One of the nation's largest utility companies has severed ties with the Matrix LLC consulting firm of Montgomery, AL, according to a report at banbalch.com, which operates under the banner of the CDLU public charity and advocacy group. Florida Power & Light {FPL}did not quietly part ways with Matrix; it fired a dagger at the firm and its founder, Joe Perkins, in the process.
K.B. Forbes, publisher of Ban Balch and CEO of the CDLU, reports that one act from Matrix's bag of "dirty tricks" proved to be a bridge too far for FPL:
Perkins, founder of Matrix, was embroiled in a nasty legal fight last year with his once-protégé Jeff Pitts, exposing unsavory and nefarious misconduct, including the surveillance of Southern Company CEO and Chairman Tom Fanning and his then-girlfriend in 2017.
In August, an FPL company spokesman said in a statement. “Learning about the surveillance of the CEO of Southern Company further reinforces our decision to have severed all ties with Matrix, a consultant we regret ever having associated ourselves with.”
FPL regrets "ever having associated . . . with" Matrix? Ouch! That's got to sting.
There was no room for niceties in that statement, but Forbes notes some oddities about FPL's communique:
Sloppy Joe Perkins has become the laughing stock in political circles especially now that Alabama Power CEO Mark A. Crosswhite, “the most powerful man in Alabama,” was ousted in late November.
The letter dispatched by a law firm on behalf of FPL makes a request on entities like the CDLU “to cease any and all disparaging communications or negative publicity involving or relating to the Matrix LLC consulting firm or any of its affiliates.”
Why would FPL dispatch a final letter to non-parties about Matrix and Sloppy Joe’s bruised feelings? We, the CDLU, have mentioned FPL peripherally, so why a letter to us?
Observers state that FPL is solidifying the fact the company was not behind any leaks, attacks, document dumps, or negative publicity regarding the Matrix Meltdown and are attempting to prevent any involvement in potential litigation associated with Perkins and his affiliated companies.
If FPL felt the need to provide cover for itself, that could be a sign of rocky waters ahead for Matrix. In fact, FPL might not be the only company wishing to separate from Matrix. Writes Forbes:
In late November, we, the CDLU, received documents and financial information about Southern Company’s expenditures through Matrix. The letter from FPL’s lawyers was dispatched a couple weeks later
With potential civil RICO litigation impacting utilities because of Matrix’s misconduct, Matrix, like Balch & Bingham, has become a third-party risk.
FPL is cleaning up loose ends while Sloppy Joe was cut loose and terminated. A spokesman at FPL confirmed to us yesterday that the relationship was over, definitely over.
When will Southern Company terminate Sloppy Joe, Matrix, and his affiliated companies?
Will King & Spalding’s criminal investigation on behalf of Southern Company cause the same “regret ever having associated” with Sloppy Joe?
Sounds like the Matrix fallout continues. Will be interesting to see what all leaks at this point. I can imagine Crosswhite knows where all the bodies are buried as well.
ReplyDelete"Sloppy Joe" has made quite a mess of things, it seems.
ReplyDeleteIncredible reporting Roger. I’m not sure there is actually any reporter in Alabama on this corruption than you which is shocking to consider frankly. I mean talk about being bought and paid. With said the Joe Perkins fallout is literally going to bury some companies at this point. Pretty incredible what has happened just this last week with what has been reported in the last month. I mean c’mon.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading, @8:16. Full credit for the reporting should go to K.B. Forbes. He and the CDLU have been leading the way on this story from the get-go. If it were up to me, there would be a major journalism award coming their way.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm naive, but I'll never understand why Alabama Power felt the need to associate with a "dirty tricks" firm like Matrix. If you are Mark Crosswhite or some other honcho at APCO, why do you need "dirty tricks." Did Balch talk them into going down that road?
That statement sounds like Florida Power & Light is positioning itself for more litigation. trying to put as much distance as possible between them and Matrix.
ReplyDeleteThe big question for me: Will we get to the bottom of the head-on vehicle crash involving attorney Burt Newsome? Evidence at the scene sure made that look like a deliberate hit -- and that could point to attempted murder. If we find out someone, or some entity, ordered that and paid for it to happen . . . well, the possible repercussions almost take the breath away.
ReplyDeleteIt would be hell of a thing of Corpos at certain companies pushed for lethal threats. That would be a hell of a thing. The shooting of the vehicle on 280. I mean you are talking life in prison for any executive tied to such. I knew a person in another life. Who knew Matt Bowden. Told me he was such a wonderful person. Weird thing all that.
ReplyDeleteProbably about time Roger you learn a little something about Southern Company Roger. You will love it.
ReplyDeleteIt does sound like FPL is trying to get ahead of something. CDLU says others have been provided the documents as well. The deaths around this stuff, the car accident and shooting incident are very disturbing.
ReplyDeleteAll these important people who might just now be having the crime fraud exception explaned to them by their newly hired criminal defense attornies?
ReplyDeleteFor those who might not be familiar with the crime-fraud exception, here is an explanation from the ACLU Web site:
ReplyDeleteThe attorney-client privilege has always included a “crime-fraud exception,” which provides that if you are using the attorney-client relationship to perpetrate a crime, there is no privilege. You have a right to talk in confidence with your attorney about criminal activity, but you can’t use your attorney to accomplish a crime. A mobster suspected of engaging in bribery can consult his attorney about the facts of his alleged bribery without fear that the attorney will disclose those communications. But he has no right to have the lawyer deliver the bribe for him.
Crime fraud exception. Very interesting.
ReplyDeleteKeep peeling that onion! If you peel on down to the small municipalities that own their own electric grid/lease from Alabama Power, you would be astonished at the things Balch has shielded them from being accountable for. Hopefully this will result in a changing of the guard and maybe even reduce the financial burden on the citizens. The days of making the little guy finance the lavish lifestyle of the local utility managers need to be gone. Hopefully the days of bullying those who want accountability will be gone as well. But not as long as places like Balch and Matrix are enabled. Why is it taking so long for Alabama and Florida to put an end to it? By the way, I read Hubbard was released from prison; speaking of putting an end to corruption
ReplyDelete@3:30 a.m. --
ReplyDeleteYou make a number of excellent points. Thanks for reading and sending an insightful comment.
Interesting that you mention Mike Hubbard. I believe Donald Watkins reported recently that Hubbard and Joe Perkins, of Matrix LLC, long have been pals. That suggests a tie between Matrix and Bob/Rob Riley, given Hubbard's longstanding ties to Rileyville. Also might tie Bradley Arant to Matrix, along with Balch & Bingham.
$40,000,000,000 in debt later and the guy that made sure he got the point across that he did things differently than his former boss is very cool with appointing folks tied to the very apparent criminal doings described in the last six months. Deduction is a hell of a thing. We will get into that in due course. Doing what the boss told them probably will not be sufficient. I don’t make the rules.
ReplyDelete