Tennessee Waltz:

Ford, Newton, Crutchfield, Bowers

Click the images to read the indictments. Click for the original blog round-up from May 25, 2005, the day the four were arrested. And stick with Tennessee Waltz for updates as the story unfolds...

Two Down, Five to Go, August 11, 2005
A second guilty plea in the Operation Tennessee Waltz investigation that nailed five current and former Tennessee legislators and two others on a variety of federal corruption charges. Both of the non-legislators, accused of passing bribe money to lawmakers, have now plead guilty. This is very bad news for the indicted legislators as it means the two who have plead guilty will now testify against them....

GOP Releases Ethics Reform Proposals, August 09, 2005
The Tennessee Republican Party's General Counsel has presented its proposals for ethics refrom to the General Assembly's special Joint Ethics Committee. Read Paul Ney's prepared remarks at The Hidden Agenda....

Good Question, August 05, 2005
Matt White wonders: "Does Bowers' affirmative defense of DeBerry not constitute a tacit admission of her own guilt?"...

Just Haggling Over The Price?, July 29, 2005
The Tennessean's editorial page today rakes state Rep. Lois DeBerry over the coals for the ethical lapse that lead her to resign from her newly appointed position as co-chair of a new joint committee on ethics....

Lying is Unethical, Too., July 28, 2005
State Rep. Lois DeBerry, co-chairman of the legislature's new Joint Committee on Ethics, now admits she took $200 in cash from a representative of the same company that bribed lawmakers in the FBI sting Operation Tennessee Waltz. She says she gambled the money away in the nickel slot machines down at Tunica. House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh is defending her, saying she shouldn't have to step down from the Ethics committee because he knows that in...

More Waltzing Ahead, July 23, 2005
There may be more arrests in Operation Tennessee Waltz, the FBI probe that nailed four sitting lawmakers on corruption charges. The Associated Press reports from Memphis:The federal investigation that led to corruption charges against five current and former Tennessee lawmakers is still ongoing, court records show. Prosecutors refuse to talk about the investigation, code named Tennessee Waltz, but pretrial papers filed by U.S. Attorney Terrell Harris say investigators are still at work. In preparing to...

The Miami Connection, July 15, 2005
Memphis Mike Hollihan has done some digging into the Miami connection to the Operation Tennessee Waltz investigation that resulted in five sitting and former lawmakers being indicted on federal corruption charges. Is there a tie to U.S. Senate candidate and current high-living congressman Harold Ford Jr.? Hollihan raises the questions and asks if the media will find the answers. In the meanwhile, as it appears this blog now has caught the attention of the...

Secret Meetings, July 12, 2005
NewsChannel5's Phil Williams finds evidence the FBI missed in its investigation of the corruption of former state Sen. John Ford - and a prime example, too, of the too-cozy relationship lobbyists and Tennessee's legislators. Williams unearthed a memo from top lobbyist Betty Anderson - who just happens to be the wife of House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh - in which she encourages Ford to very quietly call a meeting of a Senate committee he chairs -...

Newton Mulling Resignation, July 01, 2005
The Tennessean reports that state Rep. Chris Newton to decide next week if he will resign from office now that he's been indicted by the feds for allegedly accepting big cash bribes. State Rep. Chris Clem has filed a resolution to expel Newton from the House if he doesn't resign, and the chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party has urged Newton to resign. The story also mentions the failure of the head of the Tennessee...

Newton Expulsion Resolution In Stark Contrast to Democrat Inaction, June 30, 2005
NASHVILLE - New Tennessee Democrat Party Chairman Bob Tuke declined to ask for the resignation of two Democratic state senators indicted on federal felony corruption charges - state Sen. Ward Crutchfield and state Sen. Kathryn Bowers - when offered the opportunity to do so during an appearance on the radio show Steve Gill Mornings Wednesday morning on 99.7 WTN . Tuke indicated that he does not see the state party as having any responsibility for...

Resolution Filed to Expel Newton, June 30, 2005
This will be in your morning newspaper tomorrow... NASHVILLE - State Rep. Chris Clem has filed a resolution to expel indicted state Rep. Chris Newton, R-Cleveland, from the Tennessee House of Representatives. Clem, a Republican from Lookout Mountain, says he has 12 other Republican House members willing to sign on as co-sponsors of the resolution to expel Newton, who is one of four sitting lawmakers facing federal felony corruption charges stemming from the Operation Tennessee...

