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Oh good golly, Jim Hood must see his political and legal career flashing before his eyes these days. He’s really in a pinch over this whole Dickie Scruggs mess – the longer the Scruggs episode plays out – and it’s going to play out for some time, the more times the Democrat Attorney General and his staff apparently will feel compelled to stonewall the press on this line of questioning. This is a no win situation for Hood right now. If they haven’t already, the talk radio airwaves will be lit up with this issue, and Hood’s apparent lack of transparency, generating acres of negative earned media for Jim Hood. After the talk radio folks have chewed on it for awhile, you can expect some editorial page writers to from across the state to way in and demand Hood something – anything. Dickie Scruggs was, or still is, Jim Hood’s confidential informant, political donor, and friend – this has got to be putting a strain on things there.

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood has avoided media requests for interviews since last week, when his legal ally in Hurricane Katrina insurance litigation was indicted for allegedly trying to bribe a judge.Richard “Dickie” Scruggs, indicted Nov. 28, worked with Hood to negotiate a global settlement agreement for State Farm policyholders in 2006 and early 2007.

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They also say Scruggs donated $44,000 to Hood’s campaign:

BIRMINGHAM – Federal prosecutors say trial lawyer Richard Scruggs, currently the target of criminal contempt charges, was offered advice by Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood before violating a judge’s order.

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Looks like Senator Biden has been doing a little cleaning up. He has returned campaign contributions from Dickie Scruggs and his son. Now the question is, will the Democratic Attorneys General Association follow Biden’s lead and return their Scruggs money?

From the LA Times:

Biden’s July expenses included giving refunds of $2,300 to the man known as Mississippi’s best-known attorney, Richard “Dickie” Scruggs, and Scruggs’ son, Zach Scruggs.

Scruggs, a longtime major donor to Democrats nationally and the brother-in-law of Republican Trent Lott, gained fame and wealth by suing asbestos manufacturers and tobacco companies.

His fortunes turned downward in March when he pleaded guilty to conspiring to bribe a judge who handled a suit over how to divide $26.5 million in legal fees from an $89-million settlement over Hurricane Katrina claims. He reported to prison earlier this summer to begin a five-year sentence.

Son Zach Scruggs, also a lawyer, admitted knowing about the felony and not reporting it. He’s serving 14 months in prison.

Well, at least there’s the lucrative lobbying business for Mr. Hood when he’s done being a “So called” A.G.  From the Wall Street Journal:

Lawsuit legend and admitted felon Dickie Scruggs is headed for the Big House, but his methods are continuing to tarnish his partner in lawsuits, Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood. Last week, Alabama federal Judge William Acker gave Mr. Hood a well deserved whack for colluding with the trial kingpin to evade a court order in a case regarding Hurricane Katrina claims.

In December, Judge Acker ordered Scruggs to surrender documents improperly obtained by two sisters, Cori and Kerri Rigsby, working for Scruggs as part of his litigation against State Farm insurance. Scruggs had a different idea. Instead of giving the papers to Judge Acker, he handed them to Mr. Hood, claiming that the AG qualified as a “law enforcement official.” At the time, Mr. Hood was suing five insurance companies including State Farm.

Judge Acker isn’t buying. In an 18-page memorandum-opinion last week, he wrote that the Scruggs-Hood maneuver was “too cute by half” and clearly intended to exploit a loophole, rather than comply with the law. The judge added that the “so-called law enforcement official” was really acting as a “friend, associate and close confidant” of the trial lawyer. As such, Mr. Hood’s actions to relieve Scruggs of the documents was as “a co-conspirator . . . and an aider and abetter.”

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Do you think that Barack Obama will accept Jim Hood’s vote given all that Mr. Hood has been involved in these last several months? That wouldn’t be change worth believing in if a politician linked to convicted felons through campaign contributions was a leader in a particular state for a national candidate.  Give now to stop the state and local Democrat Dream Team – otherwise you’ll never know what you get until it’s too late.  Yet another reason to support the RSLC – stopping the Democrat state and local dream team.  From the AP:

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood wrongly conspired with prominent trial attorney Richard “Dickie” Scruggs to skirt a court order in a case involving Hurricane Katrina insurance claims, a federal judge has ruled.

Referring to Hood as a “so-called law enforcement officer,” U.S. District Judge William Acker said the attorney general helped his “close confidant” Scruggs avoid handing over stolen insurance company documents that Scruggs wanted for lawsuits against State Farm Fire and Casualty Co.

Acker did not recommend any criminal or civil action against Hood in the opinion, filed Thursday.

But the judge cited Scruggs and two whistleblowers for civil contempt and ordered them to pay $65,000 in attorney fees to an Alabama company that worked for State Farm and sued in Birmingham after its records were taken.

In a news release Friday, Hood said he planned to file a motion asking Acker “to revise such uncalled for derogatory conclusions.”

Hood accused Acker of interfering with a grand jury investigation and said judicial rules do not allow for “unnecessary attacks” on court officials.

Hood’s office did not respond to questions about the personal relationship between the attorney general and Scruggs, who separately is facing up to five years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to bribe a Mississippi judge over $26.5 million in legal fees related to Katrina cases.

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It appears that Democrat A.G. Jim Hood may want to change his name to James Tiberius Kirk, because his logic is boldly going where no elected official has gone before. His thought process appears to be way out in space on this one. Maybe all of this Scruggs and Langston business is finally taking a toll.

Attorney General Jim Hood, who is from Benton County, said he believes vote-buying has been a problem in the area for years, impeding voters’ right to fair elections.

“It’s kind of an accepted practice,” he said.

Farese disagrees with Hood.

“It has never been an accepted practice,” he said. “And if it did happen, I don’t believe it kept people from having a fair election in Benton County. If every single allegation is proven, it wouldn’t have changed any of the elections.”

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Democrat Attorney General Jim Hood has had a rough couple of days… We thought we’d give you a run down so you too can share his pain

This recent press bonanza all started (or did it?) when Hood slipped from his moral high ground…

Hood expresses his displeasure of campaign donations from ‘big corporations’ but gladly taking $400,000 from the Democrat Attorney General Association (DAGA)…

Not too bad… He can get through this.. Just ride it out…

Oh that whole Dickie Scruggs thing? Well, the FBI is doing a fine job with that investigation. In fact, he’d like to help with future cases in that matter…

Fast forward….one day:

So says a letter to the editor in  the widely read Jackson Clarion Ledger:

If Attorney General Jim Hood is too close to the defendants in the high-profile bribery cases involving Dickie Scruggs and others to prosecute Mississippi’s cases, then perhaps he should resign his office.

He recently suggested that he could not pursue charges because “It would be like prosecuting my relatives” (“Hood says filing charges in bribery scandal would be conflict of interest,” Feb. 18). A district attorney should pursue charges. Is this the best advice, or is his family like relationship clouding his counsel?

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