Report: FEC says no foul in Pickering-Barbour-Vitter contribution circle

The Washington Examiner, not exactly a neutral publication, reports that the FEC has cleared Chip Pickering, Gov. Barbour, and Sen. David Vitter in an alleged campaign contribution shell game reported here in previous posts here, here, here, and here.  The Examiner says:

Federal authorities say there's no reason to believe Louisiana Sen. David Vitter's campaign violated the law by accepting a contribution from a political action committee of Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour.
Louisiana Democrats claimed the contribution from "Haley's PAC" was really from former Mississippi U.S. Rep. Chip Pickering and that it was illegally funneled through Barbour's PAC to avoid publicity.
But the Federal Elections Commission, in a ruling made public Monday, dismissed the complaint.

I haven't seen the FEC ruling yet, but I do note that this was originally made public back on July 16, 2010.  I'll say that this isn't a refutation of the original charge of playing a shell game with the contribution.  Instead, this reads as "neither contribution was over the limit, and there isn't sufficient proof of hijinks":

In its release, the FEC noted that both of the contributions in question were disclosed and that neither was "excessive or prohibited."

An option I'm sure Chip Pickering is relieved Leisha Pickering did not pursue

As far as I know, the alienation of affection matter between Leisha Pickering and Elizabeth Creekmore Byrd is still ongoing, and Chip Pickering's diary is still providing presumably colorful in camera reading.  But, there's some good news for Chip and his alleged paramour: at least they didn't get arrested.  The Columbus Dispatch is reporting on a Noxubee County case where cheating husband and his supposed mistress were arrested for adultery and fornication:

Lashawn Williams, 33, of 294 Pilgrim Rest Road in Noxubee County and Roshanda Jackson, 30, of 183 Oliver Road, were arrested July 1 when Williams' wife, Cortiga, pressed charges on her allegedly unfaithful husband and Jackson.

Lashawn Williams and Jackson were charged with adultery and fornication, respectively; both crimes carry the same penalty, up to $500 and jail time up to six months. Both were released July 1 on $1,000 bond, according to the Noxubee County Jail.

"We do have to follow the legal process," (Columbus Assistant Police Chief Joe) Johnson said. "If A and B are married, and if B signs an affidavit on A and C because they are involved, they all have to come to court."

 The story goes on to detail some of the odd laws that are still on the books, most of which have to do with some sort of frowned-upon act of intimacy, and the chances of any of them being repealed.  From my point of view, I see the chances of Leisha Pickering causing arrest warrants to be issued for Chip and Elizabeth Creekmore Byrd as being only slightly higher than the chances of the Legislature repealing a single criminal statute.

Chip Pickering's assault charges dismissed

The Clarion-Ledger is reporting that the charges related to the brawl between former Rep. Chip Pickering and soccer coach Chris Hester have been dismissed.  Both parties agreed to the resolution, with Chip Pickering saying:

“I regret very much this episode,” Pickering said. “I was trying to protect my son and I believe he was trying to protect one of his players. 

"I think all of us — I know I have — have learned a lesson from this.”

The interesting part, though, is this:

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Hester’s attorney, Mac McCool, said his client has medical expenses related to the incident and lost time from his job.

That tends to conflict with what McCool says later in the story:

McCool said his client decided to drop the charge against Pickering because “we didn’t want to bring a bunch of 11- and 12-year-olds up here to testify in court.”

My best guess is this is the last we'll hear of this incident.  If anything goes forward on the lost wages and medical expenses, it will most likely be handled pre-suit, leaving us no paper trail to follow.

Chip Pickering arrested for simple assault

And, there it is:

Also arrested was the soccer coach in this mess, Chris Hester:

According to the Clarion-Ledger:

Madison Municipal Judge Dale Danks issued arrest warrants for the two today, and both men turned themselves in voluntarily, according to Master Sgt. Robert Sanders of the Madison Police Department.  Both men posted bond, which was set at $500, and a trial date was set for Jan. 14.

 Perhaps Chip should be the one wearing the neck brace.  It's been quite a fall from grace.

Chip Pickering responds to the assault allegation

WAPT has former Rep. Chip Pickering's response to the assault allegation involving a Madison soccer coach:

In a statement released Monday, Pickering said the coach verbally abused and physically intimidated Pickering's 11-year-old son to the point where he was crying uncontrollably.

"I approached the coach, who was sitting in his vehicle, and asked him to not address my son in such a manner again. I did not say anything further to him, nor did I threaten him," Pickering said. "The coach then opened his car door, removed his seat belt and exited the vehicle, attacking and assaulting me, and I was forced to defend myself by restraining him."

...

