Monday, April 9, 2018

Bickers busted.

A federal grand jury indicted Atlanta wheeler & dealer and noted Jackson tourist Mitzi Bickers  for bribery. last week.  The Atlanta Constitution-Journal reported:

In handcuffs and leg irons, The Rev. Mitzi Bickers made her first appearance in federal court Thursday to face charges that she took $2 million in bribes to steer city of Atlanta contracts to at least two contractors from 2010 to 2015....

Prosecutors accused the former city of Atlanta human services director of taking money from contractors to help them win city contracts and spending the money on a lavish lifestyle that included: a $775,000 home in Jonesboro; a $46,000 Denali luxury SUV; $45,000 worth of waverunner jet skis; and vacations to Aruba, Disney resorts and on Carnival cruise lines.
Bickers was a highly sought-after political operative who helped former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed get elected in 2009, then went on to work in Reed's administration for three years.

The 11-count indictment alleges Bickers used her influence at City Hall to steer contracts to Elvin “E.R.” Mitchell Jr. and Charles P. Richards Jr., both when she worked for the city and after she left in 2013. Mitchell and Richards have each pleaded guilty and are cooperating with the on-going investigation.... Read the rest of the article.



Jackson tourist? Yup.  The defendant was well-known in Jackson political circles during the Yarber administration.  She was a paid consultant for his campaign and generated no small amount of controversy in how contracts were awarded at city hall.  A former city of Jackson employee accused Bickers of participating in a pay to play scheme that involved the awarding of a wastewater contract.  Stephanie Coleman claimed in her lawsuit:

17.   On or about May 1, 2015, Ms. Coleman received a telephone from a person who stated that her name was Mitzi Bickers and that she was a friend of Mayor Yarber. She further stated Mayor Yarber instructed her to call and set up a meeting with Plaintiff to discuss government contracting opportunities.

18. Ms. Bickers  requested  that they  meet the following  day after 5:00 pm at Parlor Market on Capitol Street in Jackson.  Ms. Coleman accommodated her request.

19.  When they met, Ms. Bickers told Plaintiff that she was a major campaign donor and a close friend of Mayor Yarber.  She stated that the Mayor wanted to express his gratitude for her service by allowing her to participate in a few upcoming major contracts.

20.  Ms. Bickers inquired of the necessary steps to become a certified MBE/DBE in the City of Jackson  and  what  would  be required to put together competitive  proposals to the City regarding these upcoming major projects.

21.   Ms. Coleman explained to Ms. Bickers the purpose and scope of the City's EBO Plan and the need to have qualified, experienced local businesses in her proposals.

22.  Ms. Bickers  stated  that  Mayor  Yarber  had  decided  that she would  get the EPA  Consent Decree Management  Contract with a partner of her choosing. Ms. Coleman's help was needed  to make sure the paperwork  looked  good enough to justify awarding the contract to the Bickers team.
23.  A few weeks after this meeting, Ms. Coleman received a group of applications from newly-formed  out-of-state  and  local  businesses  that were affiliated  with  Mitzi Bickers seeking MBE/DBE certifications; none of the businesses had the requisite experience to handle any of the City's major projects.
The lawsuit is winding its way through the discovery process.  Recent settlement talks ended with no agreement between the parties. Copy of lawsuit.  Then there is the 2014 U.S. Senate race in Mississippi.  The Daily Mail (UK) reported in 2014:

A series of three racially charged radio ads that ran in rural Mississippi on Election Day played a role in driving black Democrats to vote in a Republican primary run-off election. MailOnline has exclusively obtained audio of the ads.

They were broadcast 48 times in a 12-hour period Tuesday on WMGO-AM radio in the town of Canton, and urged black Mississippians to cross party lines and support GOP Sen. Thad Cochran in his smash-mouth contest against tea party insurgent Chris McDaniel.

Each carried a required acknowledgement stating that it was 'paid for by Citizens for Progress.' Clerks at the office of Mississippi's secretary of state told MailOnline that no such group is registered there as a political committee.

The Federal Election Commission also lacks any registration from a group with that name....

Mitzi Bickers, an Atlanta pastor and former president of the Atlanta school board, used the same nonexistent group name – 'Citizens for Progress' – in a 2013 campaign for a local sales tax proposal....Rest of article.
Kingfish note: The question is what will Bickers say when she flips?   Oh, she will flip.  The G-Man she is not.



