A second Balch Bingham partner steps down from a major position -- this time in Mississippi -- following the Burt Newsome vehicle crash in Shelby County

Burt Newsome crash scene

 

For the second time in roughly a week, a partner at the Balch Bingham law firm has stepped down from a prominent position. First, it was Mike Bowers resigning as head of the firm's Atlanta office. Now, it's Lucien Smith stepping down as chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party. Both exits come in the wake of a suspicious vehicle crash that nearly killed Birmingham attorney Burt Newsome, a recent courtroom adversary for Balch.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves cited Balch's "entanglements" as one reason for Smith's departure. Do those entanglements include the Newsome crash? That's not clear for now. From a report at banbalch.com:

Lucien Smith, a long time Balch Bingham partner, was replaced as Chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party last week.

Mississippi Today reports:

Lucien Smith on Monday announced he’s stepping down as Mississippi Republican Party chairman, with Gov. Tate Reeves backing Coast businessman Frank Bordeaux to replace him.

Numerous Republican sources in July told Mississippi Today that Reeves, as new de facto head of the party in his first term as governor, wanted new leadership. 

And what polite excuse did spin doctors say was the reason Lucien was tossed aside?

It’s partly because Smith is an attorney at a major law firm that does millions of dollars in business with the state and Reeves believes that is untoward and wanted a chairman with no such entanglements.

"Entanglements" seems like a peculiar term to apply to Balch's business dealings in the Magnolia State:

With Bach’s reputation apparently in shambles, sources wouldn’t even mention the alleged racist firm by name.

Balch Bingham appears to have a bad stench even in Mississippi.

And curiously the business dealings are called “entanglemens.” Is there something the Governor knows that the public does not?

 

Lucien Smith