Capitol Hill corruption:FBI says elected officials took bribes
|
Ford, a Memphis Democrat, was arrested along with state Sen. Kathryn Bowers, D-Memphis, Sen. Ward Crutchfield, D-Chattanooga, and Rep. Chris Newton, R-Cleveland. Former state senator Roscoe Dixon was also arrested, along with two other citizens. Their arrests are the result of a two-year undercover operation dubbed “Tennessee Waltz.”
“This needs to happen in order for public faith to be restored in what the legislature is doing,” said state Rep. Judd Matheny. “I’m sorry people had to be arrested but they asked for every bit of it. I say replace them with a special election, or do whatever we have to do, and let’s get on with it.”
Matheny didn’t mince words when asked about the possibility of more arrests.
“I look forward to getting those people out of here,” said Matheny. “The honest ones will stay.”
To conduct the investigation, the FBI created a fictitious company called E-Cycle Management. The company was said to be interested in recycling outdated computer and electronic equipment.
In order to attract business from the state, indictments say E-Cycle bribed the four lawmakers to influence legislation. At $55,000, Ford received the largest reported payoff.
He also faces charges of witness intimidation for reportedly telling an undercover agent, “If he caught someone trying to set him up he would shoot that person, kill them, so there would be no witnesses.”
Ford faces up to 60 years in prison and a $1.25 million fine if convicted of the five charges against him.
Bowers, charged with taking a $11,500 bribe, faces up to 110 years in prison and a $1.5 million fine. Crutchfield ($12,000 bribe) and Newton ($4,500 bribe) face up to 25 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.
“It’s a bad reflection on the whole General Assembly,” said state Sen. Jerry Cooper. “There has been so much attention around Ford, you figure where there’s smoke there’s fire. But Ward Crutchfield and the others, I would have never of thought it. This really surprises me.”
Cooper says Crutchfield played a crucial role in getting a Motlow College branch in McMinnville some 15 years.
“He helped me put that Motlow center in McMinnville,” said Cooper. “If it wasn’t for him, I never would have gotten the votes needed.”
Like Cooper, state Rep. Charles Curtiss said he wasn’t surprised to see Ford in the middle of under-handed politics. But Curtiss said he expected the arrest to involve TennCare fraud, not computer recycling. Curtiss went on to emphasize the lawmakers in Nashville are normal people like everyone else.
“I’ve always said the legislature is a cross section of society,” said Curtiss. “You have good people and bad people. You have people who drink every night and folks who don’t drink at all. You have people who go to church and those who don’t.
“These were some people who wanted their palms greased apparently. But just because you’re sitting next to a crook doesn’t make you a crook, and there are several good people up here. I’ve always said you can investigate me with a microscope. I’m not worried.”
Gov. Phil Bredesen said he was informed by FBI officials some time ago there was an ongoing investigation, but wanted to know as little about it as possible. “The FBI isn’t going to give out much information anyway,” Bredesen said during a press conference. The governor described the mood on Capitol Hill as “somber.”
“If these charges are proven, it will be a sad and difficult day for our state,” said Bredesen. “Even the fact of these indictments and arrests are a challenge and a sadness to us all, and cannot help but shake the confidence of the people of Tennessee.”
FBI investigation timeline
(AP) – Here’s a timeline of the federal investigation of four lawmakers, one former lawmaker and two others unsealed Thursday:
— June 26, 2003 — Barry Myers allegedly tells an individual that Kathryn Bowers needed to be paid to support legislation.
— March 22, 2004 — Myers allegedly says Bowers needs $3,000 from E-Cycle. Bowers tells E-Cycle she has discussed the payoff with Myers.
— July 17, 2004 — Ford allegedly tells an E-Cycle representative that “it would be necessary to pay him from $3,000 to $5,000 a month in order to gain his assistance.”
— July 30, 2004 — Ward Crutchfield, Charles Love and Chris Newton allegedly begin conspiring to get money from E-Cycle. Roscoe Dixon and Myers allegedly begin conspiring to get money.
— Aug. 19, 2004 — Ford allegedly agrees to draft legislation to drive state business to E-Cycle and receives $10,000 from the company.
— Sept. 16, 2004 — Love allegedly tells E-Cycle he has used money from the company to pay $2,500 to Crutchfield and $750 to Newton.
— Sept. 17, 2004 — Ford meets with a representative from E-Cycle to discuss the bill. Ford allegedly receives $5,000.
— Oct. 15, 2004 — Ford meets with E-Cycle to discuss more ways in which the bill could benefit E-Cycle. Ford allegedly receives an additional $5,000.
— Nov. 11, 2004 — Ford has telephone conversation with E-Cycle representative. When asked if he needed anything, Ford allegedly responds, “Yeah, send me a little money.”
— Nov. 19, 2004 — Ford allegedly receives $5,000 in a Memphis meeting with an E-Cycle representative.
— Dec. 17, 2004 — Ford allegedly receives $5,000 in a meeting with an E-Cycle representative in Miami.
— Jan. 19, 2005 — Ford files Senate Bill 0094, similar legislation but with additional co-sponsors, including Bowers, Crutchfield and Newton.
— Jan. 31, 2005 — Ford allegedly receives $5,000 as payment for continuing to push the bill.
— Feb. 1, 2005 — Ford allegedly receives $5,000 as payment for working on the bill.
— Feb. 3, 2005 — Ford allegedly threatens to shoot an undercover agent posing as an E-Cycle representative if he discovered that person was working with authorities to set him up.
— Feb. 15, 2005 — Crutchfield allegedly gets two envelopes containing $1,500 each from E-Cycle.
— March 9, 2005 — The Senate Ethics Committee decides there is probable cause for an investigation into the business dealings of Ford.
— March 10, 2005 — Ford allegedly receives a $5,000 payment.
— March 11, 2005 — Ford allegedly threatens to shoot and kill anyone working to set him up “so that there would be no witnesses.”
— March 16, 2005 — Ford tells ethics panel, “I have violated no law.”
— March 17, 2005 — Ford allegedly receives a $5,000 payment for agreeing to put the bill on hold as requested by E-Cycle.
— April 8, 2005 — Ford receives last of alleged payments after agreeing to further delay the bill.
— May 4, 2005 — Gov. Phil Bredesen signs into law a bill that makes it a crime for lawmakers to accept consulting fees.
— May 20, 2005 — The alleged conspiracy involving Bowers, Dixon and Myers ends.
— May 23, 2005 — The alleged conspiracy involving Crutchfield and Love ends.