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| Richard Scrushy (center) |
Former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy says accusations last week that he controls a million-dollar account for an Alabama inmate are false and amount to an attack on his family by attorneys from Bradley Arant, the law firm representing the company Scrushy founded (now known as Encompass Health). Bradley Arant is leading collection efforts related to a $2.78-billion judgment against Scrushy. The former CEO said he has heard from a disgruntled Encompass Health shareholder who is concerned about the millions of dollars in shareholder assets that have been spent on Bradley Arant's largely fruitless collection attempts.
In a press release issued yesterday, Scrushy stated:
On May 22, 2023, Bradley Arant, Encompass Health attorneys, filed a TRO motion (temporary restraining order), asking Judge England to allow certain discovery of a bank account belonging to Eddie Briskett, an Alabama inmate who they claimed to have a financial tie to Richard Scrushy. They made a claim that Mr. Scrushy was a signature on Mr. Briskett’s account at JP Morgan Chase. They also made the claim that Mr. Scrushy was receiving funds from that account to the tune of several million dollars. Judge England held a hearing on May 23, 2023, where he asked Mr. Scrushy about his knowledge and involvement with Mr. Briskett. Mr. Scrushy told Judge England to put him under oath and swear him in if needed. Mr. Scrushy told the court he has never been on any account of Eddie Briskett and is not a signature on the account and that he has never received a single penny from inmate Eddie Briskett.
Mr. Scrushy told the judge to allow the plaintiff attorneys at Bradley Arant to have full discovery of Mr. Briskett’s account and they would see that Mr. Scrushy was never on the account as a signature and that Mr. Scrushy has never written a check on Mr. Briskett’s account and that Mr. Scrushy has never received a penny from Mr. Briskett. They will also find, as well as everyone else, that this was false information put out by the Encompass Health attorneys at the law firm Bradley Arant and it was simply another attack on Mr. Scrushy and his family.
Mr. Scrushy said, “ I have never been a signature on any account associated with Eddie Briskett and I have never received any money from Eddie Briskett” Scrushy also stated “ this is nothing more than a continuation of the overbilling machine at the Bradley law firm; these attorneys continue to make up opportunities to bill their client, Encompass Health.
Scrushy said: “ This is another boondoggle allowing the Bradley attorneys to bill large fees, and the leadership at Encompass is either being hoodwinked by this law firm or they are simply incompetent, allowing millions in billings without a return, and this is uncommon for a public company to allow this kind of waste of shareholder assets.”
Scrushy also stated: “ I have received calls from a disgruntled shareholder of Encompass, complaining about the millions and millions of wasted shareholder assets being paid to the Bradley law firm over the past 10-plus years, with no return.”
Scrushy further stated “ we were informed by a knowledgeable source that to date the Bradley attorneys have billed Encompass Health more than $110,000,000 filing, useless and wasted make-up legal work that has not given Encompass Health a nickel in return and never will because there is no there there.”
Mr. Scrushy stated that as a minister he has been involved in prison ministry for many years and he met Eddie Briskett in his work with prison inmates, and that Eddie Briskett is a good Godly man with a family who has turned his life around and one day hopes to return to the free world and be a productive citizen, a father to his children and a husband to his wife.
I’ll take Mr. Scrushy at his word that he doesn’t have it, but I’d actually prefer that Donald Watkins have the money than Bradley Arant get their hands on it. I have known some smart Black Businessmen in my time & they know how to hide money from their ex-wives & creditors. So, I’m really hoping Donald got all that money and hid it away to help some Black, Brown, Red, Yellow & Poor White dudes. You know, all the demographics not represented on the Alabama Supreme Court or the Alabama Republican Executive Committee. Donald is my hero! Donald Watkins for Governor!
ReplyDeleteRob:
ReplyDeleteThanks for a comment that is both funny and insightful. As you so aptly point out, there are a lot of demographics not represented on the Alabama Supreme Court. You would think some of the justices might feel a tad uncomfortable about the blinding whiteness that photo represents in a state that is 26 percent Black. But it looks like they are beyond feeling shame, and that certainly appears to be the case with their mouthpiece, Justice Mitchell.
I, too, am an admirer of Donald Watkins. I think it's well understood that he is one smart fellow, but I'm also impressed by his tenacity. He doesn't mind mixing it up with the big dogs, when appropriate, and I suspect some folks at Southern Company will regret the day they decided to tangle with The Donald. And yes, he would make a good, and refreshing, governor. That would be a reporter's dream because a Watkins administration certainly would not be boring. And he could actually move the state forward after years of govs like Fob, Riley, and Bentley.