Late to the Party, June 28, 2005
The Tennessean today concludes its three-part series on the culture of corruption at the state legislature. A good round-up, with an interesting paragraph noting that Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen "says he favors more disclosure of what lobbyists do." Oh, really? Then why, Gov. Bredesen, when legislation was proposed a few months ago to require more such disclosure from lobbysists, where you nowhere to be found in the effort to try to get it passed? Why...

Echo Chamber, June 26, 2005
Echoing what I've been saying for three long weeks now, Tennessean columnist Larry Daughtrey today notes that Gov. Phil Bredesen "wasn't much interested in legislative behavior a few months ago," even though now he is considering calling a special legislative session on legislator and lobbying ethics reform....

Politics, Power and Privilege, June 26, 2005
The Tennessean today starts its three-part series, Culture on the Hill: Politcs, Power, Privilege, a look at how lobbyists run Tennessee's legislators to a large degree, and how legislators "close themselves off from the people they serve and use their own power to further insulate themselves and protect their culture."...

"Stuffing Cash Into His Pockets", June 21, 2005
State Sen. Roy Herron has posted a long blog post, in the form of a Q&A, about the recent arrests of four sitting lawmakers, an ex-lawmaker and two lobbyists on federal felony corruption charges. Herron:I've not yet seen the videotapes of [now-resigned state Sen. John Ford] stuffing thousands in cash into his pockets, but I will soon. I am told it is anything but pretty.When it comes to Fords, John was the expensive model....

To Make Law, She Must First Break the Law, June 17, 2005
Ophelia Ford, sister of disgraced former state Sen. John Ford, who was videotaped taking cash bribes from undercover FBI agents in a corruption sting, says she's going to run for his former seat in the state Senate. One problem: she doesn't meet the residency requirements. But the local elections commission appears inclined to let her run anyway, despite the law. From today's Tennessean:She does not live in District 29, but said she plans to move...

Will Phil Drink the Lobbyists' Gall?, June 15, 2005
SBK, one of my regular commenters, posted a comment to this post about legislative and lobbying ethics reform in the aftermath of the Operation Tennessee Waltz arrests that was so plainly on target that I decided to edit it into a blog entry all its own. SBK writes:As ethics reform is a subject of self interest to the lobbyists they should have no more access to the process than any other Tennessean who is looking...

Lobbyists Seek "Consensus" On Ethics Reforms, June 15, 2005
As I noted two days ago, the lobbyists who run the show down at Tennessee's state legislature are hoping to influence the direction of ethics reform legislation that impacts their business - a huge conflict of interest if ever there was one. Now, the Tennessee Associated Press has reported on the lobbyists' plans to water down ethics reform (although the AP doesn't characterize it that way)....

Ethics Best Practices, June 15, 2005
As Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen mulls whether to call a special session of the legislature to address legislative/lobbyist ethics reform in the aftermath of the arrest of four sitting legislators for taking bribes from a lobbyist - and as the Bredesen adminstration asks the lobbyists to help write the new ethics rules - Ben Cunningham of Tennessee Tax Revolt has been doing a little research into how other states handle such things and has produced...

Leave the Lobbyists Out of It, June 14, 2005
I must admit that I am amazed today that there is no outrage on the editorial pages of our local papers that the first people Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen called in for meetings on ethics reforms involving the legislature and lobbyists is the lobbyists themselves - the very people whose behavior needs reigned in by a good ethics reform package - and that the lobbyists are already telling the governor what reforms they won't accept....

Rep. Campfield Details E-Cycle Contact, June 13, 2005
Appearing on the Nashville radio show Teddy Bart's Round Table today, state Rep. Stacey Campfield, R-Knoxville, revealed that he was approached by a representative of E-Cycle, the phony company set up by the FBI as part of the Operation Tennessee Waltz sting that nailed four sitting lawmakers. He says he was offered what he took to be a campaign contribution and told the E-Cycle rep that he took only individual, not PAC contributions, and couldn't...

Can Ford Beat the Rap?, June 12, 2005
Adam Groves has links to two newspaper articles that explore how former state Sen. John "$55,000" Ford could beat the rap on his federal bribery, extortion and witness-intimidation charges, even though his apparent crimes were caught on tape....

