Jackson Jambalaya

From what I read Garner did not finish the investigation. Also say where he stated that the money was deposited into a DJP account. The mixing of money into DJP account changed the money from private to public.

Seems that at some point the DA must identify the $$ and the use of the $$ for his personal use.

The DA is not charged with anything. He didn't have any part of the use of the money in question. Ben is the one who has some explaining to do.

WOW-----Do you really think Ben will go to jail-----he is such a nice man !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Attended the Gala. It was a First Class Event. The food was varied and delicious and there was plenty of room at the numerous tables. The music was excellent. A full stage and several drink stations. Don't know what it cost, but at least $100/person. Usually, a portion of the money from these types of events goes to retire campaign debt.

If private individuals voluntarily contributed to the Inauguration Gala and DJP was the condiut for collecting and spending this money what does RSS think is wrong with this? There is not a campaign finance violation, because these contributions and expenditures don't have to be itemized there. They were not tax dollars in any way or form - they were not collected as part of the BID. he only people that have a claim to how these dollars were spent are the contributors - obviously not including RSS since this whole circus is about his political differences with certain other Hinds County politicians including Yarber.

The interesting question about this part of the indictment is whether Ben regrets supporting this idiot for Mayor, just as he ultiately regretted his support for certain other Mayors who turned out to be criminal.

4:06, sounds like you missed the part where the voluntary contributions were put in the same bank account as the DJP money. That is where the problem is. The money when put into DJP account became the same as the other money in the account. If it would have been put into another account there would be no problem. But then again there would not have been the chance that some of the money would disappear.

Sounds like Ben was the idiot for mixing the money or the crook for taking part of it.

Cecil McCrory was to be sentenced today. But I can't find any new source that lays out what happened. Does anyone know?

Ben should be fired. It appears the Board of Directors approved all this mismanagement so Ben did not steal the money. If this is so then Board members may have some liability but as a board and not personally. Public or private on money is gray area so it should be treated as public to be safe. AG ruling on money should have been gotten years ago. Ben will walk and the party will continue.

2:13- Ben does not have to explain anything.
The DA must prove beyond a reasonable doubt
that Ben embezzled the funds.

4:38, the money was put into the wrong account. Ben then moved money out of that account for his personal use and to give to the mayor. That money was not for his personal use. You may as well face it. Ben is a crook and is trying to put the blame on an elderly woman. Sure does say a lot about his morals and the morals of the people who keep trying to defend him.

4:34, they put the sentencing off again. Looks like he spread a little more money around. As long as he has any money to give out he will probably stay out of jail. He will be sentenced when he does not pay off the right person.

4:38 Absolutely correct. The burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt is on the DA. At this point there is more than a doubt: it looks certain in light of the auditor's testimony and the Board's backing there was no embezzlement. Looks like RSS is just following another one of his obsessions crazy though they may be--just another variation of his obsessions we saw with Butler that the State went after him for. Not criminal to be crazy (as Hood is finding out), but the voters should retire RSS at some point because no one, innocent or not, is safe if you land in his delusional system.

I hope that woman APPEARS..Cross would rock.

4:34 - you are jumping to the end question of whether the other money was public money, a fact that has not been proven yet. It is the expressed opinion of one person that the money is public money, but there are plenty of others that don't see it that way. If these dollars were public money, why weren't the employees of DJP government employees? They were paid with the money out of that same bank account. Were they allowed to PERS retirement benefits? Were they put on the state insurance programs? The Board of DJP was not named by public employees (Governor, Mayor, etc.) and thus the employees the board hired were not hired in accordance with government personnel requirements. So -- how do those 'government dollars' get used in all these ways that are not government based?

It looks to me like this is a case of the "Investigator" at the State Auditor's office stepping off into an area that they had no business. COnsidering all the areas that they choose not to get involved involving many clearly governmental bodies (Boards of Supervisors, City Councils/Mayors, etc.) it boggles the mind how they could decide to get into looking at this issue, much less "granting' whistleblower status to an individual. Maybe there is a personal issue involved???

8:31; Do you actually think that this account being public money means that all who come in contact with it are government employees, covered by PERS? Please tell us your mind doesn't work that way on a regular basis.

No matter what you call it, he had his hand in the cookie jar and got caught. Not any different than any other thug walking the streets of Jackson.

Being part of PEERS is one standard to determine public but there about 100 more. Got to look the State legislation it was created under and what happens to business that not pay the tax.

Jerry Mitchell catches a lot of grief on this blog, but I thought he wrote a fine piece about the Allen trial in this morning's paper. Even showed a little humor at the outset, saying that RSS "jumped the shark." Outdated, but still funny in context.

Burke, Mitchell is just out for drama that might win him some awards. He and his idiot editor love to keep the civil war on the front page of our statewide newspaper. Great for Mississippi's image.