DOJ Lawyer Was Found Hanging in his Basement

Nicholas Marsh

A Department of Justice lawyer who reportedly committed suicide last month was found hanging in his basement, according to a press report.

Information about the death of Nicholas A. Marsh has been sketchy, at best. Numerous media outlets reported on September 27 that Marsh, the subject of an investigation for possible misconduct in the prosecution of former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK), had killed himself during the previous weekend. The news was released by Robert Luskin, Marsh's attorney who also has represented Republican strategist Karl Rove.

Early news reports left many questions unanswered. Where was Marsh's body discovered? How did he kill himself? What did medical examiners and police officials have to say about the case? What evidence supported a finding of suicide?

A report at mainjustice.com answers some of those questions. A profile about Marsh includes a brief description of the circumstances surrounding his death. It quotes Beverly Fields, of the D.C.. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, saying that Marsh committed suicide by hanging. He was found unconscious in his basement at about 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 26.

There is no mention of Ms. Fields' credentials and no indication that the reporter has checked official documents regarding Marsh's death. We also have no information about evidence that supports a suicide finding. We have only Beverly Fields' word--and we have no idea who she is.

In our research, we found a brief reference to Marsh's hanging at NPR, the outlet that broke the news of his death. Other than that, we've seen no sign that any news organization has done followup reporting on Nicholas Marsh's death--nothing from The Washington Post, Washington Times, New York Times, ABC, NBC, CBS . . . zip.

Should we be skeptical about the finding of suicide in Nicholas Marsh's death? Given the extraordinarily flimsy reporting on the story, there are questions in my mind. And given that Robert Luskin apparently was intent on getting the suicide angle out there before we had official confirmation--seemingly as a way to close off any serious inquiry--that raises questions, too.

Did Luskin have a strategy for releasing the story or did it come out that way by coincidence? Either way, it worked. No one in the press seems to be asking serious questions.

Here is something interesting about the "journalism" on this story: Carrie Johnson, a justice correspondent for NPR, broke the news about Marsh's death--and immediately labeled it a suicide, based on Robert Luskin's word. Until a few months ago, Johnson covered the Justice Department for The Washington Post. That means she almost certainly was well acquainted with Luskin, who has been involved in a number of high-profile cases while representing well-known politicos such as Karl Rove. Our guess is that Johnson and Luskin have done favors for each other over the years, and in this case, Luskin needed one from his reporter friend. He needed her to "frame" the story as a suicide before any official word came out about cause of death in the Nicholas Marsh case.

Why was that important to Luskin? Does he get his jollies from dropping tips for his reporter friends? Or did he have some other motive in mind? That is the crucial question that is going unasked in the mainstream press. And we suspect that is exactly how Luskin planned it.

Marsh's death has some disturbing similarities to that of Deborah Jeane Palfrey, the D.C. Madam. Palfrey reportedly committed suicide in May 2008 after she had been convicted on racketeering charges. Her body was discovered hanging in a shed at her mother's home in Florida.

Marsh undoubtedly had access to sensitive information about the inner workings of the DOJ during the George W. Bush years. Palfrey's escort service attracted a number of powerful figures in Washington. Several press outlets have reported that former Vice President Dick Cheney was one of her clients. And ABC News reportedly helped cover up that part of the story. From OpEd News:

Among Palfrey's known clients were current Louisiana Senator Vitter, former AIDS Czar Randall Tobias, Dick Morris and military-industrial wonk Harlan Ullman, but Dick Cheney's McLean, VA phone number, reported earlier was summarily un-reported after a turnaround by ABC News.

ABC anchor Sam Donaldson has also been a rumored client, along with a law partner of Rudy Giuliani, associates of Jack Abramoff and many more Pentagon, DC and corporate insiders on a list of over 10,000 numbers.

According to early accounts, ABC News correspondent Brian Ross had the exclusive scoop because Palfrey turned over years-long call lists for his staff to verify. After Cheney turned up on the list, the story, already on the ABC website and poised to run on 20/20, suddenly went away.

Dick Cheney, Sam Donaldson, and associates of Jack Abramoff and Rudy Guiliani probably were among her clients? No wonder ABC News backed off the story. No wonder the D.C. Madam no longer is among the living.

Montgomery Blair Sibley, who was Palfrey's attorney, has written Why Just Her: The Judicial Lynching of the D.C. Madam. It's an inside account of what appears to have been a political prosecution. Sibley concludes that Palfrey indeed committed suicide, but he provides plenty of information that raises questions for the curious reader.

We can't help but ponder similar questions about Nicholas Marsh. The Stevens investigation certainly had put him in a stressful place. But he apparently had a lot to live for. His wife, Navis Bermudez, is a member of the professional staff for the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. A recent committee press release states:

Navis Bermudez has joined the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment as Professional Staff. Bermudez brings significant water quality experience to the Subcommittee, and she will focus on the areas of vessel discharges, regional watershed plans, and wetlands issues.

A Yale University graduate, Ms. Bermudez has a serious interest in environmental issues. She and her husband also apparently were serious about their faith.

They were active members of First Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. In fact, a recent church publication includes a picture of them as worship leaders. (See page two at the link below.)

First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, D.C.

That picture was taken in early July. The thoughts and actions of those who commit suicide remain a mystery to many of us; in many instances, suicide cannot be explained by a rational thought process. But I can't help but look at that picture and ask, "Does this look like a man who is about to kill himself in a little more than two months' time?"

Sarah Palin Commits a Colossal Blunder in Alabama

Sarah Palin came to Montgomery, Alabama, late last week for a $1-million fundraising speech at Faulkner University. She managed to insult college football fans at both of the state's powerhouse programs. Not a wise campaign move.

That's like going to Saudi Arabia and insulting Islam. In fact, that's probably understating it. College football  is way more important in Alabama than religion is in Saudi Arabia--or probably anywhere else. Suffice to say, Palin's gaffes were about as serious as they come here in the heart of Southeastern Conference country.

Bob Lowry, of The Huntsville Times, reports that Palin tried to appeal to the audience by noting the importance of college football in the state. But that's when things started backfiring on her. She mentioned the University of Alabama, but failed to mention the Crimson Tide's cross-state rival, the Auburn University Tigers. The Auburn campus is only about 40 miles from where Palin was speaking, and the undefeated Tigers are No. 7 in the country (ahead of No. 8 Alabama), so the orange-and-blue folks in the audience had to be miffed.

