Dale Russell’s interview with speaker’s ex is a coup, but keep your eye on those e-mails
That Dale Russell of Fox 5 snagged an interview with the ex-wife of House Speaker Glenn Richardson is news, of course.
Susan Richardson said her husband’s attempt at suicide was an effort to “guilt” her back into their marriage.
But the real impact of the piece above is the fact that Russell now has copies of e-mails between Richardson and the AGL lobbyist with whom the speaker was once accused of having an affair – while the Legislature was considering a bill to ease construction of a natural gas pipeline.
The relationship with the woman became the topic of an ethics complaint filed by Democrats in 2007. Richardson called it manufactured “poison,” and the complaint was dismissed.
E-mails handed over by the former Mrs. Richardson indicate the relationship with the lobbyist was real. Expect that ethics complaint to be re-filed, once the new e-mails have circulated.
For instant updates, follow me on Twitter.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Guides
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2011 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
22 comments Add your comment
Green green
December 1st, 2009
8:15 am
When will house ethics committee meet?
Churchill's MOM
December 1st, 2009
8:16 am
I am a life long Republican and I can tell you Glen Richardson does NOT represent my husband’s or my values. The Republicans in South Carolina are impeaching their Governor for doing less than Richardson has done. As a native Georgian I hate to see South Carolina get ahead of Georgia.
Sick of it all
December 1st, 2009
8:27 am
People are going to start realizing that neither party is working for their interests. They are in the interest of spending our money as fast as they can, then asking to be reelected.
We don’t need this personal mud slinging – there’s enough of it between the parties. However, if there’s a panties for play situation going on, that’s ok to bring to light.
GoOx
December 1st, 2009
8:33 am
Wasn’t Eric Johnson the head of the ethics committee when this came up. why didn’t he investigate? Looks like he was backing his crony’s in the legislature. We need real leadership in the Governor’s office, my man Ox.
JG
December 1st, 2009
8:49 am
Just as important, Dale Russell also has text messages from Richardson threatening to sic state police on his wife and to beat her. If anyone questions her motivation in going public, those two things should silence her critics. She kept it in far too long, to the detriment of Georgia, thinking that it was a private matter. The AGL lobbyist has not been publicly named. That should change, and AGL should be held to account.
John Henry
December 1st, 2009
8:50 am
E-mails??? Please do share!!! Haven’t had a local pol caught with his pants down in a while. We need pics of the other woman now!!
This will be fun.
JH
Will Jones - Atlanta Jeffersonian Exegesis
December 1st, 2009
8:51 am
“Neither party?”
The “party” in question, whose combined power has betrayed The Constitution to permit treason against The People while sending us to false war and nearly bankrupting Our Nation on behalf of the Roman Anti-Christ’s “Fifth Column” fascist plutocracy, is “of whole cloth” with the lying hypocrite and adulterer Glenn Richardson: Birds of Feather flock together.
Sonny Perdue’s singular real estate deal tax-break; 9/11-committing George W. Bush’s homosexual lover in the White House, James Guckert; David Vitter’s diapers and prostitutes; Larry Craig’s airport bathroom activity; Susan Smith’s and Mary Kay Letourneau’s Republican father’s molestation and abuse; Richard Nixon’s and George H.W. Bush’s assassinations of John Kennedy and Martin KIng, are each of the same “spirit of the age” possessing Glenn Richardson’s sick and perverted life, to the detriment of The People and rejection of Our Creed.
Now our president is being forced to continue to put Americans in harm’s way following the treason of 9/11 by Bush and Cheney…whose same Gay Old Pervert faction yet controls the guns which in broad daylight murdered President Kennedy for ordering us out of Vietnam and Dr. King for explaining from a Jeffersonian perspective why we should not be in Vietnam.
Go to the polls today, Atlanta. Help rid our greatest city of any remnant of the Bush clan by voting for Kasim Reed. Norwood lied to our faces and is part of the Republican’s America as Babylon “project.” We must remove them from any political presence in our society.
Civilization pivots on urban culture. Let us make Atlanta the wheel-horse New Jerusalem which leads America back to the path of righteousness.
Bush and Cheney must hang.
False war must end.
Glenn Richardson must be removed as the lying scum that he is.
Death for Treason.
Chris Murphy, Atlanta, GA
December 1st, 2009
9:55 am
1) Get Will Jones on Grady’s 13th floor. 2) Ban his comments.
Will Jones - Atlanta Jeffersonian Exegesis
December 1st, 2009
10:17 am
Chris Murphy – Roman Catholic, Atlanta, GA: The kicked dog do howl.
Death for Treason
Banishment for MIsprision of Treason
Full Expropriation for Either
Praise Allah and Kasim
December 1st, 2009
10:18 am
Will Jones molests goats. I have proof.
Bill White
December 1st, 2009
11:04 am
Will sounds like a damaged hippie who took way too many 1960s/70s drugs. Lord knows how much hard-working taxpayers are shelling out to keep his heroine habit going. Mr. Jones needs to find Christ in order to save himself before he stands in front of the tribunal where he will be judged for his irreponsible behavior. Those who choose not to lead a proper existence on this planet will be punished by the Lord Almighty and Sweet Baby Jesus.
Here we go again with the MSM taking down a good conservative. Richardson sounds like a man of honor and integrity. He fights for less government and market-oriented principles. I pray for this man to keep his job and lead Georgia on a path to low/no taxe$, a Christ-centered curriculum, the end of public transportation and gov’t health care.
