Joey Langston and Tony Farese arriving at court. The above photo is credited to AP– I wonder if it’s Oxford’s Bruce Newman.
Jerry Mitchell has a long story that reviews a lot of the history on the Clarion Ledger site. Paul Quinn also has a good story, here. Lotus earlier linked his video interviews. Mississippi Public Radio had a story, which I will link when available.
Lotus has already linked to the Daily Journal story. It says “Langston is the only person publicly ensnared in this scheme…” Didn’t Tim Balducci testify in public in the Scruggs motions hearing about his role in the DeLaughter bribe? Reading Jerry Mitchell after the DJ, I see he remembers what I remember.
Three years for Joey Langston, that’s what I read on the internet. If Mr. Langston gets 3 years you can bet the sentences of the others who did not get the chance to help the District Attorney are going to get sentances, if convicted, subtantially in excess of the Joey Langston Base Sentence.
Patsy wrote, “The Scruggs defendants were accused of plotting to bribe Circuit Judge Henry Lackey for help with a lawsuit over Hurricane Katrina-related case legal fees.”
Um, Patsy – the defendants were convicted.
Patsy also wrote, “DeLaughter and Scruggs have insisted they did nothing wrong.”
Patsy dear – Scruggs entered a plea of guilt in open court a few short months ago. He swore under oath this guilt.
And as for DeLaughter, he admits he knew attempts were made to improperly influence him. When did he call the authorities? I don’t recall that phone call. Anyone?
No one else publically ensnared in this? Oh really? What about Trent Lott. His name is widely and wildly thrown around in this deal. Don’t forget Mr. Hood, anyone remember the State Farm transcript where it was brought out (JUST before it miraculously settled) ‘uh, ah, dinner, meeting, no I forgot, well, maybe I might’ve eaten at that place where Balducci and whosit talked about me doing such and such.’
The Daily Journal conveniently leaves out truths that the public would be interested in being clued in on. Patsy gives it a nice gloss over.
dang. That whole article should be retracted.
Apparently, most (for certain Patsy Brumfield and Bobby Harrison) of the DJ reporters are apologists for certain politicians and attorneys such as Joey Langston, Richard Scruggs, Bobby Delaughter, Mike Moore, Jim Hood, etc. etc. But, give them a bone on anyone associated with or viewed as a republican, and the kid gloves come off for some bare knuckle punches and low blows.
The only reporter the DJ has with any real objectivity, backbone and grit to go after tough stories and tell the unvarnished truth, no matter the political stripes of the subject, is Emily LeCoz.
Emily deserves a raise. The others?…..well….if I were in charge they would either grow a spine and sense of objectivity, or hit the door.
And speaking of Harrison, I saw today in the DJ yet another article about the cigarette tax. Some things never change, I suppose. This has to be Bobby “Cigarette Tax” Harrison’s 100th or better article on cigarette taxes within the last couple of years. But, I suppose with no MS state dems currently in need of his ass covering service, he has nothing else to write about.