Signs that Glenn Richardson’s resignation is a matter of when, not if
On a sleepy Wednesday afternoon, in a state Capitol smothered with poinsettias and scented with a freshly cut Christmas tree, Atlanta television was engaged in a third-floor stake-out.
Lori Geary of WSB-TV covered the front door to the office of House Speaker Glenn Richardson. Paul Yates of WAGA-TV, still groggy from election night duties, covered the back door.
They had the right idea. But the venue was wrong.
Off-campus meetings and telephone conference calls abounded on Wednesday, among Democrats as well as Republicans. And all pointed to the resignation of Richardson as a matter of when, not if.
“I think sometime in the next week, a decision will be made,” said state GOP chairman Sue Everhart.
In a matter of days, following a confessed suicide attempt on Nov. 8, the second most powerful figure in the state Capitol has gone from the state’s poster child for depression to – by the televised description of his ex-wife – a man obsessed.
One is discomfiting but politically acceptable. The other is not.
Richardson’s transformation began with a mesmerizing interview of Susan Richardson, conducted by WAGA’s Dale Russell.
In 2007, a legislative ethics panel dismissed a Democratic complaint lodged against Richardson, accusing him of an inappropriate relationship with an AGL lobbyist – while AGL legislation that the speaker co-sponsored was under consideration.
The ex-wife produced e-mails indicating the affair indeed took place. She said that, on one occasion, Richardson e-mailed her 49 times, threatening to sic the State Patrol on her. She said that following his attempted suicide, Richardson called her from his hospital bed, to ask whether she was ready to take him back.
On Wednesday morning, House Minority Leader DuBose Porter of Dublin said he hosted a conference call with his fellow Democrats to discuss their approach to the Richardson situation. There was talk of whether to pursue – or renew – an ethics investigation into the House speaker’s conduct.
Also on the table: Whether 49 e-mails, containing threats to bring down the power of the state upon an ex-wife’s head, amounts to a criminal violation of the state’s anti-stalking statute – and should be brought to the attention of Attorney General Thurbert Baker or another prosecutor.
Both Porter and Baker are 2010 candidates for governor. But that wouldn’t make the prospect of a criminal case any less threatening to Republicans.
By sunset Wednesday, calls went out to the three Republican leaders of the House: Richardson, Speaker pro tem Mark Burkhalter of Johns Creek, and Majority Leader Jerry Keen of St. Simons Island, asking them to assemble at the residence of Gov. Sonny Perdue for an evening discussion.
One item on the agenda, we’re told, was how to ease Richardson’s exit. The $99,082.95 he earns each year as speaker is his primary source of income, and times are hard.
Item No. 2: Upon resignation, Richardson’s authority would pass to Burkhalter, as speaker pro tem. The question is whether an internal Republican struggle would result. Keen is said to have ambitions, but he’s not the only one.
A split GOP caucus might allow Democrats to weigh in and help decide the matter – allowing them to increase their influence in the chamber.
Complicating the matter of succession even further is the fact that, by coincidence, Burkhalter is a finalist in the search for a new executive director of the all-important Georgia World Congress Center.
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73 comments Add your comment
South Georgia Republican
December 2nd, 2009
7:00 pm
For the GOP’s sake, I hope he’s gone.
Why are they protecting his mistress’ identity? She knew she was sleeping with a married man- she merits no protection.
Eugene Talmadge is my hero
December 2nd, 2009
7:07 pm
This is what happens when arrogant, low-moraled fundamentalist right-wing religious nut Republicans take control of state government. Give us back the Democrats who got something done.
Enough with the “closed door” meetings. It is time to go and go now. — Peach Pundit
December 2nd, 2009
7:09 pm
[...] think sometime in the next week, a decision will be made,” says state GOP chairman Sue Everhart concerning [...]
bulldog
December 2nd, 2009
7:13 pm
Wasn’t Burkhalter on that junket to South Carolina with the strippers from the Cheetah Lounge back in the 90s? Don’t think that helps refine a major image problem.
bulldog
December 2nd, 2009
7:15 pm
Like who the highly ethical majority leader Sen. Charles Walker (D)-Augusta? Yeah he would be just perfect. Is he out of prison yet?
strident_hack
December 2nd, 2009
7:16 pm
South Georgia Republican = Well said, particularly from a clown who hides behind an anoyomous blog posting name to demand more openess of others!! What, did your current issue of National Enquirer get lost in the mail.
What difference does a name make. Good people do bad things at times, and only purient interests such as yours wants to watch the mess that follows. Get a life.
Bob Attaway
December 2nd, 2009
7:20 pm
Glenn Richardson has been an embaressment to the Republican party since he became speaker.
