Archive for the ‘Glenn Richardson’ Category

You knew that if former House speaker Glenn Richardson were to revive his political career, he would have to go where no Republican has gone before. And now he has.

In a friendly 34-minute interview first posted at Paulding.com, Richardson – now looking to win a seat in the state Senate – discusses depression and his 2009 attempted suicide, transportation, ethics, and has some indirect criticism of the Legislature’s decision to change the terms of the HOPE scholarship.

But the former speaker also said he’s ready to look at slowing down home foreclosures in Georgia by bringing the courts into the process. This is important, given that District 30 is a largely exurban district that has more than its share of zombie subdivisions – particularly in Paulding County, where Richardson lives.

Four years into a massive housing crisis that has crippled the metro Atlanta economy, Richardson may be the first Republican legislative candidate to seriously raise the topic of giving …

Continue reading Your morning jolt: Give home foreclosures their day in court, says Glenn Richardson »

TAMPA — Blue skies hang over Tampa this morning, for the first time since Isaac threatened. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan will arrive sometime today.

But at least until the 2 p.m. start of today’s first real session of the Republican National Convention, talk in the Georgia delegation has been directed homeward, where former House speaker Glenn Richardson has declared that, nearly two years after an attempted suicide followed by scandal and resignation, he intends to run for a west Georgia state Senate seat.

In an interview this morning at the delegation hotel, Gov. Nathan Deal said that Richardson came to speak with him at the state Capitol to discuss his possible return to politics. Said Deal:

”First of all, it was not my decision to make. That’s certainly something that every candidate has to decide on their own. I expressed my concern to him about his health, whether he was still fragile, and my concern about the impact on his family.”

Here’s the AP version from Monday’s …

Continue reading Nathan Deal on Glenn Richardson, Tampa and Medicaid »

Are you ready for the return of Glenn Richardson?

Sometime this afternoon, Gov. Nathan Deal will name state Sen. Bill Hamrick, R-Carrollton, as the newest superior court judge on the Coweta Judicial Circuit.

Hamrick has already handed to the governor a letter of resignation, effective Sept. 10.
The date, within 60 days of the next election, will allow Deal to call for a special primary election for Nov. 6, the same day as the general election. A general election for the District 30 Senate seat would be held on the day currently scheduled for the December runoff.

We’re told that one Republican certain to make a bid for Hamrick’s empty seat is Richardson, the former House speaker, who resigned in 2010 following a suicide attempt, and the revelation by his wife that he’d had an affair with a Capitol lobbyist.

Another possible candidate is state Rep. Bill Hembree, R-Winston, the former House rules chairman. But Hembree would have to resign his House seat by Sept. 6, to allow a …

Continue reading Former House speaker Glenn Richardson to run for state Senate seat »

In Room 5F of the Fulton County Superior Court building this morning, two men who separately dominated the state Capitol for a half-dozen years sat side-by-side before Judge Ural D. Glanville, preparing to run a tag-team assault on Georgia Power.

At the outset, Glenn Richardson, the former, fiery Republican House speaker did the talking. Former Gov. Roy Barnes, a Democrat, sat at Richardson’s left hand.

“The case is about Georgia Power charging sales tax on your bill for a couple things we don’t think they should be charging it on – the nuclear costs,” Richardson said during an early break. “I had a client asked me to look at it. She said it seemed unfair, and I started looking at it, and said, ‘You know, you’re right.’ I’d never heard of charging sales tax on a nuclear financing cost. It was never discussed when it came to us.”

The gentleman knows of what he speaks, and that is only one of the ironies here. The legislation that has allowed Georgia Power, for the last 15 …

Continue reading Glenn Richardson, Roy Barnes tag-team Georgia Power »

Former Gov. Roy Barnes, the ultimate Democrat, just confirmed that he has joined former House speaker Glenn Richardson, once the ultimate Republican, in a case against Georgia Power that will have a hearing in Fulton County Superior Court next Monday morning.

The lawsuit involves that surcharge approved in 2009 by the General Assembly, allowing Georgia Power to charge ratepayers in advance for some financing expenses related to the construction of two nuclear power plants.

“[Georgia Power] is charging sales tax on the finance surcharge and charging sales tax on the franchise tax paid to cities. You can’t charge sales tax on finance charges or on another tax. Looks to me there has been a $100 million overcharge,” Barnes wrote in a note this afternoon.

