27 convictions in Operation Lost Trust
The truth -- on tape for all to see here in South Carolina in the late 90's.
The recent plea bargan from a lobbyist may lead to some convictions or guilty pleas.
It remains to be seen if there will be any connection, or quid pro quo as was documented here.
A refreshing change came to our legislature here as some legislators sold their influence directly for as little as $ 1,500.
posted by Chief RZ @ 5.1.06
5 Comments:
It seems that "certain people" are trying to expunge these facts from our state. Before they are completely deleted, I wil now document these shameful persons and their lack of integrity to those who elected them.
Mr. DuTremble described his practice over the past five years as 10% civil and 90% criminal.
Mr. DuTremble provided the Joint Committee with five of his most significant litigated matters which he described as follows:
(a) U.S. v. Polowichak, 783 F.2d 410 (4th Cir. 1985), largest seizure of marijuana in S.C. history.
(b) U.S. v. Henry Hamilton, 850 F.2d 1038 (4th Cir. 1988), largest heroin ring in Charleston.
(c) U.S. v. Luther Taylor, 993 F.2d 382 (4th Cir. 1993), first conviction at trial in Operation Lost Trust.
http://www.scstatehouse.net/sess111_1995-1996/hj96/19960514.htm
JUDGE WON'T FLINCH FROM LOST TRUST FIGHT AS NEW TRIALS LOOM, HAWKINS HOLDS FIRM
When South Carolina lawmakers were charged three years ago in Operation Lost Trust with selling their votes and the public's trust, the job of presiding over the trials wasn't exactly coveted. There was the promise of crooked and powerful politicians, sleazy lobbyists, aggressive prosecutors, scrutinizing defense attorneys and lots and lots of pushy reporters. The cases have proven controversial and laborious for U.S. District Judge Falcon Hawkins, who took them...
HIGH COURT REPRIMANDS LOST TRUST JUDGE, RULING DEPLORES ATTITUDE OF FERGUSON TOWARD DUTIES
Ex-judge and lawmaker Tee Ferguson, in federal prison for selling his legislative vote, got the worst punishment state law allows a wayward judge when the state Supreme Court publicly reprimanded him Monday. The reprimand came more than a year after Ferguson was sentenced to 33 months on drug and corruption charges that he contended were a racist ploy to keep a black man from being a judge. It took the state's highest court that long to act because it had no precedent to...
State - August 19, 1993 - 1B METRO/REGION
3 LOST TRUST DEFENDANTS INDICTED AGAIN EX-REPRESENTATIVES FACE REPEAT CHARGES OF SELLING THEIR VOTES
A federal grand jury Wednesday issued a new indictment charging former Democratic Reps. Luther Taylor, Larry Blanding and B.J. Gordon with selling their votes in the 1990 Operation Lost Trust. The indictment, which had been expected, contains the same charges as the original indictments under which the three men were convicted in 1990 and 1991. But unlike the first time, federal prosecutors want to try all three at once. Last time, Taylor was indicted and tried separately from Blanding...
LOBBYIST SENTENCED IN STING, LEE GETS PROBATION, FINE ON DRUG CHARGE
A lobbyist who helped build criminal cases against more than a dozen government figures in Operation Lost Trust was sentenced Monday to three years' probation and a $2,500 fine for possessing marijuana. James Randal Lee, 38, also will have to perform 150 hours of community service. His is one of the lightest sentences yet imposed in the massive sting operation, which led to drug or corruption charges against 28 people with ties to South Carolina government. But federal...
State - August 28, 1991 - 1A METRO/REGION
JURY FINDS BAILEY GUILTY OF SELLING VOTE
A federal jury in Columbia took less than 90 minutes Tuesday to convict Orangeburg Rep. Ken Bailey of selling his vote, making him the 16th lawmaker successfully prosecuted in Operation Lost Trust. As he had throughout the six-day trial, Bailey sat with hands clasped in his lap when the verdict was delivered. He and his wife, Ida, their arms wrapped around each other, walked silently from the courthouse. House Speaker Bob Sheheen, D-Kershaw, said he will declare Bailey's...
JURY FINDS DERRICK GUILTY
Paul Derrick was stunned Saturday when a federal jury decided he accepted $1,000 in cash from a lobbyist working with the FBI in its State House sting. The suspended House member gulped as he watched jurors leave the courtroom after a clerk announced the verdict, reached after two hours of deliberation. Derrick, a Lexington Republican, said little outside the courtroom. "I'm sorry. I'm not commenting," the 43-year-old optometrist said. ...
GUILTY PLEA ENDS ROGERS' BATTLE TO SURVIVE STING EX-SPEAKER PRO TEM ADMITS RACKETEERING
The man who once held the second most powerful position in the state House of Representatives pleaded guilty Wednesday to a racketeering charge stemming from the FBI's investigation of corrupt legislators. Former House Speaker Pro Tem John I. "Jack" Rogers' admission that he was guilty of racketeering was the most serious charge any legislator has been convicted of during the FBI's investigation of vote-selling in the State...
State - October 30, 1990 - 1A METRO/REGION
15 MORE MIGHT BE INDICTED HOLLINGS DISCUSSES CORRUPTION CASES
Federal prosecutors plan to indict as many as 15 more state legislators in the FBI investigation of State House corruption, U.S. Sen. Ernest Hollings, D- S.C., said Monday. Hollings said U.S. Attorney Bart Daniel has told him that a federal grand jury should indict five lawmakers in both November and December and possibly another five in January. Asked about possible indictments after January, he said, "I don't know. Just what I hear from the U.S. attorney, Bart...
State - August 26, 1990 - 1A METRO/REGION
FIRST INDICTMENTS ARE TIP OF ICEBERG
Judging from what federal prosecutors and FBI agents had to say Friday, South Carolina hasn't seen anything yet. In the weeks and months to come, there will be more grand jury meetings, more indictments, arraignments, pleas and probably even some lengthy trials. More legislators will undoubtedly fall to Operation Lost Trust. And it's entirely possible that even some non-elected officials and others will be caught up in the largest investigation of public...
The above took me almost an hour. The reader can investigate on his own. The State provides lead stories free, but wants a fee for the complete story. You can find The State's Archives here:
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/archives/
Do you know if the Operation Lost Trust FBI tapes of Ron Goss (?) (the FBI plant) would be available through the Public Information Act?
Not really, perhaps you can find this information.
My post is about corrupt politicians, all but one were Democrats who sold their votes for gambling interests as well as the public's trust.
do you have the tapes archived>
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