As a life long Republican Glenn Richardson makes me miss Tom Murphy.
Keith
December 2nd, 2009
7:22 pm
Susan Richardson was married before Glenn and the guy was a drug dealer. She has a pretty lousy record of picking men. I’d love to find out who her current boyfriend is.
norman
December 2nd, 2009
7:28 pm
If Richardson as speaker of the house steps down, will he keep his seat as a state representative?
ljklkj
December 2nd, 2009
7:35 pm
It’s not like it’s any newsflash that Richardson is a control freak. I couldn’t believe it a while back when he embarked on the biggest money grab I’ve ever seen, hoping to centralize local school funding with him. He’s always scared me, so I’m glad his suicide attempt failed, if only so that a megalomaniac control freak has to live thru watching it all come crumbling down. Good riddance!
Cobb Taxpayer
December 2nd, 2009
7:42 pm
Speaker Richardson needs to simply step out of politics completely – he has demonstrated a lack of moral or ethical behavior and an embarrassment to the Republician Party just needs to vaporize from the Gold Dome and become to father to his children. This should have happened a couple of years ago !
JD in Marietta
December 2nd, 2009
7:46 pm
Let’s not leave out another stellar State Senator Ralph David Abernathy Jr (Democrat). Richardson has to go;he’s a disgrace to the party, to the citizens of Georgia, and to
dalstar
December 2nd, 2009
7:50 pm
The Governor wants to discuss his exit? What the hell he wrote his own exit. Who cares if he loses his 99 grand a year salary. Let him get another job. Do not pay him anymore taxpayer funds. It should be illegal to do so. He is trash and should be kicked out of office and prosecuted for stalking. He thought he could do what he pleased in Georgia. Well Bubba wake up you can’t. How about when you leave you take Sonny and a lot more of his cronies with you. Don’t let the door hit you in the arse as you leave in shame.
Glenn Richardson
December 2nd, 2009
7:51 pm
DUBOSE PORTER voted for me, Glenn Richardson, to be the Speaker. What an ingrate DUBOSE PORTER is.
sally
December 2nd, 2009
7:52 pm
GO! NOW! Why are we worried about where his income will come from after he leaves? Does that mean we the taxpayers are going to have to support him for the rest of his life?
JustProsecute
December 2nd, 2009
7:55 pm
Sounds like Mr. Speaker had criminal intentions. And to threaten his ex with the State Patrol? Such a small man. What’s the holdup on bringing charges against him?
Anonymous
December 2nd, 2009
7:57 pm
Speaking as a conservative and a reliable Republican voter, I believe that Richardson needed to be gone a long time ago. The latest disclosures of his personal, moral, ethical and political problems is consistent with the small-minded and not very intelligent control freak who exercised power for its own sake and often found himself in conflict with smarter, more thoughtful and more ideologically consistent Republicans. His legislative initiatives regarding state tax “reform” were thrown together and poorly thought-out.
The sooner Richardson’s reign of error ends, the better it will be for the Georgia Republican Party and the State of Georgia.
dalstar
December 2nd, 2009
7:58 pm
Put him in the Georgia prison system and let him be in charge of making license plates. Our Governor is furloughing good honest state employees, closing prisons and eliminating jobs, but he is worried about his friend Glenn Richardsons income!!! This stinks to high heaven. I hope the AJC watches this closely. If Sonny wants to continue to pay Richardson a salary let him pay him from his personal land deal profits in Florida.
JD in Marietta
December 2nd, 2009
8:01 pm
I agree, who cares about him losing his salary even in this economy? He’s a lawyer by day so its not like he doesn’t have a trade to fall back on. I personally would never hire him as a lawyer but there’s an idiot out there who needs an idiot lawyer. He should be fired and lose access to his taxpayer funded perks.
SOIssues
December 2nd, 2009
8:01 pm
http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.com
So when is Jerry Keen going to resign?
Dan White
December 2nd, 2009
8:03 pm
Maybe Eric Johnson can hire former Speaker Richardson as his gubanatorial campaign chair
to make up that lost income, or Sonny Perdue can get him a job with Linger Longer on jekyll Island or……………….
Ramone
December 2nd, 2009
8:04 pm
“The $99,082.95 he earns each year as speaker is his primary source of income, and times are hard.”
So keep this crook / cheat on the taxpayer’s payroll!!! Great news!!!
dawgma
December 2nd, 2009
8:13 pm
Power corrupts…get the guy off the House before he jumps and into treatment.