Politically, the two attorneys may be polar opposites. But they share geography. Richardson — who left the Legislature after passage of the Georgia Power surcharge in 2009 — still lives in Hiram. And Barnes, while he has a …

Continue reading The ultimate odd couple: Roy Barnes, Glenn Richardson vs. Georgia Power »

Deep in this Associated Press file, as one of the six acquitted, is the name of Jay Walker, the former chief of staff to House Speaker Glenn Richardson here in Georgia:

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A jury acquitted a casino owner, three current or former state lawmakers and two other defendants on all counts Wednesday in a high-profile federal case that alleged the legislators were being bribed to legalize gambling in the state.

The jury returned its verdict after seven days of deliberations. One-by-one, each defendant stepped up to a podium in front of the judge to hear the verdicts. They nodded in agreement with the jury’s decision, squeezed their attorneys’ hand or bounced nervously as the clerk said not guilty. Family members in the gallery sobbed in relief, and when court recessed, there were hugs all around.

“We feel like this case was built on innuendos, lies and half-truths,” said Tom Coker, a casino lobbyist who was among those acquitted.

The federal investigation of vote …

Continue reading Former state Capitol figure acquitted in Ala. bribery trial »

Jay Walker, the former chief of staff to House Speaker Glenn Richardson in Georgia, has been found not guilty on 11 of 13 counts in a massive Alabama corruption trial.

Contrary to earlier reports, the Associated Press is reporting that the jury was unable to reach a verdict — and a mistrial was declared — on one count each of conspiracy and bribery.

Jarrell “Jay” Walker arrives at the federal building in Montgomery, Ala., on Thursday. After seven days of deliberation, a jury found him not guilty on all charges. AP/Dave Martin

From the AP:

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Jurors acquitted or failed to reach a verdict on all the charges against the nine defendants in Alabama’s gambling trial on Thursday, including Victoryland casino owner Milton McGregor and two sitting state senators.

McGregor was acquitted of one count of bribery and two counts of honest services fraud. The jury failed to reach a verdict on his 14 other charges and U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson declared a mistrial on …

Continue reading Jay Walker, former aide to House speaker, found not guilty in Alabama bribery trial »

If you are a public figure and want to reduce your exposure, Friday is the day you pick for handing out less than flattering news. From the Montgomery Advertiser:

Country Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley pleaded guilty to 11 counts in an alleged conspiracy to bribe lawmakers to legalize electronic gaming in the state.

Gilley, you may remember, was the employer of Jay Walker, former chief of staff to House Speaker Glenn Richardson in Georgia – and a lobbyist here as well. Walker, too, has been charged with conspiracy and bribery. To continue:

Gilley agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and implicated fellow casino owner Milton McGregor in the alleged vote-buying scheme.

Gilley pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, six counts of bribery and four counts of money laundering.

Federal prosecutors agreed to drop 11 counts against the developer, but Gilley could still face between 22-27 years in prison for the others, although the prosecutors could ask the judge to reduce the …

Continue reading Your morning jolt: In Alabama, Jay Walker’s ex-boss pleads guilty to bribery, conspiracy »

John Watson, the former chief of staff for Gov. Sonny Perdue and a member of the Nathan Deal transition team, has confirmed that he’s also raising money for the legal defense of a Georgia lobbyist indicted in Alabama on federal corruption charges.

Watson identified Jay Walker, former chief of staff to House Speaker Glenn Richardson, as a personal friend. They developed a close relationship while working for their respective bosses – and were, for a time, neighbors in the west Cobb County-Paulding County area.

Walker, married with two young daughters, was one of 11 arrested last month – including four state senators — on charges of conspiracy, bribery and honest services fraud involving legislation to legalize electronic bingo machines.

Watson recently sent out an e-mail to friends, trying to raise $50,000 for Walker’s defense fund — hard work in these economic times. He wrote:

“I need to implore everyone to dig deep and do all that you and your family can for Jay and his …

Continue reading Transition official raising money for legal defense of former aide to Glenn Richardson »

If you’re a Georgia Democrat, you no doubt feel a bit beleaguered in this anti-Obama season.

But this might cheer you up: Your team has developed an excellent database research system when it comes to backgrounding Republican candidates for the Legislature.

Paulette Rakestraw Braddock

Last month, Democrats distributed documents showing that Republican Jason Shepherd, running against state Rep. Terry Johnson, D-Marietta, had once been arrested for domestic violence. The Cobb County charge was dismissed after he completed a diversion program.

This week, Democratic attention moved to House District 19, the snake-bit seat once held by Speaker Glenn Richardson of Hiram, who resigned amid scandal last year. He was replaced, in a special election, by Republican Daniel Stout.

But Stout lost a July primary after voters found out that, in a previous marriage and as a young man, he had confessed to once having had an improper dalliance with his mother-in-law.

The winner of the July …

Continue reading Your morning jolt: GOP claimant to Glenn Richardson’s House seat has a two-arrest past »