But that was nowhere near Palin's biggest blunder. That came when she mispronounced the name of Alabama coach Nick Saban, who is only the most famous person in our state--by far. After leading Alabama to a national championship last season and a No. 1-ranking this season (before Saturday's loss at South Carolina), Saban is a God-like figure among the Crimson Tide faithful who rule the state.

But Palin apparently has never heard of him. She pronounced his name "SAAB-an," as in the automobile. It is pronounced SAY-ban, as anyone who has the slightest knowledge about college football knows.

Imagine if a speaker went to Alaska and said, "It's great to be here in the same place that produced your wonderful governor, Sarah PAH-lin." Assuming Palin can pronounce her own name, she should have no trouble with Saban's.

Perhaps everyone in the Palin entourage was afraid to tell her how to pronounce a name correctly. Consider these insights from "Sarah Palin: The Sound and the Fury," a profile in the October issue of Vanity Fair:

Warm and effusive in public, indifferent or angry in private: this is the pattern of Palin’s behavior toward the people who make her life possible. A onetime gubernatorial aide to Palin says, “The people who have worked for her—they’re broken, used, stepped on, down in the dust.” On the 2008 campaign trail, one close aide recalls, it was practically impossible to persuade Palin to take a moment to thank the kitchen workers at fund-raising dinners. During the campaign, Palin lashed out at the slightest provocation, sometimes screaming at staff members and throwing objects.

After reading the account of Palin's speech in Alabama, my first thought was, "Why didn't someone on her staff pull her aside beforehand and say, 'Sarah, you don't know much about college football, but it's an extremely important subject--make that, the most important subject--in this state. And you need to sound like you know what you are talking about, not only for the men in the audience but also for the women. Trust me, many women in Alabama know college football inside and out. So make sure you mention both schools--Alabama and Auburn. And for God's sake, be sure you pronounce Nick Saban's name correctly. If you can't do that, it's better to avoid the subject altogether.'"

My guess is that no one on her staff had the cojones to make such a simple statement. They probably were just praying she wouldn't take a stab at the name of Auburn's coach, Gene Chizik. So Palin wound up looking like a ding-dong in public.

If Palin ever is elected president--God forbid--perhaps she can travel to the Vatican for an audience with the "Poop." That would pretty much wipe out whatever international credibility the U.S. might have left.

Prisoner In Siegelman Case Is Being Denied Medication

Gary White

Gary White, a former commissioner in Jefferson County, Alabama, became the target of a federal investigation after he refused to give false testimony in the Don Siegelman case. Now White is in a South Carolina prison, where he is being denied his medication, according to a report by Joan Brunwasser at OpEd News.

White, 63, takes medication for a number of conditions, including hypertension. Judy White says her husband has been denied his medication since he arrived at the prison in Edgefield, South Carolina, on September 29. After contacting a number of prison and public officials to no avail, Judy White sent an e-mail yesterday to President Barack Obama, asking him to intervene.

"Among Gary's medical conditions about which I am most desperately concerned is his high blood pressure, which was being carefully monitored and controlled by medication," Judy White wrote. "Being innocent, but prosecuted and imprisoned certainly would exacerbate most medical problems, with blood pressure being of paramount concern. Without proper treatment and medication, Gary could imminently suffer a stroke, an aneurysm, or even death."

Gary White is a classic example of fallout from the Siegelman case. While serving as a county commissioner, White was a moderate Republican, often crossing party lines to work with Democrats on matters involving the Birmingham metro area. That earned him enemies among some staunch conservatives. Matters became worse when White introduced Siegelman to former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy. That introduction led to a meeting that was at the heart of the bribery charge against Siegelman and Scrushy.

The prosecution would end with a conviction, but it came without help from Gary White. Judy White has testified in an affidavit that federal authorities pressured her husband to testify in a certain way about the Siegelman-Scrushy meeting. When Gary White said such testimony was not truthful and refused to cooperate, he immediately became the target of a federal investigation. Reports Brunwasser:

Mr. White refused to participate in a wrongful prosecution. Federal prosecutors made their case without his help and then prosecuted White for bribery and conspiracy; they began delivering subpoenas the very day after he refused to comply with their demands. He was convicted and sentenced to ten years in federal prison. After being directed to bring all prescription medications, when he arrived at federal prison on September 29, White told his wife that his medications were immediately confiscated. Earlier today, he reported that he is still without medication, despite daily requests. Mrs. White has called and wrote prison officials warning them of the dire consequences and begging them to provide the prescribed medications, all to no avail.

After contacting members of their delegation, the House and Senate Judiciary Committee, the Bureau of Prisons, Office of Inspector General, and the Regional Office with oversight of the prison, Judy White is now appealing directly to President Obama to right this wrong.

Judy White insists that her husband was wrongfully convicted, and considering that the prosecution was directed by the abominable former U.S. Attorney Alice Martin, we suspect Mrs. White is right about that. Aside from the merits of the government's case, the record is clear that Gary White was prosecuted simply because he refused to give false testimony against Don Siegelman. That would make his case one of the ugliest political prosecutions of the George W. Bush era. And like the firings of nine U.S. attorneys, the White case shows that moderate Republicans could become targets, along with Democrats.

An appeal is pending in the Gary White case. But for now, Judy White mainly is concerned about her husband's health.

"I love my husband, and do not want him to suffer from medical neglect or abuse or even die; he was not given a death sentence by the judge," Judy White wrote to Obama. "I hope and expect he will prevail on appeal and be freed from the destruction inflicted upon our family. In addition to being my husband, he is a loving and devoted father to our five children, an enamored grandfather to his only grandson, a loving and concerned son to his elderly and ill parents, as well as my parents, the only brother to his sisters, a caring and engaged uncle to numerous nieces and nephews, a wonderful brother-in-law, and the best friend anyone could ever hope to have. Please help all of us to save his life and health."

Here is Judy White's full letter, sent via e-mail, to President Obama:

Judy White Obama

Federal Judge, With Alabama Ties, Is Charged With Buying Drugs From A Stripper

Jack T. Camp

A federal judge in Atlanta made national news this week when he was charged with buying drugs from a stripper. The judge had presided over the prosecution of Edmond H. "Eddie" Smith, a case we have covered here at Legal Schnauzer.

U.S. District Judge Jack T. Camp, a 67-year-old Reagan appointee, became infatuated with the stripper when she performed a lap dance for him, according to an affidavit from an FBI agent. The lap dance apparently pleased the court.