Put a city sharp Burkhalter in the house speaker position and keep Richardson and those sleepy eyed, in bred, south GA hicks out of the places of power.
adam c
December 2nd, 2009
8:14 pm
Good riddance! This is the guy who wanted to end corporate property taxes which would’ve destroyed GA schools and municipalities. Then when he backed off, he said, “OK, corporations will still owe taxes but not for schools.” Who needs the bum?
dalstar
December 2nd, 2009
8:19 pm
Just more of Sonny and his cronies shafting the State of Georgia and her people. Where is Roy Barnes when you need him? He would clean up this mess. I am neither a Republican or Democrat I have voted for both parties. But the leadership we have now is the sorriest in the history of this great state. Sonny Perdue and anyone linked to him should be tarred and feathered. Whatever happened to his big 21 million loan old Sonny was about to default on? The loan he got with no collateral. Used the Governor’s mansion as collateral I guess. I don’t know of anyone else who could get a loan like that. Inquiring minds would like to know.
ga female
December 2nd, 2009
8:22 pm
Don’t Forget Glenn Richardson and Congressman Gingrey where in on one of the Bank Fraud deals that we will all be paying for through the FDIC. The two of them are on the Paulding county Bank Board loaning out money to their developer buddies and themselves.
Next the slime Richardson, will claim poverty like all the slime balls and try to cheat his wife and kids out of child support. He will try to claim he doesn’t have a job anymore. Make sure this slime still pays his child support and Alimony.
Bobby
December 2nd, 2009
8:24 pm
Why is it Republicans seem to see themselves as Gods once they are in power and not subject to the same laws the rest of Georgians are. Whether talking about Richardson or Sonny Perdue. Are either of them any less of a rat than King Roy?
Tyler Durden
December 2nd, 2009
8:24 pm
Please keep him as Speaker! We need more embarrassing morons at the helm of every GOP entity long enough for the adults to undo all of the ’success’ and ‘progress’ that Sonny and Dubious graced us all with…
Just Nasty & Mean
December 2nd, 2009
8:32 pm
Lest we forget: the days of shame are long gone, and if there were EVER an ego megalomaniac, Glenn Richardson fits the profile to a T
He might disappear for a few weeks going to so-called “rehab” (picture a massage parlor, fresh fruit and 3 golf courses) and will be back—fit as ever and ready to lead. Nobody will be able to take him on since Political Correctness says we should “feel sorry for him” and give forgiveness. I mean—after all–it is a MENTAL ILLNESS and we feel sorry for those (forget he cheated on his wife and girlfriend–it’s mental illness!).
John
December 2nd, 2009
8:32 pm
Before their divorce, when Susan was trying to sell their house (which he still lives in) she said that they get a property tax break because it was classified as a farm. That confused me since it was not a farm, and no farm animals were there. I couln’t help but wonder if they were getting special priviliages from their powerful friends in government. I also noticed their state vehicles when I was looking at their property……very nice benefit !
Bobby Kahn
December 2nd, 2009
8:40 pm
Maybe Sonny can hire Richardson to be the Executive Director of PERDUE PAC. Sonny’s got $800K to throw away.
JD in Marietta
December 2nd, 2009
8:44 pm
Yes, I smell the rehab excuse in the near future.
Another thing about the pompous Mr. Speaker, just last year he was complaining about Atlanta traffic because he and “his driver” were caught in traffic driving from the Capitol to his son’s ball game in E. Podunk. Why does this guy need a driver? Did he stop driving himself when he was named Speaker of the House? He’s just not that important, but he sees fits to bilk the taxpayers for the cost of a driver. I think Dale Russell at Channel 5 should do another expo piece on this scumbag to explore all the shady deals, perks, and cons he’s pulled over on the citizens of Georgia. Paybacks are hell Glenn. Hope he doesn’t sick the State Patrol on me.
Michael
December 2nd, 2009
8:46 pm
Wait a minute, you Georgians are upset that your leaders are sleazy and corrupt? Or just that they are sleazy, corrupt and too dumb to keep hiding it? Everyone knows you cannot lie, cheat or steal if you have a wife or employees because those relationships do not always end amicably.
rj
December 2nd, 2009
8:47 pm
We need to take note of the Representatives who support and have supported this slime ball since he has been in office. Go ahead and have a public vote and those of us watching will see you and work to get you defeated in November
JC in Hiram
December 2nd, 2009
8:55 pm
Doesn’t say much for the elected republicans who voted Richardson as speaker, does it? This was the best of the lot? What a bunch of bums. Go ahead you fools who identify yourselves as republican voters, pick another sanctimoneous clown as your leader.
Kiljoy
December 2nd, 2009
8:56 pm
Too bad Mrs. Richardson doesn’t own a set of golf clubs, this whole thing could have been avoided!
