Ford says he can?t afford attorney

Ford is accused of taking more than $800,000 in consultant payments from two contractors with TennCare while using his position as a state senator to promote those contractors’ interests. Meanwhile, he is scheduled for an April trial in Memphis on separate charges of taking $55,000 in bribes from undercover FBI agents in the Tennessee Waltz investigation.

“I’m under tremendous financial burden,” Ford told U.S. Magistrate Juliet Griffin. “I am unable at the present to come up with the financial resources to retain a private attorney.”

Griffin delayed the arraignment until Thursday. If Ford does not have a private attorney by that time, he will either be represented by a public defender or a private attorney appointed by the court.

Federal public defender Doug Thoresen, whom the judge had asked to attend the hearing after learning that Ford was without counsel, said he was not prepared to represent the former senator until he makes sure his office has no conflict of interest in the case. He would not elaborate further.

Ford would not comment on the wire fraud case nor say whether he still was retaining private attorney Michael Scholl to defend him in the Tennessee Waltz case.

In October, a judge granted Ford a reduction in monthly child support payments after a review of his finances.

At that time, Ford’s attorney told the court that his income had fallen sharply because of reduced earnings and increased expenses related to court costs.