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Posts tagged
'GIF scandal Jon Woods'

Unsealed court documents include kickback accusation against former state Rep. Tim Summers; Summers says "Jon Woods is a proven liar"

The more than 500 pages of court filings recently unsealed by Federal Judge Timothy Brooks in the federal corruption case against former state Sen. Jon Woods include notes from a 2017 meeting between former state Rep. Micah Neal and federal investigators. According to these notes, Neal described what appears to be an accusation by Woods that state. Rep. Tim Summers, then a lobbyist, took kickbacks in exchange for helping to get GIF money for an affiliate of Preferred Family Healthcare where Summers worked on staff.
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More from federal court: A Lamoureux appearance in money trail and report of a Woods bribe offer

Here's more reading in corrupt Arkansas politics. It includes a succinct statement of crimes the feds were investigating against Jon Woods, not all of them ultimately presented in court. The document brings others uncharged into the picture, such as former Sen. Michael Lamoureux, who served for a time as Gov. Asa Hutchinson's chief of staff and is now a lobbyist. It outlines another new bribe allegation against Woods that didn't result in a charge.
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Wikipedia: History according to Jon Woods

Somebody has been editing former Sen,. Jon Woods' Wikipedia entry An awful lot there about what a great guy he is. His felony conviction? MIA.

Change of plea hearing set for Rusty Cranford

Breaking news today in the case of Rusty Cranford, the former lobbyist accused of bribing Arkansas legislators.
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Rep. Jana Della Rosa disputes that Randell Shelton's Paradigm Consulting was a "bogus company"

During the trial of former state Sen. Jon Woods and consultant Randell Shelton, the prosecution described Shelton's Paradigm Strategic Consulting as a "bogus company." But Rep. Jana Della Rosa, who paid Paradigm in 2014 for help with campaign messaging, said that Shelton did legitimate work for her.

Bob Ballinger and Ecclesia College

There is no evidence of criminal wrongdoing outside of those indicted. Nevertheless, it is only natural that all things Ecclesia are getting a closer look in the wake of the scandal. Here is the story of Bob Ballinger and Ecclesia College.
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Ways to serve

Last Friday, the statewide newspaper included two prominent headlines about former Arkansas state senators. On the front page was the story of former Sen. Jon Woods' conviction on 15 of 17 counts in a federal public corruption case in Fayetteville, a trial masterfully reported throughout by the veteran Arkansas journalist Doug Thompson. On the front of the Arkansas section was a celebratory obituary observing the death of former Sen. Jim Argue (D-Little Rock) from an aggressive kidney cancer. Two very different headlines about two very different men who happened to hold the same public office.

Former state Sen. Jon Woods found guilty in federal corruption case

Former state Sen. Jon Woods was found guilty today on 15 counts in his federal corruption case. Consultant Randell Shelton Jr., on trial on related charges, was found guilty of 12 counts.
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Update: Elected officials set to get another pay bump

The Independent Citizens Commission, created by Amendment 94 to the Arkansas Constitution — the so-called "ethics amendment" approved by voters in 2014 — granted 3-percent pay bumps for all constitutional officers, judges, prosecutors and lawmakers, the D-G reports.

More grants to Ecclesia surface

Then-state senator and Senate president pro tempore Michael Lamoureux insisted that a state organization that distributed GIF funds approve a grant to Ecclesia College despite problems with the college's application, a witness in the public corruption trial of former Sen. Jon Woods testified today.
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Hutchinson: 'GIF money is history'

The Arkansas-Democrat Gazette reports this morning that Governor Hutchinson, speaking at a retreat by the board of directors for Metroplan, that the General Improvement Fund that legislators have used in the past as pork-barrel politics and, indictments have revealed, a source of kickbacks, is dead.

GIF system a mess, administrator testifies in corruption trial

Record keeping was almost nonexistent at the Northwest Arkansas Development District, the agency responsible for disbursing the legislative General Improvement Funds at the heart of a public corruption trial in Fayetteville, the agency's deputy director testified today. Doug Thompson of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette provided the report.
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