The Fall of the House of Zeus (59 page)

19
In the meantime …
Interviews with confidential sources.

20
In March …
FBI report drafted by Philip H. Neilson alleging “Civil Rights violations, Intelligence Oversight Board (IOB) violations, and privacy violations” by the United States Attorneys Office, Northern District of
Mississippi, March 21, 2006.

21
Determined to keep …
Interviews with Hailman, Dawson, confidential sources.

22
For several months …
Interview with Dawson.

23
Despite these efforts …
Interviews with confidential sources.

1
In the beginning …
Interview with Tom Dawson.

2
Using his own …
Interviews with John Hailman, confidential sources.

3
Bill Delaney …
Transcript of testimony by William Delaney, hearing in connection with
U.S.A. v. Scruggs
, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Mississippi, Feb. 20, 2008.

4
On May 4 …
Telephone conversation between Judge Henry L. Lackey and Tim Balducci, recorded by the FBI, May 4, 2007.

5
He even had a cheery greeting …
Meeting between Lackey and
Balducci, recorded by the FBI, May 9, 2007.

6
When he finally found …
Telephone conversation between Lackey and Balducci, recorded by the FBI, May 21, 2007.

7
That same day …
Letter, transmitted by fax, from Lackey to Larry D. Moffett and Grady Tollison, May 21, 2007.

8
He even concocted …
Lackey testimony, April 15, 2008. Balducci
testimony, Feb. 20, 2008.

9
Though no one else …
Interviews with Dawson, Hailman.

10
Over lunch …
Balducci testimony, Feb. 20, 2008.

11
Afterward, Lackey …
Personal journal of Henry Lackey, entry dated June 4, 2007.

12
On June 4 …
Letter, transmitted by fax, from Lackey to Moffett and Tollison, June 4, 2007.

1
While Judge Lackey …
Interviews with Dick Scruggs, Zach Scruggs.

2
The tone …
“Biloxi Attorney Paul Minor and Two Former Mississippi State Court Judges Convicted for Role in Bribery Scheme,” U.S. Department of Justice news release, April 2, 2007.

3
Minor was sentenced …
“Biloxi Attorney Paul Minor and Two Former Mississippi State Court Judges Sentenced on Conviction in Bribery Scheme,” U.S. Department of Justice news release, Sept. 7, 2007.

4
Even vacations …
Interviews with Diane Scruggs, Rex Deloach.

5
En route …
Interview with Parham Williams.

6
Attracting the famed …
Words of Wisdom, Chapman University
website.

7
Continuing west …
Interviews with Diane Scruggs, Deloach.

8
On the last day …
Interview with Mike Moore.

9
The trouble with Dale …
Interview with Dick Scruggs.

10
A hundred days …
Deposition given by David Lee Harrell in connection with
Thomas C. and Pamela McIntosh v. State Farm Fire & Casualty
Co., Forensic Analysis & Engineering Corp., and E.A. Renfroe & Co.
, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Mississippi, Oct. 31, 2007.

11
He felt …
Interview with Dick Scruggs.

12
In a cartoon …
“Lipstick on a Pig,”
Clarion-Ledger
, March 25, 2007.

13
Diane Scruggs …
Interview with Diane Scruggs.

14
The head …
“The Man Who Sold the War,” James Bamford,
Rolling Stone
, Nov. 17, 2005.

15
The Republican governor …
Unpublished interview with George Dale, 2008.

16
Dale sued …
“Dale Says He’ll Fight Removal from Mississippi Ballot,” Emily Wagster Pettus, Associated Press, March 21, 2007.

17
But Dale blamed …
Unpublished interview with Dale.

18
Hood convened …
Interview with Danny Cupit.

19
In a twist …
Interviews with Dick Scruggs, confidential sources.

20
When Hood …
Interviews with Zach Scruggs, Dick Scruggs,
confidential sources.

21
Scruggs and Cupit …
Interviews with Scruggs, Cupit, and confidential sources.

22
In the case …
Interview with Dick Scruggs.

23
Drawing upon his wiles …
“Katrina: Where Things Stand,”
20/20
report by Brian Ross on ABC, Aug. 25, 2006.

24
A week later …
E. A. Renfroe & Co., Inc. v. Cori Rigsby Moran, et al.
, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama.

