The seamy side of Canton politics is on full display this week in Rudy Warnock's federal trial downtown. WLBT's Antonius Warren reported:
From lavish trips on a private plane to dropping $50,000 in one night at Chicago nightclub, a disgraced former alderman offered new details Tuesday on how prosecutors say a former Canton engineer attempted to buy influence with city officials. Tuesday marked the first day of testimony in the long-awaited Rudy Warnock and Cleveland Anderson corruption trial. Warnock and Anderson are charged in connection with a scheme to bribe city officials in exchange for lucrative contracts with CMU. For much of the day, jurors heard from Andrew Grant, a former Canton alderman who pleaded guilty in 2022 in connection with the same scheme. He told the court he went on multiple trips on Warnock’s dime, including a fishing trip to New Orleans, as well as a trip to Chicago, where Warnock spent $50,000 on him and others at a nightclub called Studio Paris. “Trips to Washington D.C., trips to Chicago, football game tickets, concerts, and cash... Mr. Warnock was providing bribes to me, and I was enjoying them,” he said. John Colette, an attorney for Warnock, said Grant signed a statement in February 2018 contradicting that claim, and that it wasn’t out of the ordinary for his client to spend money on people. “You recall going to my client’s office around November 19, 2016, needing $3,500 for an event at the community center. He normally wrote a check, but he was leaving and going someplace, and he gave you cash, didn’t he?” he asked. “He sponsored that. He sponsored Christmas on the square for Catholic Charities. He even had to hire Santa Claus,” Colette continued. “And you asked him to do it, and when he gave you money... he didn’t ask for anything, did he?” “He did not,” Grant responded. Read the rest of the article. There is more, much more.
There is more to come. Stay tuned.
24 comments:
A "fishing trip to New Orleans." Wow, now that's a huge carrot on a stick, at least to a Canton politician.
If a "fishing trip to New Orleans" is sufficient to bribe/influence a Canton politician, wouldn't a "happy meal" at Micky D's be more cost effective?
Madison County has the best politicians that money can buy.
Coke n strippers type fishing trip
$50,000 for one evening at a Chicago club? With that kind of money a fella could have a pretty good time in Vegas, or better yet, Paris, flying to/from first class. (Note: unless there was gambling in that club, I don't believe that testimony one bit.)
People up here ask me why we can’t get ahead or anything good like the county does. My response is that as long as our city is run like it is by people like these (crooks) we won’t get anything except shit. And yes, McD's would be more cost effective.
the only fishing in new orleans was fishing the strip clubs on bourbon st. same smell.
big john colette has always the knack to show up handling cases with hot women and big money.
witnesses like this clown can't be believed. colette gone walk rudy out of there with a written apology.
Looks like it's about as slimy as I expected.
cant believe this trial is actually happening and not being delayed again.
And they reward incompetence, like when a county official gives a scammer millions, and the Canton Board of Supervisors gives that same official a raise.
What about Rudy building a barn on an official's property or paying for and keeping campaign signs in his shed for another one or sending them with spouses on lavish vaca....wait, wrong trial. My bad.
A fishing trip to New Orleans seems appropriate at that level. I mean, all it took was a New Orleans Super Bowl trip to buy Jason White.
$50K in Chicago??? Yall Ever Been Up There??? That Place Is Expensive!!! Just Sayin...Anyway Who's Money Was Rudy Handen Out? I'm From Leake County...
Can we deed Madison over to Louisiana? The local politicians would certainly fit in better there.
Read the latest. Rudy and Cleveland need to stop the trial and set up a plea deal now.
We are all adults here, and we know it's love that makes the world go around, with money greasing the wheels. Why, Mr Warnock was only making sure that the wheels continued to move, and love could flourish. This gentleman was only performing a public service.
A mere gratuity bestowed upon all of humanity!
Free Rudy
Did Rudy keep his personal boat in a county building just like the current Emergency Management director stores his personal boat?
@4:47 PM Great question... Wonder if FEDS know if the NOW EMA director drove Warnock around .... something about Security... or whatever they were all doing. Ohh we will probably never know. But CURRENT EMA director knows what he did and didn't do.
So Rudy pushed Espy’s appointment. Hmmm. Will Espy testify for Rudy?
Wrong trial, 6:49. Be patient.
There IS no Canton Board of Supervisors. Be specific.
Post a Comment