September 2, 2005

Ethics Updates: Wilder Meddles, Newton Quits

Lt. Gov. John Wilder's appearance at a secret subcommittee meeting of the state Senate ethics committee looking at a questionable land deal that Wilder's bank funded - a deal that has lead to three federal indictments - raises the possibility that he was "trying to meddle" in the subcommittee's work.

Well, yeah. Of course he was. Wilder's bank loaned $1.77 million dollars to the the buyers in a land deal involving state Sen. Jerry Cooper, who used his political position to get the state to spend about a quarter of a million dollars to build a rail spur onto a piece of property he owned - so he could sell it. That rail spur greatly raised the value of the property, a lumber mill that Cooper was losing money on and couldn't sell.

Cooper used his political post to spend your money to enrich himself. And Wilder's bank funded the deal. Details here.

The good news on ethics in the state legislator: Chris Newton, a convicted felon who took bribes to propose and push a piece of legislation, is now a former state representative, having resigned his House seat yesterday instead of holding on to it until Nov. 1 so he could collect more salary and per diem compensation.

Newton sold himself cheap: Federal prosecutors say he conspired with Charles E. Love, a lobbyist and Hamilton County school board member who also was indicted, to obtain payments totaling $4,500 in return for helping an FBI front company to influence legislation.

Good riddance.