Larry Langford federal corruption trial

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The Larry Langford federal corruption trial (formally United States of America v. Larry P. Langford) is a federal trial resulting from a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation of Jefferson County's series of bond swaps between 2003 and 2006.

On April 30, 2008 SEC attorneys accused former Jefferson County Commission president Larry Langford of violating federal securities laws in his dealings with Al LaPierre and William B. Blount while he was a member of the Commission. The suit claims that Langford accepted more than $150,000 in money and benefits from the two in exchange for steering the county's bond business to Blount's firm.

On December 1 Langford was arrested at his office at Birmingham Budweiser by FBI agents. The 101-count indictment accused him of accepting bribes from Al LaPierre and William Blount in June 2003, while serving as president of the County Commission. He is also accused of engaging in a conspiracy with the other defendants to enable and conceal the alleged bribes. Additional counts allege that mail and wire fraud were committed in the furtherance of the conspiracy and that Langford falsified his income tax returns.

Langford, who is named in 60 counts, pleaded not guilty and was released on a $50,000 bond and required to stay within the Northern Judicial District of Alabama. In March 2009 an official with the Environmental Protection Agency placed Langford's name on the "Excluded Parties List", meaning that he is barred from conducting official business with federal agencies. He requested that the Birmingham City Council allow department heads to sign contracts with federal agencies on behalf of the city.

Langford's trial was postponed to August 25, 2009 to give his attorneys enough time to review evidence. The trial was postponed again to October 19 and moved to Tuscaloosa Federal Court after both LaPierre and Blount made plea deals with prosecutors. On the eve of the trial a prayer vigil was held outside Birmingham City Hall. Organized by Frank Matthews, it was led by Reverend Calvin Woods who told the small crowd of supporters and onlookers that Langford was "anointed from God to lead this city."

Proceedings

  • October 19: Jury selection was completed. Oral motions by the defense for a change of venue and to sequester the jury were denied.
  • October 20: The prosecution and defense made opening statements. Prosecutor George Martin outlined the 60 counts in the indictment and introduced the case that Langford openly practiced a "pay to play" scheme, accepting expensive gifts from Blount in order to ensure that suspect financial deals being negotiated with Wall Street financiers would provide him lucrative benefits. The defense portrayed Blount as a manipulator who preyed on Langford's weakness for expensive clothes, his distaste for the details of financial management, and his innocent desire to lower costs for sewer ratepayers. The court heard testimony from Remon Danforah that Blount paid off Langford's accounts at Remon's and from Steve Sayler that Langford understood the types of deals being negotiated.
  • October 21: Sayler's testimony continued, detailing the procedure for drafting and approving agreements, but indicating he had little knowledge of Blount's role or payments to him. Langford's secretary Terri Hatcher and various clothiers testified about Langford's New York shopping habits and a banker from Lehman Brothers testified that Blount had claimed to control three votes on the Jefferson County Commission.

References

  • Wolfson, Hannah (December 19, 2007) "Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford believes he's the target of a federal criminal investigation." Birmingham News
  • Walton, Val (December 1, 2008) "Feds unseal 101-count indictment charging Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford, William Blount and Al LaPierre." Birmingham News
  • Gordon, Robert K. (August 21, 2009) "Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford's trial moved to Tuscaloosa, delayed." Birmingham News
  • Hubbard, Russell (October 18, 2009) "Larry Langford trial: Mayor, federal prosecutors square off over bribery charges." Birmingham News
  • Dean, Chuck (October 18, 2009) "Larry Langford trial: Vigil for mayor ends with prayers." Birmingham News
  • Whitmire, Kyle (October 20, 2009) "High stakes and cheapskates" Birmingham Weekly

External links

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