Bad jokes aside, the Camp escapade illustrates a sad truth about our justice system: Camp got nabbed only because he allegedly committed a crime--a relatively minor one--outside his role as a judge. He could have committed any number of serious crimes in "his official capacity" and almost certainly gotten away with it.

That's because federal judges receive lifetime appointments and are cloaked in judicial immunity--and those are two of many reasons the U.S. justice system is a sordid mess.

How did Camp step in doo-doo? The Atlanta Journal-Constitution spells it out:

Camp met the dancer, identified in the affidavit as CI-1, when he purchased a private dance from her, according to the affidavit by Special Agent Mary Jo Mangrum, a member of a task force investigating public corruption. He returned the next night and purchased another dance and sex from her, the affidavit said. The two then began a relationship that revolved around drug use and sex.

In some cases, he bought drugs from the dancer, while in others the pair purchased them from other parties, according to the affidavit. Camp sometimes took loaded guns to the deals.

Camp’s arrest came after a buy from an undercover agent, authorities said.

So, a lap dance led to the judge's downfall. The dancer must have made several motions, to which the judge definitely did not object. (Sorry, we can't help ourselves.)

What about Eddie Smith, the Alabama outdoorsman who has been ensnared in a number of legal difficulties? Well, Smith now looks like a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, compared to the judge who helped throw him in the federal slammer. Reports the Mobile Press-Register:

A federal appeals court moved this week to appoint a new judge in the Eddie Smith case after the judge who presided over the trial was arrested on charges of doing drugs with a stripper that he had paid for sex.

Edmond H. “Eddie” Smith IV is scheduled to be sentenced next week for trying to hire a hit man to kill a federal judge and prosecutor. That date is in doubt now in the wake of Friday’s arrest of Senior U.S. District Judge Jack T. Camp, a 67-year-old married man who took semi-retired senior status in 2008.

“I don’t know what it’s going to do,” said J. Clark Stankoski, an attorney who represents Smith.

How did Camp come to preside over a case in Mobile, Alabama? Reports the Press-Register?

In February, Camp was tapped to preside over Smith’s trial in Mobile after federal judges in southwest Alabama recused themselves because one of their colleagues was an alleged target. Smith, whose lavish lifestyle and frequent run-ins with the law drew front-page headlines, had been convicted of being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition.

Authorities contended that Smith plotted to kill the judge and prosecutor in that case, William Steele and Greg Bordenkircher, respectively.

Jurors heard taped conversations between Smith and a fellow inmate at Mobile County Metro Jail in which the defendant talked about hiring a hit man to do the job.

Eddie Smith apparently is not a sweetheart of a guy. But I long have suspected that he was set up by corrupt forces in Mobile, Alabama. Now we learn that the judge in his case is a druggie, and that's not all. Get this, from the Press-Register:

Last week’s arrest of Camp represents the latest strange turn in the Smith saga. An undercover police officer, who posed as a disbarred lawyer who had contacts with a hit man and secretly recorded his jailhouse conversation with Smith, later resigned from the Daphne Police Department for having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a female informant.

Gives you the warm and fuzzies about law enforcement, doesn't it?

Anyway, back to Jack T. Camp. What kind of person has been presiding over federal cases in Atlanta--and sometimes Alabama? The AJC provides the ugly details:

Camp’s relationship with the stripper, who had a federal conviction related to a drug trafficking case, began last spring, according to the affidavit. The two would meet when Camp paid her for sex, and they would smoke marijuana and snort cocaine and take the painkiller Roxicodone together. Camp usually gave the stripper money to buy the drugs although sometimes she provided them on her own, the affidavit said. She secretly recorded Camp discussing the drug transactions.

“In order to snort the [Roxicodone], Camp and CI-1 would use a pill crusher to create a powdered form of the [Roxicodone],” the affidavit said. “In fact Camp gave CI-1 the pill crusher for CI-1’s use.”

The affidavit details a series of drug transactions in which Camp is described as securing Roxicodone and other drugs for his personal use and describes Camp as carrying a semi-automatic handgun to protect the stripper and himself during drug deals. Federal law carries separate charges for carrying a firearm in drug transactions.

Yessiree, it sounds like "His Honor" took his oath to uphold the law real seriously. One news account describes the Atlanta legal community as "shocked" about the allegations.

That, I can assure you, is a bunch of hooey. I've spoken with more than 50 Alabama lawyers over the past eight years or so, and many of them describe how judges--both federal and state--routinely violate black-letter law in order to favor one party/attorney or another from the bench.

"What can you do about it?" I usually ask. And they shrug their shoulders.

According to the Rules of Professional Conduct that are in place for every state, a lawyer is duty bound to report any lawyer or judge who he knows is engaging in misconduct. The law is, after all, a self-regulating profession. But how often do lawyers actually abide by this rule? "Nobody does that," one told me.

The Atlanta legal community might have been shocked that Camp was stupid enough to get caught engaging in criminal acts. And they might have been shocked at the nature of his acts. But I doubt if they were shocked that he would violate the law. Many of them probably have witnessed him violate the law inside the courtroom.

That leads us to the "rest of the story" about Jack T. Camp. Judges wear robes, and we call them "Your Honor" and rise when they enter a courtroom. But a fair number of them are seriously dysfunctional individuals. Thanks to lifetime appointments, some of them are so old that they have no business trying to handle the challenging duties of a federal judge; I personally have witnessed the actions of an 83-year-old federal judge in Birmingham who has shown signs that he does not have the temperament, patience, or mental acuity required by his job.

Quite a few judges are just sorry human beings. To take an oath that you will uphold the law and then knowingly and repeatedly violate it--as I've seen multiple state and federal judges do--requires a pretty disturbed mindset. But judges get away with it all the time, probably every day of the work week in the US of A.

Jack Camp's mistake is that he decided to screw around with a stripper, on her turf. He could have screwed around with parties in his courtroom and never been touched.

Here is a key point about judges: The law holds them to a high standard; they are to avoid the "appearance of impropriety." In real life, the justice system often does not enforce that standard. But that, in theory, is the standard judges are supposed to live up to.

Many judges, unfortunately, want to have their proverbial cake and eat it, too. They want all the perks that come with being a judge, but they also want to keep their social contacts, their business associations, and their prejudices. That's not how it's supposed to work--if the law is taken seriously.