The Snark
December 1st, 2009
11:27 am
Bill White:
Richardson is not a man of honor and integrity who fights for less government and market-oriented principles. He is a selfish, power-hungry man who makes lots of public comments about honor and integrity and less government and market-oriented principles. The only things he fights for are large public utilities who hand out truckloads of campaign cash.
I wish the folks who think of themselves as “conservative” would be a lot less uncritical of politicians who call themselves “conservative.” Then we’d actually have less government, and also fewer do-nothing clowns like Sarah Palin and Larry Craig.
Aaron Burr V. Mexico
December 1st, 2009
11:54 am
The two parties are alike in the sense that they have a lot of incompotent cronies or morons.
But here is the difference:
Ask a Republican what they think of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney or the decision to invade Iraq. Decide for yourself if you feel the same.
The Republican Party has decided that the lesson that they needed to learn is that they weren’t Dick Cheney – like ENOUGH.
tyler durden
December 1st, 2009
12:44 pm
Wow! The 11th Commandment is gonna hang these poor GOP schmucks faster than a lynch party could ever hope. Doubling down on a long-known clown like Richardson is NOT how you recover from consecutive beat-downs at the ballot box.
Please keep it up, Republicans. You’ll ensure the Dems have enough of a chance to fix some of your leaders’ massive mistakes over the last decade or so.
SO?
December 1st, 2009
1:38 pm
Hey Bill White… If you think Richardson — a man who cheated on his wife and family with a lobbyist he was doing business with — “sounds like a man of honor and integrity.” Then you have to be one of the biggest morons I have ever read on these message boards. You are too stupid to even be called foolish.
Inquiring Georgia Mind
December 1st, 2009
1:49 pm
Maybe Glenn Richardson should’ve just said the lobbyist was tying his shoe. Isn’t that right, Casey?
Another Georgia voter
December 1st, 2009
1:53 pm
Shouldn’t that lobbyist be charged with prostitution and Glenn Richardson be charged with pandering? I mean did she not sell sex as part of her lobbying effort and didn’t Glenn partake.
How can anyone justify an elected official accepting sex from a lobbyist. Aren’t there laws against taking bribes?
How can Glenn Richardson even entertain the idea of staying in office?
How can any Christian tolerate a philandering adulterer and bribe taker in office?
A man that cheats on his wife is not moral!!!!
F-105 Thunderchief
December 1st, 2009
1:53 pm
If this turns out to be a rock solid case, whoever dismissed the ethics complaint is a crook, too.
Excuse me liberals...
December 1st, 2009
1:56 pm
as long as you fools defend Bill Clinton and Jesse Jackson then you’re remarks ring very hollow.
However, Glenn Richardson has proven himself to be a rather disgusting politician with no morals and I challenge my fellow conservatives to make sure we send Glenn packing and never tolerate any politician conservative or liberal who exhibits this sleazy immoral behaviour.
Bill White
December 1st, 2009
2:27 pm
Glenn is finding solace through God. He knows he sinned and is on the path to redemption. Why am I the only one who feels this way? Because I sinned with the drink many years ago. I ended up spinning out into a Mississippi ditch after going on a five hour whiskey-induced binge. Jesus pulled me from the wreckage and I soon found salvation in the Lord Almighty’s arms. I connect with good, kind, Christian, conservative men like Glenn Beck. I will drive all night to see Glenn in person because he is one of my many heroes who sets a good example daily on his highly successful show. Now, when it comes to Glenn, he IS a good man. How dare anyone question how a decent moral human being simply fell off the tracks and made the wrong choices. Sure, we’re men who have lust in our pants. We all need to control it. Sure, we’re men who let the drink take us over. We all need to control it. Sure, we’re men who may have said the wrong things and hurt those who love us the most. We all need to control it. I control it through the word of God. I love God. I love America. I love the two Glenns.
God Bless, Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas,
Bill Orvis White
Suzie - past paralegal to Glenn Richardson
December 1st, 2009
3:03 pm
Leave him alone. I lost a nephew to suicide. The politics dont interest me. I am glad hes alive. Maybe now he and Susan can go on with their lives and be there for their children. I love this family and my instinct is to protect them. I worked for Glenn for 9 nine years and he is a wonderful person. We were family, I often kept his children and had a wonderful friendship with Susan. Hang in there Glenn.
Aaron Burr V. Mexico
December 1st, 2009
4:09 pm
The only thing more selfish than suidice is using an attempted suicide to influence the people that you ‘love’ to get them to stay with you.
Having seen the damage that this selfish behavior can do within the confines of my own family, I for one think that this proves once and for all that the man should resign.
As a man, he has my sympathy for his mental illness and I believe he should get help.
As a politician, he has proven that he holds his wife in utter contempt. And a man who will not keep his word to his wife, will not keep his promises to his constituents either.
And to the guy who made the comment earlier; No. I don’t think someone who cheats on their wife is fit for public office unless they’ve done a LOT of work to redeem themselves.
That means Clinton and Jackson should never run for anything ever again.
Neither should Gingrich and a whole host of current Republican policiticans, some of whom are currently serving and refuse to step down. I don’t care if God forgives you, that doesn’t mean you have not still sullied the office and if you REALLY repented for your actions, then wouldn’t you try to make restition by trying to do the honorable thing and resign?
Those who do this kind of thing and stay in power; Democrat and Republican, unless simply outright denying the charge (which almost always seems to be proven true when made); are not really contrite and not really fit to remain in public service.