Will evidence of bribes, offer to kill Madison Mayor, and expensive gifts be allowed?
The legal skirmishing is heating up as former Canton engineer Rudy Warnock and former Canton Ealdorman Cleve Anderson prepare for their December trials on federal corruption charges.
A federal grand jury indicted former Canton Municipal Utilities engineer Rudy Warnock for conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and wire fraud and Cleveland Anderson for two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery in December 2021. The indictments were unsealed nearly a year later on November 22, 2022.
The grand jury also indicted former Canton Alderman Andrew Grant and Canton Alderman Eric Gilkey for Conspiracy to commit bribery (2 counts), conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud in December 2021. The two defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery.
The Justice Department asked U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate to allow several items of evidence against Warnock. The motion in limine states:
In or about 2013, Andrew Grant ran for the Canton Board of Aldermen (“BOA”) for the first time. Grant was put in contact with Defendant Warnock during the campaign. Grant and Defendant Warnock met at Defendant Warnock’s office. Defendant Warnock gave Grant $1,000. During the same conversation in which the money was exchanged, Defendant Warnock told Grant that if any work became available in Canton, Defendant Warnock would be interested in it. The government anticipates Grant will testify regarding this instance of conduct. During the same 2013 election cycle, Grant asked Defendant Warnock to provide things of value to his campaign. Specifically, Grant requested that Defendant Warnock purchase lunches for Grant’s poll workers and provide transportation for Grant’s campaign to use to transport voters. Defendant Warnock agreed and provided those things of value to Grant. The government anticipates Grant will testify regarding this instance of conduct.
Prosecutors want to introduce two items of evidence against Anderson as well:
c) During the course of the charged conspiracies, Defendant Anderson made attempts to convince Grant, Gilkey, Defendant Warnock, and others at CMU that CMU should hire Defendant Anderson’s wife and other family members. Gilkey advised Defendant Anderson that this would be illegal.2 Despite the admonition, Defendant Anderson called Defendant Warnock to further push for CMU to hire his wife. The government anticipates Grant and Gilkey will testify regarding this instance of conduct.
d) During the course of the charged conspiracies, Defendant Warnock, Defendant Anderson, and Eric Gilkey had a conversation about a Madison public official. In Gilkey’s presence, Defendant Warnock complained to Defendant Anderson about the official’s treatment of Defendant Warnock. In response, Defendant Anderson offered to arrange for people to come down from Chicago to kill the official. According to Gilkey, Anderson seemed “serious” when he said this. The government anticipates Gilkey will testify regarding this course of conduct.
The targeted official was Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler.
The prosecution also intends to introduce Mike Espy's testimony into evidence:
The government anticipates calling Espy as an eyewitness to Defendant Warnock’s corruption in this case. Espy saw Warnock purchase expensive items for Grant and Gilkey during a trip. Espy, who served as the CMU attorney during the period pertinent to the indictment, may also testify about nonprivileged emails he received and conversations he had regarding Canton’s sewer problems and the proposed solutions.
Trial is scheduled for Warnock and Anderson on December 2.
Kingfish note: The plot thickens.
36 comments:
Hire a hitman. Well, dang. Thanks for staying on top of this case. The big question now......Will there be yet another delay?
Did the canary finish singing yet?
Do all hit men "come down from Chicago?"
I want to know why typed the legal document using different fonts...
Espy getting immunity?
Not just the mayor, he allegedly offered to kill a local reporter, too: https://www.wapt.com/article/warnock-alleges-canton-official-offered-murder-for-hire/9530667
No trial in December. Maybe Spring of 2025.
2:15 pm SOURCE?
Have a few weeks before yet another order of continuance is entered. Isn't it up to 17 now?
1:23, keep up. Its FDEI. all fonts are now equal
A couple of Chicago button men? I’d put money on Miss Mary. That old broad is tougher than a fat liter knot.
Steve @ 4:44: Just continue roaming the internet and you will eventually learn how to spell most words. A liter is a form of measurement. What you are trying to spell is lighter. Only a few people browsing this blog or forum do not know what a lighter knot is, so you have the upper hand there. Keep up the good work and don’t stop reading.
Democrats think people who live in Chicago are more clever than those from anywhere else in the world. I would speculate they are more stupider. Travel some and watch people.