I've written about judges who play golf with attorney friends and then proceed to hear their cases--ruling unlawfully in their favor. I've written about judges who belong to hunting clubs with attorney friends and then proceed to hear their cases--ruling unlawfully in their favor. I've had readers respond with comments such as, "Hey, judges are going to hang out with their friends. That's just the way it is, and it's no big deal."

That's not the way it's supposed to be--and it's a very big deal. No one is forced to be a judge; if you can't live up to the standard, don't take the position. No one is forced to remain a judge; if a judge discovers after taking the bench that the standard is too much to bear, then he can resign.

Jack T. Camp, for example, could have said, "You know, I really enjoy snorting drugs with my new stripper friend. She's introduced me to a whole new side of life. God, my wife is so boring, by comparison. And those lap dances . . . man, they are something else! I think I'll step down from the bench tomorrow."

But he didn't do that. He was used to the amenities of his position and didn't want to give them up. In the end, Jack T. Camp became Exhibit A of just how bad our justice system has become.

I have no idea what kind of judge Jack Camp has been. If he is anything like several federal district judges I've witnessed in Birmingham, he's an arrogant piece of crap who regularly cheats certain parties while favoring others--and routinely violates the law while wasting taxpayer dollars. In other words, he's a scoundrel who mocks the idea of justice.

But he almost certainly would never have gotten in trouble for any of that.

It took a stripper, a lap dance, a gun, and a bunch of drugs to bring him down.

Bob Riley's $13-Million Debt Sparked Bingo Arrests in Alabama

Bob Riley

Gov. Bob Riley's desire to avoid paying a $13-million debt helped trigger Monday's bingo-related arrests in Alabama, according to a report from a Washington, D.C.-based investigative journalist.

Riley attempted to unlawfully pay the political debt with public funds, Wayne Madsen reports. But when that failed, the governor pushed U.S. attorney Leura Canary to pursue an indictment against his creditor, gambling magnate Milton McGregor.

McGregor was among 11 individuals that federal authorities arrested on Monday for alleged corruption connected to electronic-bingo measures in the Alabama Legislature. The real reason for the arrests, Madsen reports, is that Riley did not want to pay back McGregor's share of a $15-million political slush fund that had been built for an anticipated 2006 gubernatorial campaign against Democrat Don Siegelman.

Riley's plan to give a $13-million, no-bid computer-services contract to a Virginia-based company called Paragon Source was designed to help pay off McGregor, Madsen reports. But that plan was abandoned when a legislative review committee objected to the contract.

At that point, Riley pushed Canary, a long-time ally, to develop a plan for indicting McGregor. As so often seems to happen in Alabama, the whole seedy affair started over Republican efforts to beat Don Siegelman. From the Wayne Madsen Report (WMR):

Alabama sources report to WMR that Riley was intent on seeing McGregor indicted and jailed in order to welsh on a $13 million debt he owed to McGregor for a political slush fund set up for Riley's 2006 re-election campaign against the favored Democratic candidate, Siegelman. Siegelman's indictment before the election took the former governor out of the race but Riley had already had at his disposal some $15 million in a slush fund, $13 million of which was contributed by McGregor. McGregor was lured into the financial deal when he was told it was for an investment in a lucrative contract to provide machines for the Russian State Lottery. The pass-through company that was bidding for the supposed Russian State Lottery contract was Paragon Gaming, Inc., an entity that was involved in four Indian casinos in Canada and which also had a relationship with the Circus Circus casino in Las Vegas.

As we have reported previously, Homewood attorney Rob Riley (Bob Riley's son) and Birmingham businessman William Cobb "Chip" Hazelrig have been major figures with Paragon Gaming, which is led by Robert Sigler of Tuscaloosa. Reports WMR:

The principals involved in the Paragon Gaming deal with Russia included a member of Riley's immediate family and the family member's best friend who both operated out of an office in Oxford, Alabama. WMR's sources report that the Paragon Gaming "deal" with Russia also involved Dan Gans, the Chief of Staff to Governor-elect and then-Representative Riley, who was also a senior adviser to Riley's 2002 gubernatorial campaign against Siegelman, won by Riley amid charges of election fraud. Gans was also a lobbyist with the Abramoff scandal-plagued Alexander Strategies Group founded by former GOP House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's one-time chief of staff Ed Buckham. In addition, Michael Scanlon, Riley's former congressional press secretary and Capitol Campaign Strategies lobbyist partner of Abramoff who was convicted in the Abramoff scandal, was also reportedly involved in the Russian lottery contract.

However, there never was any Russian State Lottery contract and our sources report it was merely a cover for the creation of Riley's 2006 slush fund to finance his re-election campaign against Siegelman. Bill Canary was Riley's campaign manager in 2006. In 2007, when McGregor asked people close to Riley where his $13 million had gone, he was told "The KGB is looking for it." The KGB had not existed in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. The claim that the money had been stolen by Russia was false.

McGregor, understandably, was not happy about being bilked out of $13 million. That's when Bob Riley came up with the Paragon Source scheme:

Eventually, Riley attempted to make good on his $13 million debt to McGregor when a female friend of Riley's created a firm called Paragon Corporation, which had no employees, listed a cell phone as corporate contact, and essentially operated out of the trunk of Riley's friend's car. Paragon Corporation, according to our sources, was to receive a $13 million contract from Riley that was to be quietly transferred over to Paragon Gaming and back into McGregor's accounts. However, a leak about Paragon Corporation caused the conspirators in the money laundering operation to abandon the deal and McGregor ended up short of his $13 million investment.

Madsen's reporting underscores the breath-taking corruption and hypocrisy at the heart of the Riley administration. In essence, Riley's anti-gambling task force has been nothing but a taxpayer-funded scam designed to help Riley avoid paying his financial obligations--to a casino owner. Perhaps even more breath-taking is the ineptitude of the Barack Obama Department of Justice, under whose nose this charade has taken place.

What really is behind Monday's arrests? It's a Republican political scheme that can only be described as "depraved." Here is how Madsen reports on Riley's actions after the Paragon Source plan fell through:

Riley, instead, opted to see McGregor indicted and sent to prison in order to ensure that the $13 million would never have to be paid back to the casino mogul. Riley's gambling task force operation was a way to force the federal government's hand to indict McGregor with the added bonus of seeing indictments brought against other Riley enemies in the state, including the four members of the Alabama Senate indicted along with McGregor.

