2008 may well be known as the year of the crooked politician. Political official after political official from PA State Senator Vincent Fumo to Alaska Senator Ted Stevens has been indicted on a host of criminal charges. Now, Larry Langford, Mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, joins the list.
On yesterday, the FBI arrested Langford on federal charges including conspiracy, bribery, fraud, money laundering and filing false income tax returns. The charges stem from activities while Langford was president of the Jefferson County Commission. Langford allegedly pushed millions of dollars of municipal bond work to his friend. The bond deals eventually failed and have played a part in what could be the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.
Langford was named in the indictment along with William Blount, an investment banker, and Albert LaPierre, a lobbyist. Langford, who reportedly received nearly a quarter million dollars in bribes for his part in the bond deal, failed to report the income on his tax returns. You can read the indictment here – the tax charges are Counts 87 through 89.
Langford has apparently expected the indictment for months. He has referred to the investigation as a “witchhunt by Republican prosecutors.”
The prosecution is seeking criminal forfeiture of about $7.6 million from each of the defendants. Prison sentences could reach a maximum of 10 years for each bribery and money-laundering count, 20 years for each fraud count, five years for the conspiracy count and three years for each tax count.
After posting his bond, Langford issued no immediate statement other than he was going “back to work.”
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