form his own company with his son, John Jr.
Posted by ladd at 03:35 PM on 11/28/07. Discuss (0)
Partisan Flap Over Timing of Special Election
The Daily Journal is reporting that Barbour says the special election to replace Lott should be next Election Day (the same day as the presidential election), and the state’s Dems want it to be within 90 days, presumably so Barbour’s choice doesn’t serve any longer than (inevitably) he has to. We’re not sure the state’s beleaguered Dems are being smart on this one: Can they turn out enough voters in a special election to win a statewide election? They might just need the help of a national turnout to have a snowball’s chance in Gulfport of winning this one. Of course we’ve been wrong before (but seldom about the state’s Democrats).
Here’s what Jere Nash has to say about the scuffle:
Posted by ladd at 01:43 PM on 11/28/07. Discuss (0)
Remember the Lott-Thurmond Flap? Here’s a Primer.
Soon after the Jackson Free Press launched in 2002, Sen. Trent Lott came out with his infamous Strom Thurmond gaffe. If you want a refresher course on that racial gaffe, among others of Lott and other candidates pandering to white supremacists in Mississippi, read the Jackson Free Press piece, “Our Boy Trent”. It caused quite a stir at the time, presumably because things like the “southern strategy” and the Blackhawk Rally weren’t discussed much in public, or in the state’s newspapers, way back then.
Posted by ladd at 01:27 PM on 11/28/07. Discuss (0)
Blogger Launches ‘We Want Mike Moore’ Campaign for Lott’s Seat
John Leek of the Cottonmouth Blog has sent out a statement announcing the We Want Mike Moore campaign to get former Attorney General Mike Moorehe of anti-tobacco company fame and corporate Republican hatredחto run for Sen. Trent Lott’s soon-to-be-open seat. Here is the e-mail in its entirety:
Dear Progressives,
I hope that you are fully aware of the opportunity we have in this retirement by Senator Trent Lott.
This open seat is our chance to elevate someone who will stand up for Mississippians of all races and economic groups. We have a chance to encourage and elect someone who will stand up for consumers’ rights and work tirelessly for insurance reform at the national level.
That person is former Attorney General Mike Moore.
He’s stated that he’s considering running so let’s make that decision easier by showing that he has grassroots support statewide by sharing this release and by going to WeWantMikeMoore.com and signing a petition showing our support.
If he runs, he can win and that would be a win for all of us.
The press release is attached and follows.
- John Leek / http://www.COTTONMOUTHblog.com / http://www.WeWantMikeMoore.com / Mississippi
Posted by ladd at 11:00 AM on 11/28/07. Discuss (0)
Who Wants Lott’s Seat? Everyone’s Got An Opinion.
The names are coming in. Rep. Roger Wicker, R., registered his domain name (hat tip to Will Bardwell before Lott finished announcing his retirement. General sentiment is that retiring Congressman Chip Pickering is the odds-on choice. Today The Clarion-Ledgerpiled on a list of “former” Democratic names who might want to run: former Attorney General Mike Moore, former Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson, about-to-be former Rep. Erik Fleming (a JFP blogger-columnist), former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, former Rep. Mike Espy.
Just when you thought election madness had settled down a bit .... (And we can’t wait to see THESE campaign ads.)
Oh, and to Bardwell, gotta LOVE the “R-Citizens Council” after Wicker’s name. Snicker.
Posted by ladd at 10:00 AM on 11/28/07. Discuss (0)
Trent Disliked By Blogosphere, Left and Right
For a roundup of reactions to Lott’s resignation, head to Beltway Blog:
By his own account, Trent Lott was the “first pelt” of the blogosphere. Although Lott’s political career was revived somewhat last year with his elevation to Senate minority whip, the Mississippi Republican has been a bit player on the Washington scene since bloggers helped force him from the Senate majority leader’s post five years ago next month.
Posted by ladd at 09:00 AM on 11/28/07. Discuss (0)
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