Siegelman Case Comes Back to Life With Alabama Arrests--Under Obama

Steve Feaga and Louis Franklin

If the people who voted for Barack Obama in 2008 were sending one central message, it probably went something like this: "Whatever you do, don't act like George W. Bush."

Those voters must feel like they've been stabbed in the back after recent events in Alabama. The Obama Department of Justice arrested 11 individuals on Monday in a gambling-related investigation that has been heavy handed, misguided, politically motivated, and strategically timed to affect an election--all of the attributes we came to expect from the Bush DOJ.

In fact, the Obama operation has striking similarities to the Don Siegelman case, the best-known political prosecution of the Bush era.

One possible difference: The Birmingham News is showing signs of actually practicing some real journalism on the bingo story. More on that in a moment.

Consider just a few obvious similarities between the two cases:

* Both originated in the Middle District of Alabama;

* Both originated under the direction of U.S. attorney Leura Canary, a Bush appointee who inexplicably has remained in officer under Obama;

* Louis Franklin and Stephen Feaga, two of Canary's prime henchmen, have been involved in both cases;

* The U.S. Public Integrity Section, riddled with corruption of its own, has been involved in both cases.

The most intriguing connection, however, comes from the recurring role of Montgomery-based FBI agent Keith Baker. In the Siegelman case, Baker was like Forrest Gump with a badge, showing up in all sorts of places, at all sorts of times. He already has a starring role in the bingo case.

Perhaps the most interesting moment of Monday's arrests came when FBI agents appeared at the home of VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor. A security guard told agents that he thought McGregor was not home, but the agents entered the house, found McGregor, and informed him that he was being arrested.

Surprisingly, that information did not put McGregor into a swell mood, and he reportedly informed one of the agents that he was "making the biggest mistake of his life." That agent was Keith Baker.

You might think that an FBI agent would be used to such comments, especially from people who might have reason to believe they have committed no crime. But Baker apparently considered it a threat, and that's why McGregor now is subject to electronic monitoring. (Memo to Baker: If you are that sensitive to a comment from a 70-year-old grandfather being placed under arrest, perhaps you should find another line of work.)

According to The Birmingham News, McGregor might have had special reason to be unhappy about seeing Baker:

Baker testified that he believed McGregor knew him from a previous investigation. Baker said McGregor was the focus of a murder-for-hire investigation involving McGregor and his then son-in-law, Todd Brown.

McGregor's lawyer, Joe Espy, said Brown is involved in a domestic dispute with his ex-wife, McGregor's daughter.

Espy said McGregor did not threaten the agents this morning.

Let's see if we understand this: Of all the FBI agents on the planet, the DOJ had to send one to McGregor's house who he already had reason to dislike and perhaps distrust? That's positively Bushian. And we're supposed to wonder why McGregor might have mouthed off in a mild fashion?

You might think the Obama DOJ would want to distance itself from anything connected to the Siegelman case. But you would be wrong. Consider the many roles Baker played in that fiasco:

* He was the FBI agent that one juror, the one known as "Flipper," reportedly found attractive and asked if he was married;

* He was one of the FBI agents present for numerous meetings with key prosecution witness Nick Bailey. In a sworn statement, Bailey later said that Baker frequently took notes in those meetings, but published reports indicate those notes and others were never turned over to the defense, as required by law;

* He was the FBI agent who, according to DOJ whistleblower Tamarah Grimes, acknowledged that prosecutor Feaga frequently got creative with facts. As we reported in an earlier post:

Grimes said she was not the only person concerned about prosecutors’ creative approach to the facts of the case:

"I recall one of the investigators, FBI agent Keith Baker, commented on the conduct by saying, 'There is truth, there are facts, and then there are “Feaga facts.'

So we have Baker, now on the bingo case, again working with a prosecutor who he has acknowledged is unethical.

Baker already has been involved in questionable conduct connected to lobbyist Jarrod Massey, one of the 11 people arrested on Monday. Brett Bloomston and Joseph Basgier, Massey's attorneys, filed a complaint with the DOJ back in April about threats and harassment against their client. Keith Baker was one subject of their complaint. (See full letter below.)

The lawyers allege that Baker and others pressured Massey to "cooperate" in order to "save [your] butt." The lawyers also allege that Baker and others made veiled threats regarding Massey's wife and two children.

Anyone who has followed the Siegelman case closely is familiar with these kinds of tactics. But those happened on George W. Bush's watch. This is happening on Barack Obama's watch.

As for The Birmingham News, it (shockingly) showed signs of practicing objective journalism on the bingo story. Reporter Charles Dean identifies the three cooperating individuals who were identified in the indictment as "Legislator 1" (Benjamin Lewis, of Dothan), "Legislator 2" (Scott Beason, of Gardendale). and "Legislator 3" (Barry Mask, of Wetumpka). All are Republicans.

The News reports that Lewis could be a problem for prosecutors because his opposition to bingo and role in the investigation apparently helped land him a judicial appointment from Gov. Bob Riley. Writes Dean:

Lewis is of special interest to defense lawyers, who believe he is exhibit 1 in their contention that Monday's indictments smack of partisan politics, and that, if the feds believe McGregor and Gilley offered money and jobs for a yes vote on gambling, then Riley is no less guilty because he did the same for Lewis.

Less than two months after he appeared before a federal grand jury investigating the vote-buying allegations, Lewis was appointed to a district judgeship in Houston County by Riley.

Did the Obama DOJ investigate the connections between Lewis and Riley? Did the FBI conduct wiretaps or check computer records to see if Lewis was offered a quid pro quo? Did the FBI investigate any of the legislators who voted no on electronic bingo and what they might have been offered in exchange for their votes?

The answer to all of those questions appears to be no. And that raises serious constitutional issues that defense lawyers are sure to raise. And it raises enormous questions about the fundamental integrity of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Again, this sounds an awful lot like the Siegelman case. But it's happening on Barack Obama's watch.

And that's a disgrace.



Brett Bloomston Letter

A Long-Time Friend Stands Up for Ralph Stacy

Ralph Stacy

The Alabama press has been remarkably silent since the mysterious death of business advocate Ralph Stacy on September 14. The Montgomery Advertiser did one sketchy story, hinting that Stacy died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the Business Council of Alabama headquarters, where he worked as a senior vice president. We've seen no followup reporting in any media outlet.

