Update: They squabbled over whether the prosecution could introduce evidence concerning boots Warnock allegedly purchased for Espy. The prosecution won.
Who knew CMU was just one big party? WLBT's Anthony Warren is covering the public corruption trials of Rudy Warnock and Cleveland Anderson. Warren reported last night:
Madison County’s board attorney attended at least two events funded by former CMU engineer Rudy Warnock. That’s according to testimony given by a former employee of Warnock on Wednesday in federal court. Warnock and Cleveland Anderson are facing multiple public corruption charges in connection with a 2016-17 bribery scheme. According to prosecutors, Warnock allegedly bribed Anderson and others in exchange for lucrative contracts with CMU. During that time, Warnock’s firm was said to have received $6 million in emergency sewer work, of which he profited more than $1 million. On Wednesday, the court heard from several witnesses, including Calvin Harris, a former high-ranking employee with Warnock’s engineering firm at the time. He told the court that Mike Espy, now the attorney for the Madison County Board of Supervisors, watched a New Orleans Saints-Atlanta Falcons football game in Warnock’s skybox back in 2016. Harris testified that Espy, along with other Canton city officials, attended a Beyoncé concert, also at the engineer’s expense. Court records indicate Espy was the attorney for CMU at the time the bribery scheme occurred. However, he has not been charged with a crime. The Madison County Journal reported he was appointed CMU attorney in September 2016, replacing Lisa Ross. According to ESPN, the Saints played the Falcons on September 26, two weeks after Espy’s appointment. Eric Gilkey and Andrew Grant, two former Canton aldermen, also attended that game. They also attended a Beyoncé concert at the Superdome two days earlier, also on Warnock’s dime. Gilkey and Grant were indicted along with Warnock and Anderson back in 2021 in connection with the same scheme. They later accepted plea deals in exchange for their testimony.... It was the second trip to the Crescent City that the former aldermen were treated to at the engineer’s expense. Earlier that year, Harris said the four flew to New Orleans on Warnock’s private plane for a two-day fishing excursion in the Gulf. When they arrived, the four were met by a Mercedes Sprinter van, which took them on a ride around the French Quarter. “Me and Mr. Gilkey went to a bar, and Mr. Grant and Mr. Warnock went another way,” he said. “It was a strip club.” Rest of article
WLBT reported earlier that Grant said Warnock bribed him to sign a document saying they did nothing wrong in 2018. Harris worked for Warnock from 2007 to 2017 and then worked for Waggoner Engineering from 2018 to 2020. The story does not mention it but a former Madison County investigator and Canton Police Chief were in the box at the Saints game as well.
21 comments:
The web is being woven. Enter one Michael Espy. I believe the timeline here is that these trips occurred, with Espy, right after Espy was fired as County Attorney by the incoming trio of Baxter, Jones and David Bishop.
There are plenty of photos out there on the net of Warnock and Espy together locally and in D.C.
Fast forward to Banks deposing David Bishop and the Board rehires Espy and fires Phil Bryant's daughter in the County Attorney position. The old comrade-trio of Banks, Griffin and Steen are back in place. By this time, Warnock has left for (absconded to) Alabama. The Board struggles with the possibility of rehiring Rudy but realizes that would cause quite a shit-storm. Their tenure with Money-Bags Rudy has ended. Or did it.
I think every civil engineer and public works manager in the state knew or suspected.
Why actually work for a living when you can get a gubment job?
Yep exactly!
Doesn't Espy have a history of doing thuese things? eg Fed Dept of Agriculture
Espy - a charter member of the Clinton inner circle. 'nuf said.
Great update! Thank you KF!
Most folks who dealt directly with Warnock historically would probably tell you that his engineering skills, work product and professional reputation, alone, could explain his apparent financial success.
It's a good thing that Espy has never been convicted of accepting bribes (although people have been convicted of giving him bribes.)
Didn't realize that CMU had that much money to give out on contracts !
Espy has been through the torture once….you can bet he’s been talking to feds since 2016.
I'm sure that you meant to say a gubment contractor which is a private sector business sucking that gubment tit.
This is corrupt as hell, but the evidence won’t lead to a conviction. The Supreme Court made bribery legal to protect their own corruption. Clarence Thomas got hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars in free stuff from his suitors. This case is going nowhere, but will produce some headlines showing just how slimy these politicians are. There’s a handful of politicians that don’t take money, and those are the ones the media convinces people are a joke. AOC and Bernie are about it on the national stage and look how they get portrayed.
@10:37 must be trolling. I cant inagine anyone this delusional. Sanders took party money to hand his nomination over to incompetent rivals that he was was crushing in the polls... twice. remember “no refunds” for bernie bros?
I wonder if David Richardson (former BOS president and convicted felon) will get interviewed?
Mr Harris is NOT the only past employee who can spill some goods
"AOC and Bernie are about it on the national stage and look how they get portrayed."
They come across as an Internet-famous, attention-seeking loudmouth and a kook, because that's what they are.
--a guy who has voted mostly Democrat since 2004
@10:58 - thanks for proving my point with your lies designed to make him sound bad and distract from the true crooks. Your opinion is as worthless as these crooked politicians who convinced you to ignore your own self interests for their luxurious lifestyle.
@12:14 - thanks for proving my point.
Are not aware of the projects (bridges, roads, airport studies) in which he positioned himself to redo the work several years later, in effect, being paid twice or more for the same 'work'?
10:25am CMU had bonding capacity….borrow money, build, pay Rudy who pays back
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