Pickering said he is also filing a complaint against the coach with the Mississippi State Soccer Association and is asking for his immediate suspension.

"Even though I acted only to protect my son and then in necessary self-defense, I very much regret the adverse impact such incident might have on the children participating in such a worthwhile event," Pickering said.

Hmmmmm. Like I said before, there are likely tons of witnesses to this. We'll see how this unfolds.

h/t Will in comments

Chip Pickering's alleged assault victim wearing a neck brace at the time of the scuffle?

The Sun-Herald reached Chris Hester, the alleged victim of an assault by Chip Pickering. Here's what they add to this story:

Coach Chris Hester says he was preparing to leave the field when Pickering started yelling at him. Hester coaches the team that played Pickering's son's team. Hester says Pickering pulled him from his vehicle and spectators had to separate the two.

I guess this should all be easy enough to prove, considering the number of likely witnesses....

***UPDATE***

The Sun-Herald has updated their AP article. Here's some of what they have:

Hester told The Associated Press he didn't know who Pickering was when the politician approached his vehicle. Hester also said he was wearing a neck brace because of a recent surgery when Pickering pulled him from his Nissan Armada. They had to pulled apart by spectators, he said.
"I tried to explain to him, 'Sir, I don't know who you are. I don't know who your son is.' He just blew up," Hester said. "He proceeds to start threatening and yelling at me. It scared the crap out of the kids in my car."
Sanders said Hester was in the neck brace when he spoke with police Sunday.

Edited to add formatting.

Judge Pickering, for the love of all that is holy, have a talk with your son

First, we have the whole revelation about former Congressman Chip Pickering's (R-MS) extramarital affair.  Last night, WLBT reported that Chip's being "that guy" at his son's soccer game:

According to Madison Police, former Republican U.S. Representative Chip Pickering and Coach Chris Hester have signed affidavits against each other for simple assault.  Officers were called to Liberty Park's soccer fields around 4:30 this afternoon after reports of an altercation. Police say a disagreement between the teams two coaches led to Pickering approaching Hester about the treatment of his son who plays for the opposite team.

Oh how the mighty have fallen.... Court appearances today for the both of them before Madison City Court Judge Dale Danks.  Both have been charged with simple assault.

Public Citizen suggests that Barbour, Pickering, and Vitter PAC officials would lie under oath

Jackson Free Press investigative reporter has an article up this afternoon entitled "Dirty Laundry," in which he explores the Chip Pickering - Haley Barbour - David Vitter campaign contribution relay we've discussed here.  Lynch got in touch with Craig Holman of Public Citizen, who made a rather bold claim:

Getting answers would require the FEC to conduct a hard investigation that includes the subpoenaing of the treasurers of both PACs to completely prove the case.

"They have to, under oath, discover if there was any kind of direct or indirect agreement to funnel the money to Vitter," Holman said, adding that PAC treasurers are well capable of lying under oath.

James Gill of the Times-Picayune on Chip Pickering; me on the coming crisis in the GOP

James Gill's piece in the Times-Picayune begins:

Let me explain why U.S. Sen. David Vitter might hate to be publicly associated with Chip Pickering, who did not seek re-election as a Mississippi congressman last time around.
Hold onto your hats, now. If it is possible to draw distinctions between the fornicating phonies of the GOP, Pickering must be rated creepier than Vitter.

Gill goes on to focus a bit on the $5,000 campaign contribution shell game played by the PACs for Vitter, Pickering, and Gov. Barbour, but the most pointed parts of the article are barbs reserved solely for Pickering:

Philanderers don't come more unctuous than Pickering, who denounced evil at every turn, received a perfect rating from Focus on the Family and urged then-President George W. Bush to declare 2008 the year of the Bible.

Even a congressman who has embraced hookers in private while embracing the Lord in public might not wish to be dragged down to Pickering's level.

All of this brings to mind the most important part of the Pickering scandal for Mississippi Republicans, and the C Street scandals for the national GOP.

An observation about my blogmate's post on the Pickering v. Pickering hearing last week

When word came down earlier this year that Leisha Pickering had switched lawyers, many people (most of them GOP folks looking for a way to defend Chip) engaged in speculation that Leisha must be a difficult client, or that she had some other fault that led to her having issues maintaining consistent representation.

Now that Chip's switched lawyers, I fully expect y'all to say the same things about him.  (I'm not holding my breath, though.)

Back from vacation odds and ends...

I'm back from vacation, and am trying to catch up on a few things.  Here's what's on my radar blog-wise:

1.  Casey Ann mentioned a problem with the button used to write Jim and I a message.  I tested it, and it's not working for me either.  I'll try to figure that out ASAP.