Multiple sources tell Legal Schnauzer that a shotgun, apparently belonging to Stacy, was involved in his death. A man takes a shotgun to work with the intention of killing himself? That seems like an unusual scenario, but the Alabama press is not the least bit curious about it.

Michael Rich, of Waynesville, North Carolina, knew Stacy for many years. He was bothered by his friend's death and wondered about the lack of coverage in Montgomery. So he wrote a letter to Wanda Lloyd, editor of the Montgomery Advertiser.

Curiously, the newspaper did not see fit to run Rich's letter. But we will run it here at Legal Schnauzer. The letter is well written and raises serious questions about Ralph Stacy's death and the state of journalism in Alabama:

Dear Editor,

I read with sadness of the death of an old college friend in the online version of the Montgomery Advertiser last week.

I have regularly looked at the online version of the paper (I live in North Carolina and I am not able to get the print version) since then and I have yet to see a follow-up to the original article. Having a journalism background, I was surprised to read this statement in the article, and now a week later, there has been no follow-up that I can observe: 

"Montgomery police declined to discuss details of Stacy's death, but Maj. Huey Thornton confirmed police responded Tuesday to BCA headquarters to investigate a self-inflicted gunshot wound."

Have the police ruled Stacy's death to be a suicide or not? Has a coroner declared that his death was self-inflicted? Is there an ongoing investigation of the situation by law enforcement? Did the weapon belong to Stacy? Were there any irregularities in this case that would lead the police to refuse further comment? Was there a suicide note or had he spoken with friends or family about suicide in recent days? Had he exhibited any signs of depression, stress in the days leading up to the death?

I was a college friend of Ralph Stacy, and had been in touch with him by email and through Facebook since the beginning of this year. We exchanged books and written notes in the spring, and I can say that I knew something about the character of Ralph Stacy. Suicide was not an option for him nor in his value system. This was a guy who lived for challenges and overcoming obstacles. It came as a complete surprise to all who knew him and those who commented in your paper, yet there is no follow-up to the story?

I would appreciate seeing some serious journalism taking place in the midst of a high profile death.


Sincerely,

Michael Rich
Waynesville, NC

How did the Montgomery Advertiser respond to Rich's letter. More on that coming up.

Alabama Arrests Mark a Dismal Episode for the Obama DOJ

Lanny Breuer

A charitable grader might have given the Obama Department of Justice a "D" roughly 20 months into the administration. But that grade surely would fall to an "F" after yesterday's arrests of 11 individuals connected to an investigation of gambling-related activities in the Alabama Legislature.

How bad does the Obama DOJ look in all of this? Let us count the ways. The investigation was initiated by two of the most corrupt U.S. attorneys from the George W. Bush era. The prosecution team includes at least four prosecutors who have been involved in dubious cases. The indictments clearly were timed to have an impact on the November elections. To top it off, U.S. Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL), an Obama buddy, piped up and revealed himself to be even more of a weasel than we already thought he was.

Most importantly, however, the investigation covered only one side of a two-pronged controversy, and DOJ officials flatly lied to the public about the scope of their handiwork.

In short, yesterday's charade in Alabama almost makes you yearn for the good old days of the Bush administration. At least you expected them to act like crooks--and were rarely disappointed. But what is Team Obama thinking? The federal anti-gambling probe in Alabama has been positively Rovian in its execution. And that's about as shameful as it can get.

Yesterday's arrests were the culmination of a two-year campaign, led by Governor Bob Riley, to make sure that Alabama does not have taxed and regulated gambling. The evidence is overwhelming that Riley is trying to protect the market share of Mississippi Choctaw gaming interests who funneled some $13 million into Alabama to help Riley beat Don Siegelman in 2002.

That money reportedly was funneled through GOP felons Jack Abramoff and Michael Scanlon. But did the Obama DOJ look into that side of the equation? Evidently not. And one can only conclude that side of the story was ignored for political reasons. In fact, it appears political considerations are the whole reason the Obama DOJ has inexplicably left Bush holdover Leura Canary as U.S. attorney in the Middle District of Alabama. (Canary's Bush-appointed buddy, Alice Martin, initiated this probe before leaving office in the Northern District of Alabama.)

To be sure, the 65-page indictment that was unsealed yesterday includes plenty of information that appears to be damaging to the state senators, lobbyists, and casino figures who were arrested. As TPM Muckraker reports, the indictment includes snippets of phone conversations that include salty language and talk of highly questionable actions by some parties. It's certainly possible that pro-gambling forces committed criminal acts.

But what about the anti-gambling forces? Did anyone wear a wire around Riley or his associates? Did anyone listen in on their phone conversations, track their phone records, or check their e-mail accounts? To a great extent, this controversy started when Riley took it upon himself to initiate raids on gambling facilities, actions that he did not have authority to take under Alabama law at the time. On whose behalf was Riley acting? Who was pulling his strings?

Did anyone in the Obama DOJ even consider these questions, much less ask them? Apparently not.

While the indictment looks bad for some of the defendants, consider the "all star" prosecution team that has been gathered for this enterprise. It includes Brenda Morris, who is being investigated for her role in the botched Ted Stevens case in Alaska. It includes Louis Franklin and Stephen Feaga, who are infamous for their many questionable actions in the Don Siegelman case in Alabama. And it includes Peter Ainsworth, who was involved in the Paul Minor fiasco in Mississippi.

The U.S. Public Integrity Section (PIN), which has become a cesspool of corruption itself, is at the heart of the Alabama bingo case. Multiple PIN lawyers are under investigation for misconduct in the Stevens case, and one of its members recently committed suicide as the findings were nearing a release. In other words, a corrupt organization has been assigned to investigation corruption in Alabama. That, folks, is how our justice system actually "works."

USA Today already is generating a multi-part series on prosecutorial misconduct in the DOJ. The reporters on that series might want to send a special unit to check out the dubious crowd on the Alabama bingo case.

Want hard evidence that this investigation was a sham? In early May, we reported that former Riley insider Bill Johnson had written a letter to Canary, asking to testify before the grand jury about the governor's anti-gambling activities. Here is part of Johnson's letter, which focused on the early days of the Riley regime:

During the governor’s 2002 campaign, I was personally told by the governor’s former chief of staff and then campaign staffer that he was in charge of managing million of dollars in campaign contributions from Mississippi Choctaw Indian casino operators. I voluntarily took and passed a polygraph examination on this information.