What does FDEI mean? 😢
Well now I know why 99.9% of P.E. ‘S had such distain for Rudy, not to include his arrogance. What a story and hope he gets a day in court soon. Amazing how criminals go years B4 trial. Taxpayers pay through the nose to defend these losers!
Just as greed turns people into criminals and power turns people into tyrants, anonymity turns people into assholes. 5:47 is a perfect example. I know what a lighter knot is, and what “Steve @ 4:44” was trying to say, but because of a misspelled word 5:47 felt that was his chance to anonymously be a bully and go off on someone. On the bright side, taking it out here may mean 5:47 was not so harsh on his wife or dog tonight. Either way, practice a little civility.
I feel bad for Rudy. He did all this good work for Madison County and CMU. While other engineers were out politicking, Rudy and his staff were nose to the grindstone turning out projects that were very professionally engineered. Now these allegations have led him to bankruptcy. Just terrible how this happens to the innocent.
Espy knew that man was a crook. Look at Espy in the picture. He does not want to be there!
I, for one, had never heard of a 'Lighter Knot', so 'Liter Knot' left me wondering - except I gathered, through context, that it was something tough. And I'm ever-so-grateful to have escaped Mississippi, where excessive reactions to anything even vaguely objectionable, serve as excuses for ugly overreactions to the initial reactions.
Anonymous doesn’t need your vote.
He didn't 'stay on top of it'. It was covered in the Madison County page. Rudy also threatened the publisher of that paper back when he had his balls twisted up over Mayor Mary. This little runt never has (yet) gotten the ass whuppin' he deserves.
Obviously not. Still a lot of squirming going on over at the MadCo County Office Bldg. But, and pay attention closely, there is more than one canary. Several are indicted, some not yet, and one is the defendant.
You want to know WHY?
I always thought it was "lightard knot" myself.
11:11, check out the front page of the Madison County Journal website
It’s “lighterd” in Marion County.
As Madison County's board atty, did Espy ever have a say or have to look over Madison County School District's dealings? Specifically, would Espy have a say in awarding contracts from Madison County School District? Or does the school district have it's own attorneys? I know of a situation where they approved a bid for a service that was not lowest and best, and it was awarded to an "acquaintance" of Espy(both Sr. and Jr.).
Nope. MCSD has its own lawyers.
I don't know either. FDEI usually stands for Fidelis Energy, Inc. in the stock market. No idea what he was talking about.
For all the city folks.
Fatwood, also known as "fat lighter", "lighter wood", "rich lighter", "pine knot",[1] "lighter knot", "heart pine", "fat stick" or "lighter'd" [sic], is derived from the heartwood of pine trees. The stump (and tap root) that is left in the ground after a tree has fallen or has been cut is the primary source of fatwood, as the resin-impregnated heartwood becomes hard and rot-resistant after the tree has died. Wood from other locations can also be used, such as the joints where limbs intersect the trunk. Although most resinous pines can produce fatwood, in the southeastern United States the wood is commonly associated with longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), which historically was highly valued for its high pitch production.
To add to what 3:01 said, you can go in a pine stand (forest) and find the resin-rich lighter left where a pine tree has decayed. When split, it lights easily and burns for a long time, making it an excellent starter for fires, thus its name. It also smells great, but can be messy.
From the context (all fonts are equal), I’m assuming FDEI is an acronym for Font Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. There may even be people who identify as fonts.
5:54 pm, hahahahaha you made my day.
One of the earliest forms of a propery corner in the southeast U.S. was a rose cone pine knot. They didn't rot. Then with the end of horse drawn carriages or "Buggies" and the advent of the automobile, the now obsolete Buggie axle became the corner monument of choice. As for the pine knots, prior to World War II the government decided that since pine knots once ground up into powder worked well as dynamite they'd better set some land aside just for that purpose and that's how the Bienville National Forest from Morton to Raleigh was born.
Well dang. I didn't realize that furnishing sandwiches and water to pole workers was illegal. Nor did I realize that a $1000 campaign contribution was illegal. What about the other engineers and lawyers that make contributions to elected officials and ask for consideration of work if the candidate wins? If thats illegal i'm in big trouble too along with every other law firm. This doesn't sound illegal? Someone help me understand how this is illegal. Please
It’s not illegal. Nothing in your statement says quid pro quo or bribe
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