Grandstanding Waltz, June 10, 2005
Grandstanding, v, To perform ostentatiously so as to impress an audience. - The American HeritageŽ Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition The AP reports that Gov. Phil Bredesen said yesterday he is leaning toward calling lawmakers back to Nashville in the fall to pass special ethics legislation. This of course represents a complete switch from Bredesen's pre-Operation Tennessee Waltz position on legislative ethics reform which was an active policy of disengagement from the issue....

55 Ford, June 09, 2005
Blake Wylie has been digging in to the checkered past of former state Sen. John Ford, who is currently facing federal felony corruption charges for allegedly accepting $55,000 in bribes. Of course, despite the video and audio tapes of Ford accepting wads of cash and promising he was the legislator "who makes the deals," Ford is proclaiming his innocence on the twisted logic that it's not bribe if its given to you by a dishonest...

Ford: They Tricked Me Into Taking a Bribe, June 09, 2005
Former state Sen. John Ford, caught on video accepting bribes from an undercover FBI agent, is apparently going to play victim in his defense against federal felony corruption charges."The government has tried to show me and others as being corrupt and villains when, in essence, they are the ones that are corrupt. They're the villains," Ford said after his arraignment in federal court. "They're the ones that have been disingenuous all along. They're the ones...

Lessons Learned from Bad Politicians, June 07, 2005
AlphaPatriot has an excellent post tying together the Operation Tennessee Waltz arrests of four sitting lawmakers on federal felony corruption indictments, and the recent shenanigans in the state House in which House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh broke the rules in order to kill a popular gun-rights bill. Read the whole thing....

Race Waltzing, June 06, 2005
Rob Huddleston has a good roundup of Tennessee Waltz news and blog coverage today, including a look at the racial bias in a story in the Memphis Commercial Appeal....

Silent Leadership, June 05, 2005
The Tennessean has a long editorial today urging Gov. Phil Bredesen - who was silent on the issue of legislative ethics before the May 25 arrest of four sitting lawmakers on federal felony corruption charges - to call as special session to adopt tough new ethics laws for legislators and lobbyists. Many of the things they are calling for are things the legislature rejected in the just-finished session. Some of them might have passed if...

Bredesen's Lack of Interest in Legislative Ethics Goes Way Back, June 04, 2005
As I have noted before on this site, Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen provided zero leadership on the issue of legislative ethics this year, despite the fact that legislative ethics was the topic of primary discussion and public interest during the just-completed session. Throughout the session, the governor was silent on the issue, providing no leadership as the legislature debated various ethics reform measures in the midst of an ethics crisis. Now, as as we learn...

Tennessee Waltz Update, June 03, 2005
Adam Groves has a good roundup of Tennessee Waltz news, and also a second post looking at the impact the investigation is having. Meanwhile, Rob Huddleston notes that, after saying she wouldn't, indicted state Sen. Kathryn Bowers has changed her mind and now is resigning as chairman of the Shelby County Democratic Party. Actually, I think she ought to keep that post and resign from the state Senate. But, then, I also think legislators should...

More Tennessee Waltz Arrests Soon?, June 02, 2005
Memphis blogger Mike Hollihan has his ear to the ground and says he's hearing rumbles of more arrests coming from Operation Tennessee Waltz. Well, we do know that at least one more person is still being sought by the FBI, though they haven't said who it is....

State Senate Would Be Better Without Wilder, June 02, 2005
Knoxville's MetroPulse has the must-read editorial of the day regarding Operation Tennessee Waltz, corruption in the state legislature, and why Lt. Gov. Wilder was wrong to defend the indicted against the FBI....

A Tennessee Waltz Mystery, June 01, 2005
Who is the mysterious eighth person still being sought by federal agents in connection with Operation Tennessee Waltz, the sting operation that nailed several sitting lawmakers on federal bribery and conspiracy charges last week? In all, a total of seven people, including four legislators, one former legislator, a lobbyist and a political aide, were arrested on Thursday, May 26. But as The Tennessean reported that day in its online edition: "An eighth person was also...