Paul Camp, an Alabama media consultant working for Mississippi Indian casino interests (and who has since filed an affidavit) told me that, with the election of Governor Riley in 2003, the Mississippi Choctaws said they “now own Alabama.”

Then Johnson focuses on much more recent events:

In February and March 2010, $342,000 of funds raised by Gov. Riley and the Alabama Republican Party for “Campaign 2010,” raised for the stated purpose of electing candidates, went instead to fund anti-gambling initiatives in the 2010 legislative session.

Additionally, you should investigate “Campaign 2010” and the possible use of these unreported campaign contributions to threaten or entice legislators relative to opposing gaming legislation in the 2010 legislative session; be especially vigilant of any “loan repayments” post the June 1 primary.

Johnson goes on to give the names of more than a dozen Riley associates who should be called to testify and provide documents related to the gambling probe. (You can read Johnson's letter at the end of this post.)

Did Leura Canary and the Obama DOJ allow Johnson to testify? Apparently not. Did they call any of the Riley associates or seek documents from any of them? Apparently not.

Assistant U.S. Attorney General Lanny Breuer said the bingo scheme was "astonishing in its scope." It's ironic that Breuer would say that because his team only investigated half of the potential problem--probably the less criminal half.

And then Breuer proceeded to tell a flat-out lie to the American People:

I have said before that we will follow the facts where they lead and root out corruption wherever we find it.

Well, Bill Johnson provided all kinds of leads about wrongdoing connected to Gov. Bob Riley, and Breuer's bunch apparently did not follow those facts at all. In other words, Lanny Breuer is not a whole lot better than Bush toady Alberto Gonzalez.

Finally, we have Artur Davis, who just one day earlier had indicated he was pretty much through with Alabama politics. But Davis could not resist releasing this gem of a statement:

"Once again, the State of Alabama is the subject of an embarrassing spectacle that only confirms the worst suspicions about Alabama politics. The indictments announced today are a sad commentary on the grip that gambling interests have on Alabama politics and the extent to which they have sought to corrupt this year's elections.

"Any candidate for high office this year, including my party's candidates for Governor and Attorney General, need to do the right thing and return any contributions they have received from any of the defendants named today," Davis said. "Voters who are wrestling with their choices will be watching to see if the people who would lead our state have the independence and the integrity to separate themselves from corruption."

Davis apparently is unfamiliar with the concept that a government indictment does not make a person guilty of anything--and therefore no candidates have any reason to return campaign funds. Davis says voters will be looking to see if candidates have the "integrity to separate themselves from corruption." Again, this is an indictment, produced by a department that itself faces charges of corruption. It hardly is proof of wrongdoing on anyone's part.

But enough about Artur Davis, who should be barely a blip on the political radar. The major issue, one day after the Alabama bingo arrests, is this: Bill Johnson gave investigators plenty of leads about wrongdoing connected to Bob Riley and virtually begged to testify for the grand jury. His testimony apparently was not allowed, and his leads apparently were not followed.

On top of that, as we reported on September 8, a source told us these indictments in the bingo case were coming on October 1 in order to affect the November elections. Our source hit the date right on the nose.

All of that should cast serious doubt on the integrity of this investigation. And it makes the Obama DOJ look like a reprise of the Bush years. How's that for "change we can believe in"?


Bill Johnson Canary Letter

Leura Canary's "October Surprise" Becomes Reality

Milton McGregor

We reported on September 8 that Leura Canary, U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Alabama, was planning to indict a number of legislators and casino operators as an "October Surprise" designed to affect the November election.

That prediction became reality with news that an indictment of 11 individuals was issued this morning, and the FBI began making arrests. VictoryLand casino owner Milton McGregor, four state senators, and several lobbyists were among those indicted.

Canary, a holdover from the George W. Bush administration, has served under President Barack Obama for more than 20 months. She was a central figure in the political prosecution of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman. Her husband, Business Council of Alabama President Bill Canary, is a close associate of Karl Rove.

The U.S. Justice Department is spinning today's actions as a legitimate probe focused on corruption connected to gambling legislation. But our sources have been saying for weeks that it is designed to affect the November elections. Polls show Republican Robert Bentley already leading Democrat Ron Sparks in the race for governor, and the arrests could help the GOP take over one or both houses of the Alabama Legislature, a long-stated goal of outgoing governor Bob Riley.

Reports the Montgomery Advertiser:

The indictment, which has 11 defendants, was released Monday as FBI agents made arrests at several locations across Alabama.

It accuses the casino owners and statehouse figures of conspiring to make payments and campaign donations to affect "pro-gambling legislation."

VictoryLand casino owner Milton McGregor was among those indicted. His casino, now shut down, has more than 6,000 electronic bingo machines. Also indicted was Country Crossing casino developer Ronnie Gilley of Dothan and state Sens. Harri Anne Smith of Slocomb, James Prueitt of Talladega, Larry Means of Gadsden and Quinton Ross Jr. of Montgomery.

Our source said the indictments were scheduled for around October 1, and that date proved to be right on target. The indictments are dated last Friday, October 1, but were not announced until today, as arrests were being made.

The Justice Department, in a statement, said the accused acted "in a conspiracy to offer and bribe legislators for their votes and influence on proposed legislation." Writes the Advertiser:

Also indicted were lobbyists Tom Coker and Bob Geddie, who represent VictoryLand; lobbyist Jarrod Massey and public relations executive Jay Walker, who represent Country Crossing; and Ray Crosby, an attorney for the Legislature who helped write gambling legislation.

The Justice Department said the indictment "alleges that Sen. Means, who had abstained from an earlier vote on the pro-gambling legislation in 2010, solicited bribes from McGregor, Gilley, Massey and others, and, in one specific instance, sought $100,000 in return for voting in favor of the legislation."

The indictments resulted from a federal grand jury investigation in Montgomery.

The probe was announced last spring prior to the final votes on the bill, which died when sponsors could not line up the necessary votes for passage. Backers of the bill, mostly Democrats, accused Republican Gov. Bob Riley's administration of derailing the measure with the announcement of the probe. While Riley's state public safety director was involved with the announcement, federal authorities said the Justice Department was handling the investigation.

Means and Ross are Democrats, Pruett is a Republican, and Smith is an Independent. That appears to be a relatively bipartisan target list. But there is little doubt that Canary and her prosecutors went after Democrats and others who oppose Gov. Riley and his efforts to shut down gaming in Alabama. As we reported on September 8:

Our source, who has close ties to the Alabama legal community, says the plan is set to take flight around October 1 and might include an indictment of Ron Sparks, the Democratic candidate for governor. In other words, plans for a political prosecution that is designed to affect the outcome of an election might be taking place right under the Obama administration's nose.

