Posted by Catching up in a busy week...
Birmingham Mayoral runner-up Patrick Cooper this week dropped his legal challenge to Larry Langford’s election in October. The state Supreme Court was slated to hear the challenge that Langford did not meet the residency requirements to appear on the ballot. Two months ago an elections lawyer told us that in the unlikely event that Cooper won the challenge, there was “no chance” Langford would be disqualified from a subsequent do-over if he met the requirements by then – which he would, of course.
Langford said this week that he believes he is the target of a criminal investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission. I guess their subpoena of all those financial records of his back in August might have been a tip-off.
Langford went down to Miami last week to not testify to the SEC. That is to say that he (and Bill Blount) answered a subpoena by appearing but claimed some unspecified legal privilege that excused them from answering questions. But it was not the Fifth Amendment. No, no, they were not claiming protection under the Fifth Amendment.
It led to goofy exchanges between attorneys for both sides, with the SEC at one point asking if Blount’s lawyer Bill Baxley was arguing protection under the Constitution’s Second Amendment. “All of them,” Baxley responded.
Obviously – and Langford’s lawyer Mike Rasmussen made this clear – neither, in answering specific questions, wanted to invoke his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination. “And there’s nothing the press or his political enemies would like more than to say Larry Langford took the Fifth, all right?” Rasmussen said.
This may be supplanting the story that Jefferson County could have two commissioners claiming one seat as the current Parlor favorite to watch in Alabama local politics.
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Jesse Lewis, Sr’s column in the Birmingham Times today might be a taste of whats to come.
While there are some parts that were written tongue in cheek, it makes interesting reading.
Jesse Lewis Sr. has developed a very thoughtful, comprehensive, and workable strategic plan. The plan has insightful and useful recommendations that if implemented would greatly benefit the city of Birmingham and it’s neighbors. I hope the ideas put forth are a preview of “things to come”. The “media pundits” and the “naysayers” need to decide if they want to be part of the problem or part of the solution for the city of Birmingham.