25
The case was assigned …
“Federal Judge Challenges Himself on U.S. Cases,” William Schmidt,
New York Times
, July 19, 1988; “Alabama Students Say School Punished Them for not Reciting Pledge,” Associated Press, July 21, 2000; “U.S. Judge: No Yale Law Clerks,” Dee McAree,
The National Law Journal
, Feb. 25, 2005.

26
In June 2007 …
Interview with Zach Scruggs.

27
The day after …
Memorandum opinion by U.S. District Judge
William M. Acker, Jr., in
Renfroe v. Rigsby Moran, et al.
, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama, June 15, 2007.

28
There was further irony …
Letter from U.S. Attorney Alice H. Martin to Judge Acker, July 25, 2007.

29
Refusing to give up …
Judge Acker’s June 15 opinion; “Criminal
Contempt Prosecution of Dickie Scruggs,” Point of Law Forum, Manhattan
Institute, July 28, 2007

30
Scruggs countered …
Interview with Dick Scruggs.

31
In one of Senter’s …
“Judge Rules for Insurers in Katrina,” Joseph B. Treaster,
New York Times
, Aug. 16, 2006.

32
Still, Scruggs …
Interview with Zach Scruggs.

1
Air-conditioning …
“Dry September,” short story by William Faulkner,
Collected Stories of William Faulkner
(VintageBooks, 1995).

2
Down the road …
Judge Lackey testimony, April 15, 2008.

3
The federal agents …
Interviews with confidential sources.

4
Finally, on the afternoon …
“Gary Anderson Sends George Dale to the Showers,”
Jackson Free Press
, Aug. 8, 2007; telephone conversation between Judge Lackey and Tim Balducci, recorded by the FBI, Aug. 9, 2007.

5
“I’m looking for the piss ant” …
Telephone conversation between Lackey and Balducci, Aug. 9, 2007.

6
Lackey’s subsequent attempts …
Two failed attempts by Lackey to reach Balducci by telephone, FBI recordings, Sept. 11, 2007; interviews with
confidential sources.

7
“I could not reach …
FBI recording, Sept. 11, 2007.

8
A week later …
Telephone conversation between Lackey and
Balducci, recorded by the FBI, Sept. 18,2007.

9
If he could get …
Balducci’s grand jury testimony, Nov. 27, 2007.

10
Listening to the conversation …
Interviews with Tom Dawson, John Hailman.

11
The development …
Interview with Dawson.

12
The event …
Panel discussion hosted by Prudential Financial in 2002; Boyer, “The Bribe.”

13
Despite Lackey’s admonition …
Telephone conversation between Judge Lackey and Balducci, recorded by the FBI, Sept. 18, 2007.

14
Their money had …
Telephone conversation between Balducci and unidentified man in his firm, recorded by the FBI, Nov. 1, 2007.

15
Showing no signs …
Telephone conversation between Balducci and Steve Patterson, recorded by the FBI, Sept. 28, 2007.

16
Scruggs was their ultimate …
Telephone conversation between
Balducci and Jim Biden, recorded by the FBI, Sept. 27, 2007.

17
The conversation …
Conversation between Balducci and Judge Lackey, recorded by the FBI, Sept. 21, 2007.

1
Four days after …
Application for interception of wire communications, filed in U.S. District Court, Northern District of Mississippi, Sept. 25, 2007.

2
Biggers was …
Interviews with confidential sources.

3
On September 25 …
Application for interception of wire
communications, signed by U.S. District Judge Neal Biggers.

4
One of the first …
Telephone conversation between Patterson and
Balducci, recorded by the FBI, Sept. 26, 2007.

5
Before nine o’clock …
Telephone conversation between Balducci and Patterson, recorded by the FBI, Sept. 27, 2007.

6
A half hour later …
Conversation between Balducci and Judge Henry Lackey, recorded by the FBI, Sept. 27, 2007.

7
Lackey had another …
Journal of Judge Lackey, entry dated Oct. 18, 2007.

8
Driving back …
Telephone conversation between Balducci and Jim Biden, recorded by the FBI, Sept. 27, 2007.

9
Shortly before noon …
Second telephone conversation between
Balducci and Patterson, recorded by the FBI, Sept. 27, 2007.