"A sea change in the way news is disseminated.", June 01, 2005
Today's Nashville City Paper has an editorial noting the role bloggers played in quickly disseminating news of last week's stunning arrests of four members of the Tennessee legislature on federal corruption charges as a result of the two-year FBI undercover probe called "Tennessee Waltz."The revelations of Operation Tennessee Waltz last week came swiftly and stunningly. How they came was via one of the older forms of mass communication and one of the newest. ... one...

Waltzing Through the Loopholes, June 01, 2005
An observer of Tennessee's legislature and politics made some interesting observations to me about the recent arrest of four state legislators on a variety of series federal charges including bribery in an FBI sting operation called Tennessee Waltz. The summary version: the fish rots from the head down....

Hot Deals at Wheeler Dealer Ford, May 31, 2005
Former state Sen. John Ford, D-Memphis, says he didn't resign from the state Senate because of those federal bribery and witness intimidation charges against him. Oh, no. He resigned because the legislature had just passed a law making it illegal for legislators like him to get paid for consulting services by companies that also do business with Tennessee. You see, he just couldn't make an honest living selling his influence while serving as a state...

A Vote of No Confidence, May 31, 2005
Jay Johnson, who has a new blog at Backassward.com, responds to the email Gov. Phil Bredesen sent to all state employees after the arrest last Thursday of four legislators on a variety of federal corruption charges. Johnson to Bredesen:The real tragedy is that YOU haven't recognized that the public has no confidence in our state government that has existed for a long time before these arrests.Read the whole thing - it's rather pointed and on...

On TennCare and Corrupt Legislators, May 30, 2005
Sate Sen. Jim Bryson, R-Franklin, has sent out an email discussing last week's arrest of four legislators on corruption charges and also detailing the effort) made by many Republicans in the state legislature to prevent Gov. Phil Bredesen from slashing 67,000 peopled deemed "uninsurable" from the TennCare rolls (and another 11,500 people who are mentally ill). It's an effort that failed because, as, Bryson notes, "the Governor fought this plan with all the tools at...

Our Well-Paid Legislators, May 29, 2005
State Rep. Stacey Campfield, R-Knoxville, Tennessee's first blogging legislator, has some thoughts about the notion that a full-time better-paid legislature would be one way to reduce corruption:"Put your mind at ease. No one here is going to starve by being honest."Campfield's excellent post details all the various forms of income legislators receive, including a $12,000-per-year office allowance, membership in the state healthcare coverage plan, a 401K plan and the generous $141 per diem pay that...

Ford Quits, May 28, 2005
State Rep. Stacey Campfield, R-Knoxville, Tennessee's first blogging legislator, reports that state Sen. John Ford, indicted Thursday on a variety of serious federal corruption charges, has resigned. Blogging state Sen. Roy Herron, D-Dresden, has some thoughts on his blog about a stunning final week in legislative session. He also discusses that secret meeting of the Senate Finance Committee in which he participated, a meeting that violated Senate rules. UPDATE: The Tennessean reports that Ford quit...

Wilder Waltzes Around The Issue, May 28, 2005
State Sen. John Wilder thinks its not bad to take a bribe if the bribe is being offered by someone for the purpose of testing whether or not you are corrupt. That and more legislators' reaction to the arrest of four of their colleagues for taking bribes here. Sen. Wilder, I suspect most Tennesseans don't agree with you. I suspect most Tennesseans understand that if Sen. John Ford, Sen. Ward Crutchfield, Sen. Kathryn Bowers and...

A Non-Blogging Day, May 27, 2005
Sorry for the lack of blogging today, the day after the arrest of four Tennessee state legislators on federal corruption charges. There's plenty of news coverage and probably lots of bloggage about it, but I haven't had the time to cover it here. So look on my blogroll for the Nashville and Tennessee blogs and click those - most if not all will have at least something on the Tennessee Waltz scandal. Matt White has...

Tennessee Perp Waltz, May 26, 2005
Ford, Newton, Crutchfield, Bowers Click the images to read the indictments. Scroll to previous entry for more details and links....

NEWSFLASH: Passel of Legislators Arrested!, May 26, 2005
NASHVILLE, 9 a.m. today - At least two and possibly three members of the Tennessee legislature were arrested and hauled out of Legislative Plaza in handcuffs this morning and my sources indicate it may be based on allegations that they accepted money to sponsor legislation. I've heard three names, including one Republican state rep and two Democratic state senators, but I haven't verified who was arrested yet and am not going to name them until...