So far, there is no word of an indictment on Sparks. But what does all of this say about the Obama administration? It already had a dreadful record on justice issues. And yet it backs a process where neither Gov. Riley nor any of his conservative backers who opposed gambling were apparently even investigated. We've seen no sign of a probe into the $13 million in Mississippi gaming money that reportedly was spent to help get Riley elected in 2002. Canary seems to have focused only on pro-gambling individuals, who tend to be Democrats or Riley critics.

And here is the huge question: Why is Leura Canary still in office in the first place?

What is this "investigation" all about? It looks like a thinly veiled effort to pay back Riley's Mississippi gaming supporters--who reportedly laundered money through Jack Abramoff, Michael Scanlon, and Ralph Reed--by shutting down competition in Alabama.

The George W. Bush Department of Justice (DOJ) was a nightmare. But this happened today on Barack Obama's watch. That can only be described as shameful.

Artur Davis Is Gone--And We Hope He's Never Coming Back

Artur Davis on election night

U.S. Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL) is winding down his Congressional career as he prepares to become a white-collar criminal defense lawyer in Virginia. In what could be called a farewell interview with The Birmingham News, Davis indicates he probably will not return to political life in Alabama.

We have two reactions--"good" and "good riddance."

After getting trounced by Ron Sparks in the Democratic primary for governor, Davis showed that he is both a weak candidate and a sore loser. In his latest interview, he reveals that he apparently isn't all that smart.

Even Davis' most harsh critics have tended to admit that he is a bright guy. But after reading the new interview with reporter Mary Orndorff, we're not so sure about that anymore. Smart people usually learn from their mistakes--especially huge, public mistakes. But Davis sounds as if he has learned nothing from his crash-and-burn campaign for governor.

In fact, Davis seems to have so many sour grapes in his mouth, you wonder how Orndorff could understand a word he said. He predicts that Sparks will lose to Republican Robert Bentley in November. He says Republicans have a "very good chance" of taking over both houses of the Alabama Legislature. And without directly saying it, he seems to imply that such outcomes would have been unthinkable if voters had only recognized the brilliance of . . . Artur "Superman" Davis.

One, or both, of Davis' predictions might come true. But we see no reason to think Artur Davis was the answer to Democrats' problems in Alabama--or anywhere else.

Orndorff fills us in on "Dr. Davis" prescription. And what a hoot it is:

He has two specific warnings for his home-state party. One, he said, it's close to becoming the party that believes only in bingo, represents two or three interest groups and, banging on his Capitol Hill desk for emphasis, "offers the same defeated solutions over and over again and somehow expects to convince a new set of voters on the next go-round."

And what "solutions" was Davis offering? Why, he chose to cozy up to the Business Council of Alabama and other corporate interests while repeatedly shunning Alabama's progressive base. As Dr. Phil would say, "And how . . . is that . . . working out . . . for you?"

As Artur Davis still examines the wreckage of his political career, he might ponder a few news events from the past eight to 10 years:

* America is hit with a series of business scandals--Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, and Global Crossing, to name a few;

* America's economy almost collapses when greed and lax regulation cause a crisis in the mortgage industry;

* Gross mismanagement forces bailouts for America's banking and automotive industries;

* Corporate interests, using possibly criminal techniques, buy up state courts and help corrupt the federal justice system from one coast to the other.

This is just a "starter list" of corporate wrongdoing over the past decade. But Artur Davis' answer is to jump in bed with people like Bill Canary, president of the Business Council of Alabama (BCA) and a strong ally of Tom Donohue and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce?

Here is something to ponder, Artur: Alabama business advocate Ralph Stacy, by all accounts a good and decent man, made the mistake earlier this year of jumping in bed with Canary and Donohue. Roughly two weeks ago, Mr. Stacy died from a supposedly self-inflicted gunshot wound at BCA headquarters, in a mystery that the Alabama press and law enforcement seemingly are working overtime NOT to unravel.

I've heard from a number of Mr. Stacy's friends who say they do not believe for a minute that he committed suicide. On top of that, the Montgomery Advertiser has failed to do any serious reporting on an important story that took place in its backyard? Why is that? And you think we need to put more trust in people like Bill Canary and Tom Donohue?

Finally, Davis blames his loss partly on his role in helping to pick federal nominees for the Obama administration. Writes Orndorff:

Davis described the second "untold" story of his loss. After Obama won the White House, those organizations and the Alabama Democratic Party wanted a role in deciding whom to recommend for federal appointments around the state, the classic patronage spoil for the victor. Davis, however, came up with his own selection process, one that was not based inside the party. And then Davis' picks were more often heeded by the White House than the party's.

Get a load of this quote from Davis:

"For the U.S. attorney position in Montgomery, there were some in the Democratic Party who wanted that to be filled by someone who would lay hands off the Democratic Party," Davis said. "I was agnostic about who filled the positions but I wanted a process in place to produce candidates who were Democrats but who were merit-based, selected based on their legal ability."

With Davis largely at the helm, what do we have in terms of federal appointees? Well, Bush lackey Leura Canary still is U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Alabama. Joyce White Vance holds office in the Northern District, where she has done little but protect and cover up for her corrupt predecessor, Alice Martin. And I have seen evidence that one Obama nominee to the federal bench, chosen with Davis' help, is little more than a toady for corrupt corporate interests. The notion that these people were chosen for their "legal ability" makes me want to guffaw.

In short, Davis' handling of the federal-nominations process in Alabama has been an unmitigated disaster.

Orndorff leave us with this thought about Davis' future:

He left Alabama for college, returned, and is now leaving it again for a career as a white-collar criminal defense attorney. He may or may not be back.

"If I see evidence that, either because of the way people react to this election or another combination of reasons, that there has been fundamental change in leadership and direction of the Democratic Party in Alabama and it's still in my heart to serve the state, then I'll make some phone calls," Davis said.

His bottom line?

"Simply because you lose doesn't mean you're wrong."

Artur, you lost--and you were wrong. Do us all a favor: Find a comfy place to live in Virginia, lick your wounds, and stay the hell away from Alabama--at least our political world. We have plenty of corporate suck-ups down here. We don't need another one.