Reality Train
December 2nd, 2009
8:58 pm
1) I think Keen and Burkhalter need to explain what they knew and when they knew it. I don’t think for a second that they were blind to Richardson’s enormous flaws, yet they supported him. I am sure they didn’t want to challenge him, because they feared losing the power that he had vested in them. It would have been nice if at least one member of the GOP had been brave enough to point out that the emperor had no clothes and had placed principle ahead of personal power. Aren’t they the ones who are supposed to be the party of principle?
2) I am looking forward to Richardson’s “they won’t have me to kick around anymore” exit speech when he resigns. No telling how many enemies, real and imagined, he will blame for his downfall. I am sure there are a few words that will not be used to describe his exit: humble, contrite, graceful.
3)
Ron
December 2nd, 2009
9:05 pm
I think he will be kicked out as Speaker of House rather quickly . Trust me there will be a heck of a lot of legislators that will be glad of that. However, I believe he will stay in legislature until his term ends unless his own district does a recall. Murphy had a state patrolman for a driver/security to the best of my recollection so I am sure that is what Richardson has. I think what has came out in the last few days highlights why he had his divorce papers “sealed” so quickly. There may have been a hint in them of the things his exwife has exposed. Tom Murphy wielded a LOT of power and was not above using it but Richardson is a class A arrogant jerk and a man without ethics or morals
Falcon Josh
December 2nd, 2009
9:05 pm
Times are hard? What are they going to give him a big severance package for how difficult it has been sleeping with a 34 year old lobbyist? The same lobbyist who was getting Richardson to sign off on a 300 million dollar pipeline! Let’s make sure he goes out with a golden parachute. I wouldnt want him to feel like he didn’t do a “BANG” up or her job!!
Sex Pays
December 2nd, 2009
9:10 pm
Sex with a lobbyist—Glenn has fun, the lobbyist gets $300 million of taxpayer money for a corrupt contract!!!!!
Mari Forquer
December 2nd, 2009
9:20 pm
Did Mr. Speaker just become slimey since entering politics? Was it the “taste of power” he succumbed to? Don’t believe it. By his age, his character was formed and well in use. Now, the question is: Why did anyone vote for this bum anyhow? Uninformed voters are at the top of the list as to why we are in the mess we are in. No wonder no one of decent character will run for office. I wouldn’t want to sit in the same room with these sleeze balls either! Ah, home sweet home!
JD in Marietta
December 2nd, 2009
9:21 pm
Good point; the AGL contract is tainted (no pun intended) and I’m sure can be challenged for legal reasons.
Kiljoy
December 2nd, 2009
9:21 pm
Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus….Glenn is the gift that just keeps on giving to Fox 5!
MARCUS CLEMENTS
December 2nd, 2009
9:23 pm
Looks like ole Sonny is in a huddle trying to find a way to keep the Speaker’s salary in tact. Sure wished he would have had a meeting with his closest buddies to keep the school teachers salaries in place. (furloughs) and then another meeting to find a way to not withhold low paid school bus driver’s pay for 3 days, after all they make about $12,000 a year. Why not tell the speaker to GO FISH!!!!!!!!!!
Real GA
December 2nd, 2009
9:31 pm
Richardson needs to do the right thing and step down ASAP.
Carter is a Fool
December 2nd, 2009
9:40 pm
I don’t give a crap about his salary. He and the lawmakers did not give a crap about breaking the state’s promise to the National Board Teachers and cutting their pay by 10%. They broke a legal contract and are now in court over their actions. They are just like the fools in Congress who do not even read the bills before they vote on them. Let him go back and practice law.
JD in Marietta
December 2nd, 2009
9:40 pm
Ron, I think Tom Murphy had a driver because he was older than dirt and it was probably for his safety and drivers everywhere. Personally, I just don’t think these guys need security;the Gov yes, anyone else including Lt.Gov, Speaker,etc…hell no. Its a waste of money and unnecessary. All of them are expendable and can be replaced instantly. It would NOT surprise me one bit if Mr. Speaker were hatching a vendetta against the ex Mrs. Speaker. As she stated, he is a control freak and is used to having his way, and he’s obviously the kind of guy who would do something stupid to attract attention (fake suicide). We all need to keep an eye on this clown.
Falcon Josh
December 2nd, 2009
9:42 pm
Please make sure Mr. Bulkhalter hears from you on this. If they try to reward Speaker Richardson with a severance because times are hard…. It will be unbelievable. He can go to the Ga. Department of labor and sit for 3 hours and sign up for his 26 weeks of $330. He only qualifies if he was laid off not FIRED!!!! mark.burkhalter@house.ga.gov
JD in Marietta
December 2nd, 2009
9:51 pm
I just sent him an email. Thanks for the update Josh.
Jimnalph
December 2nd, 2009
9:59 pm
Richardson can’t go soon enough! He is an absolute embarrassment to the State GOP.