10
The next afternoon …
Interview with Joey Langston; two telephone conversations between Patterson and Balducci, recorded by the FBI, Sept. 28, 2007.

11
Although Patterson …
Telephone conversations between Patterson and Balducci, Sept. 28,2007.

12
That same afternoon …
Interview with Dick Scruggs.

13
Blake remained vague …
Second telephone conversation between
Patterson and Balducci, Sept. 28, 2007.

14
Listening to the recordings …
Application for interception of wire communications, filed in U.S. District Court, Northern District of Mississippi, Oct. 16, 2007.

15
Biggers …
Application for interception of wire communications, signed by Judge Biggers, Oct. 16, 2007.

1
There were legitimate …
Interviews with Dick Scruggs, Diane Scruggs, confidential sources.

2
The presidential candidate …
Interviews with Zach Scruggs,
confidential sources; invitation to “A fund-raising reception honoring Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-De.).”

3
It was determined …
Telephone conversation between Tim Balducci and Jim Biden, Sept. 27, 2007.

4
A month later …
Telephone conversation between Balducci, Steve Patterson, and Jim Biden, recorded by the FBI, Sept. 27, 2007; telephone
conversation between Balducci and Jim Biden, Sept. 27, 2007.

5
Scruggs laughed …
Interview with Dick Scruggs.

6
As soon as he left …
Telephone conversation between Balducci and Jim Biden, Sept. 27, 2007.

7
Over the next twenty-four hours …
Second telephone conversation between Balducci and Jim Biden, Sept. 27, 2007.

8
One of the earliest …
Interviews with confidential sources; brochure for Patterson, Balducci and Biden, PLLC Law Group.

9
In the first …
“Lawyers: Police Shooting Unjust,” Tyrone Tony Reed, Jr.,
Jackson Sun
, April 19, 2007.

10
Patterson also persuaded …
Brochure for law group.

11
Allain was another …
Interviews with confidential sources; Wilkie,
Dixie
.

12
His counterpart …
Conversation with Bill Clinton, February 1992.

13
Patterson also arranged …
Brochure for law group.

14
Ieyoub’s background …
“Ieyoub Claims He’s Vindicated,” Jack
Wardlaw,
Times-Picayune
, June 17, 1998.

15
Yet Patterson …
Telephone conversation between Patterson and
Balducci, recorded by the FBI, Oct. 4, 2007.

16
There were no boundaries …
Telephone conversation between
Balducci and Patterson, Sept. 28, 2007; brochure for law group.

17
But the biggest …
Telephone conversation between Balducci and
Patterson. Sept. 27, 2007.

18
It was a highly complicated …
Interviews with Dick Scruggs, Joey Langston.

19
In mid-October …
Telephone conversation between Balducci and
Patterson, recorded by the FBI, Oct. 15, 2007.

20
According to a financial …
Centerpulse Ltd. filing with Security
Exchange Commission, April 25, 2003.

21
Balducci could barely …
Telephone conversation between Balducci and Patterson, Oct. 15, 2007.

22
Balducci had gone …
Brochure for law group.

23
Balducci said Ondo …
Telephone conversation between Balducci and Patterson, Oct. 15, 2007.

24
Another older attorney …
Interview with Norman Gillespie; Patterson, Balducci PLLC Law Group of Counsel Agreement, signed May 9, 2007.

25
At least they thought …
Telephone conversation between Patterson and Jim and Sara Biden, recorded by the FBI, Oct. 31, 2007.

26
They even …
Interview with John Hailman.

27
For all of their …
Telephone conversations between Balducci and
Patterson, recorded by the FBI, Oct. 8, 2007.