Here is a link to part 1 of the interview, and here is a link to part 2.
Interesting stuff and he lays it out, what is striking is how open he is about how the "system" worked. In part 2 he lays out his relationship with Langford and why he plead guilty.
Should be interesting and as soon as video is available I will post post it:
Executive Director of the Alabama Democratic Party from 1982 to 1994 and a respected lobbyist for many years. He often appeared as a political commentator on FOX6 News and Paul Finebaum’s radio show in Birmingham.In 12 days he’ll report to a federal prison in Pensacola, Fl. for his role in the bribery of former Birmingham mayor Larry Langford (who is currently serving time in a Kentucky prison).
In a lengthy interview airing tonight on FOX6 News at 9, LaPierre talks about the scheme with Montgomery investment banker Bill Blount (who is also reporting to prison this month).LaPierre says Langford had deep financial problems when he served as president of the Jefferson County Commission.
“We tried to help him out with it… what started out as trying to help getting his feet on the ground turned out to be something really awful and tragic.”Those payments and gifts came at a time when federal prosecutors say Langford directed millions in complicated bond swaps through Blount’s firm.
LaPierre says he recalls when he realized the relationship would likely bring an investigation.“But I think at that point, you say, we’ve gone this far now… we gotta try to swim it out.”
LaPierre also recalls the January 2009 day the phone call came from his attorney informing him he had been indicted.“Tommy (Spina) called and said this is the day. Come over to my office. You stiffen up. You shake a little, but at the same time, in a way, you are relieved.”
Asked about the current federal investigation that saw lobbyists and legislators appear before a federal grand jury in Montgomery last week, LaPierre says “some of those people have been at this game a lot longer than I have and they knew where that line was and never crossed it. I hope so. At the same time, I always thought I knew where the line was and I did know, but my mistake was I crossed it.”
And what was LaPierre's role in the collapse of Jefferson County:
Its pretty straightforward. Starting in 1996 the mayor began to push various deals including a land deal known as Vision Land. Being a man of fine tastes he found his expenses outmatched his revenues, and turned to Montgomery investment banker Bill Blount and lobbyist Al LaPierre. Blount would become the underwriter for every bond offering and LaPierre became a vehicle by which Mayor Langford would receive bribes. LaPierre would "lend" money to the Mayor to make everything nice and legal and essentially launder the bribes. In 2006 the SEC began to investigate some of these deals and by December of last year a special federal grand jury in Birmingham returned a 101-count indictment against Langford, the former commission president; Montgomery investment banker Bill Blount and lobbyist Al LaPierre. The indictment includes charges of conspiracy, bribery, fraud, money laundering and filing false income tax returns in what prosecutors described as a long-running bribery scheme related to sewer bonds and other Jefferson County financial transactions. It was this sewage deal which might bankrupt the municipality and involves CDR Financial Products Charles LeCroy of J.P Morgan Chase.
The indictment includes charges of conspiracy, bribery, fraud, money laundering and filing false income tax returns in what prosecutors described as a long-running bribery scheme related to sewer bonds and other Jefferson County financial transactions.
In related news William Blount has asked for a delay in the begining of his scentence.
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