Posted on 06/20/2006 6:34:23 PM PDT by GailA
http://www.wrecradio.com/cc-common/mainheadlines2.html?feed=118786&article=524931
Another Tennessee Waltz Indictment
Hooks Jr. indicted, joins father as defendant in Tennessee Waltz.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Former Memphis city school board member Michael Hooks Jr. became the 11th person indicted in the public corruption investigation known as Tennessee Waltz.
His father, Shelby County Commission Chairman Michael Hooks Sr., has already been indicted on charges he took bribes from undercover FBI agents.
Hooks Jr., whose great uncle was the civil rights pioneer and NAACP executive director Benjamin Hooks, was indicted Tuesday on four counts, including embezzlement, impeding an investigation and lying to FBI agents.
The indictment says Hooks and two unindicted co-conspirators fraudulently obtained property worth $5,000 or more from the Shelby County Juvenile Court clerk's office in 2001.
Hooks Jr. announced in October that he was leaving the school board to earn a master's degree in business and to spend more time with his family. He had served on the board for seven years.
He also was known for having a small part as a prison official in ``Hustle & Flow,'' a movie about a small-time Memphis pimp and drug dealer who wants to be a rapper.
The Tennessee Waltz investigation led to the arrest of five sitting or former state lawmakers in 2005.
The lawmakers were charged with taking bribes from undercover agents in exchange for promoting legislation to help a bogus computer recycling company created by the FBI.
One of the five, Republican Chris Newton, is serving a year in prison after pleading guilty and resigning his House seat. Another lawmaker, Democrat Roscoe Dixon, was convicted at trial earlier this month.
The other three are awaiting trial, including former Sen. John Ford, a member of one of the state's leading political families.
He's a DEMOCRAT? Who knew?!?!?! It's certainly not in the article.
Isn't it GREAT living in Memphis? The politics in this town sucks to the max. Like father, like son. So far, the race card hasn't been played. But, as you know, it won't take long for that to happen. This, on top of the FedEx Forum parking garage scandal. No one can tell me King Willie didn't know about this. He is dirtier than a cesspool. The one sight I would love to see is King Willie being lead out of City Hall in handcuffs.
There are way too many political machines here. Herenton, Ford, Hooks, etc.. My wife and I can't wait to get out of here and leave it to the scum that "leads" the city. Hooks has already said there was no wrongdoing on his part. RRRRRIIIIIIIGGGGGHHHHHTTTTT! Famous last words. Desoto County looks better all the time.
Newton is THE Republican caught in the Tennessee Waltz.
Seems to me that the further East one gets to live in Tennessee the more conservative the surrounding voters seem to be. Appalachian jokes must abound among those who consider Tennessee "fly-over country".
I've observed the Nashville FBI during their comings and goings doing security for their building last year, speaking informally, and noted how bringing up Tennessee Waltz always evoked an upbeat and positive attitude out of most of the agents. Someone large seems to have put them on the scent...
"Newton is THE Republican caught in the Tennessee Waltz."
But they're all equally corrupt, donchaknow.
I would put the /sarcasm there, but after the Coburn amendment to kill the 'bridge to nowhere' failed something like 80-15, I'm not sure whether it's funny any more.
The further from Memphis you mean. We here in Shelby Co get out voted on everything by the largest city in our county. We get stuck with their corrupt politicians, and the price tag for it. All because they haven't the sense the good Lord gave a goose to vote the crooks out.
More rat corruption? Wow now WHO would believe that?
I am hoping that our "esteemed" mayor, King Willie Herenton, is involved in the Tennessee Waltz. As I have said earlier, nothing would make me happier than to be waiting to get on an elevator at city hall, have the door open, and see hiz honor surrounded by dark suited types and a jacket covering Willies handcuffed hands. If and when that occurs, the speed of that news getting around city hall will be faster than any computer virus known. Yeah, the moment you leave the limits of both Memphis and Shelby County, your outlook towards life takes an imediate upswing. Nashville seems like it has its act together. Same for Knoxville, Chattanooga, and everywhere else that isn't in Shelby County. The machine politics in this burg is proving to be its undoing. When Herenton leaves office, it will take decades to clean up the mess he's left. As school superintendent, he ruined the school system that is still trying to recover from his reign.
" This is total racism. I am innocent. "
" Look, I had 90 large ones in my freezer because, as a compassionate and tolerant Democrat, I was helping out a distinguished foreign dignitary."
"What happened was I got an email from Nigerian General Kachinga Cheatchusuckah, who had a problem."
" When Gen Cheatchusuckah transfers Idi Amin's secret Ugandan gold reserves
from a Swiss bank vault to a refrigerated truck I leased, it will all make sense."
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