17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Going to be fun when she spills the beans about the 2014 Cochran shenanigans. Karma will be a bitch for the MSGOP.

Anonymous said...

The story about the stripper party that she provided for Yarber is pretty funny, especially considering she is "ordained."

Anonymous said...

"Mitzi Bickers, an Atlanta pastor"

So much gold in that statement. What is it with da "clergy" being caught up in corruption? Is it that tax free benefit?

Anonymous said...

How did this morph from influencing contract participation to running radio ads in Canton? While one is illegal, the other is not.

Anonymous said...

Not illegal but unseemly and sordid on the part of the parties who placed the ads.

Mr. 2-Bits said...

She was put in leg irons? That's funny.

Anonymous said...

It's extremely difficult to find a political operative willing to do almost anything, no matter how disgusting or repulsive, for a buck who has not become a "pastor". Especially in the Black community where people are most vulnerable. Bickers is as low as a flat snake but is in great demand because there is always a need for someone, the "political operative" to effectuate the bribe, peddle influence, or perform the dirty tricks. Sadly, if they don't put her away for a long, long time, she'll be right back, swingin'.

Anonymous said...

Difference between the Republicans who worked with the minority party to get Cochran elected and McDaniels is they are for all Mississippians, McDaniels is not. Having her robo call is not a crime. Y'all got beat by a better team, and you have yet to recover. You'd of done the same thing if you could. Instead, your legacy will consist of the senseless loss of life due to the Ms. Cochran photos. Go home your drunk!

Anonymous said...

Maybe if bribery were illegal this wouldn't have happened.

Anonymous said...

There is a significant number of "clergy" that are in it solely for the money. We all know tales of "preachers" who slept with women in their congregation, or "ministers" who drive $50,000 late model cars, or some other form of submission to sins of the flesh while praising Jesus.

A friend of mine sold a business in South Jackson to a megachurch. They took ownership but refused to pay, so he took them to court. In discovery, he found out that they owned (among other things) a bar. When asked about it, the "minister" claimed that they lured folks in with alcohol, then preached the Gospel once they were inside.

He said that with a straight face. I guess he got his practice lying every Sunday.

It's sad, but religion is a money making scheme to a lot of people, and "Reverend" Bickers is certainly among that number. Jail will be nothing compared to the price she will eventually pay for fleecing earnest people of faith.

Anonymous said...

I think the Jackson 5 that was highlighted in the Clarionldger will be next in a series of clowns to go down with Bickers.

Did she have women to body paint themselves for Yarber? Isn't he a preacher?

Is she involved with the bond guy from Atlanta? What is up with the City of Jackson and folk from Atlanta?

Isn't Keisha Powell in Atlanta?

Is Atlanta a proving ground from crooks?

This should very interesting. I'm getting popcorn.

Anonymous said...

@ April 9 - 12:20 PM; Since when are "unseemly and sordid" anathema to political campaign activities? Please tell.

(re your retort that '(it) wasn't illegal but unseemly and sordid on the part of the parties who placed the ads'.



Anonymous said...

a director of personel with the city of atlanta who goes from a petition in bankruptcy court to paying cash for a 750,000$ house in about 2 years. some people just love to show their ass. sounds like chris epps and his buddies.

Anonymous said...

Did she pay off Yarber's house?

This story is interesting? Was she working with the JRA commissioner that was recently indicted? What happened to that indictment King Fish?

We need to know?

Has the feds gotten anyone with the City of Jackson?

Anonymous said...

@12:09 it's akin to being on Probation with the NCAA and having an "alleged" top 5 recruiting class the next year.

Anonymous said...

Fascinating. Thanks for connecting the dots for us, KF... I look forward to further developments.

Anonymous said...

"... You'd of done the same thing if you could. ... Go home your drunk!"
April 9, 2018 at 2:02 PM

"You'd of done" is a contraction of "you would of done". That is bad English. The correct phrase is, "you would HAVE done". That can be contracted as: "you'd've done"(nonstandard, but marginally acceptable), "you would have done"; "you'd have done", or "you would've done".

I suspect that you're the guy who's been haunting this site for years, ending his every post with a cliche he thinks is catchy, witty, or funny. Most of us just find that habit sad and obnoxious. But if you MUST end every post with your idea of a 'zinger', you could at least get your 'zingers' right. "Go home your drunk!", should have been written, "Go home! You're drunk!".



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