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Loading ...Anti-gay mayor faces federal criminal charges
12.02.2008 1:44pm EST
(Birmingham, Alabama) Birmingham mayor Larry Langford was arrested Monday on federal bribery and fraud charges.
A federal indictment said the charges were connected to a multibillion-dollar sewer bond deal that has driven the surrounding county to the brink of bankruptcy.Langford, Montgomery investment banker Bill Blount and lobbyist Al LaPierre were charged in the 101-count indictment. The charges also include money laundering and filing false tax returns.
Langford is accused of receiving $230,000 in bribes from Blount, some of them routed through LaPierre, to influence the bond deals while Langford was president of the Jefferson County Commission. Blount’s firm made $7.1 million in fees from the bond work.
The three men have denied any wrongdoing.
Langford already is facing a federal civil lawsuit accusing him of violating the civil rights of a gay pride group.
Central Alabama Pride accuses the mayor of acting unconstitutionally when he barred city workers from hanging the banners on city property in June.
Central Alabama Pride claims the mayor has not restricted banner from other organizations. The suit also said there is no criteria for hanging banners in Birmingham.
The group said in the suit that Langford subjected the group to religious discrimination in violation of the First Amendment and freedom of speech in violation of the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause
Langford said that he did not discriminate against anyone and that the city only hangs banners for groups sponsored by the city.
The mayor called the suit a frivolous publicity stunt.
Langford refused to sign a gay pride proclamation that was passed by city council in May and said at the time he would deny the group a parade permit.
The permit was eventually granted by the Birmingham Police Department and Langford did not interfere.
He still says he opposes gay pride celebrations and signing gay pride proclamations, but denies that he discriminates.
I think that in most municipalities if a parade is not allowed, a protest is and police have to protect them anyway. They should know it’s much easier to plan ahead and be welcoming, than to deal with it last-minute.
How *NOT* a surprise that is. A homophobic hater is also a crook. That’s so common nowadays that it’s become a cliché, especially among Rethugnantcrooks.
Cheers,
Bud Burgoon-Clark
2nd class citizen in San Diego
on account of the above-mentioned
and their PAGAN FERTILITY CULTS
We can wait for the facts of this case to unfold. As in Mississippi, the testimony they give will conviict them. the hate is that bad.The one thing they aren’t good at doing is covering up the lies in Federal Court.They will step on their tongue’s.