2.  Judge Yerger sentenced Justin Larun Lomax to 75 years in prison yesterday for three counts of house burglary.  The maximum sentence for each count was 25 years, so he got the max on all three.  Mr. Lomax, 19, had entered an "open" plea, meaning he pled guilty without a recommendation from the DA with respect to sentencing.  Mr. Lomax also pled guilty to another house burglary and an aggravated assault.  He had also been charged with shooting into an occupied dwelling, possession of a stolen firearm, and possession of a stolen firearm while in the commission of a crime in connection with the house burglary and aggravated assault, but those three charges have been remanded.  Judge Hilburn will sentence Mr. Lomax tomorrow on the house burglary and aggravated assault.  Lomax pled open on those as well.  By my calculations, the 19 year-old Lomax will not be eligible for release until somewhere north of his 55th birthday.  Ouch.

3.  Alan Michael Rubenstein of Marrero, LA, was resentenced to life without parole after the Mississippi Supreme Court, in 2006, overturned a death penalty sentence handed down by a Pike County jury in 2000.  It was a heinous case, but the language of the statute altering the sentencing options on capital murder cases was fairly clear at the time.  The MSSC sent the case back for resentencing because the jury had not been given the option of life without parole, despite a 1994 amendment to the statute that clearly provided for that option, regardless of when the crime itself occurred.  Here's a link to the MSSC's opinion.  (Easley wrote the dissent, of course.)

4.  There's been no docket entry in Leisha Jane Pickering v. Elizabeth Creekmore Byrd since the deposition subpoenas were issued back on July 23, 2009. 

Louisiana Democratic Party's Federal Elections Commission Complaint Against PACs for Vitter, Barbour, and Pickering

I got my hands on the Complaint filed by the Louisiana Democratic Party (LDP) mentioned earlier this morning. The respondents named in the complaint are CHIP PAC, Chip Pickering, Danna Lane (CHIP PAC Treasurer), Haley's PAC, Austin Barbour (Treasurer for Haley's PAC and Haley's nephew), David Vitter for U.S. Senate, and William Vanderbrook (Treasurer for David Vitter for U.S. Senate).  The complaint does not charge Haley Barbour or David Vitter, personally, with any wrongdoing.

The LDP alleges four violations of federal law:

1.  Making a Contribution in the Name of Another
2.  Permitting Your Name to be Used in a Conduit Scheme
3.  Accepting a Contribution in the Name of Another
4.  Individuals who Assisted in Making a Contribution in the Name of Another


They ask that the respondents be fined, and that the DOJ prosecute any willful violations.  Interesting....

Louisiana Democratic Party files FEC complaint against Haley Barbour, Chip Pickering, and David Vitter

Jonathan Allen at Politico just broke this:

The Louisiana Democratic Party plans to file a formal complaint with the Federal Election Commission today, charging that Barbour’s PAC essentially filtered a $5,000 campaign donation from Pickering’s PAC to Louisiana Vitter’s 2010 re-election committee to make it look like the contribution didn’t come directly from Pickering.

You heard about the fundraiser, and the subsequent problematic campaign contributions here first.

An inside look at the C Street "Family" that Chip Pickering was involved in...

Prior to the allegations surrounding former U.S. Rep. Chip Pickering's marital life, I'd never heard of "The Family," and I'll bet you had not either.  Jeff Sharlett wrote a book on the organization, but frankly I've heard it's less about this odd organization than a critical history of American Evangelicalism.  Sharlett wrote a piece for Harper's that is quite long, but quite fascinating.  I highly recommend it.  Here's an excerpt that may help us understand why Pickering would have felt so comfortable conducting his affair at the Family's house, if the allegations in the lawsuit are true:

The answer, we discovered, was that King David had been “chosen.” To illustrate this point David Coe turned to Beau. “Beau, let's say I hear you raped three little girls. And now here you are at Ivanwald. What would I think of you, Beau?”

Beau shrank into the cushions. “Probably that I'm pretty bad?”

“No, Beau. I wouldn't. Because I'm not here to judge you. That's not my job. I'm here for only one thing.”

“Jesus?” Beau said. David smiled and winked.

Congressional Quarterly runs with the Pickering-Barbour-Vitter story

Good reporting work done here by Jonathan Allen.  Here's a quote that sums it up:

Pickering's otherwise dormant CHIP PAC made its first donation of the year to Haley's PAC on Aug. 15 -- four days after the governor gave to Vitter's 2010 re-election campaign -- according to a Sept. 20 filing with the Federal Election Commission. The two checks comprise all of the month's activities for Haley's PAC, which has just $13,281.37 in the bank and has made only one other contribution this year.

I really thought some folks would be smart enough to stay away from this...

Y'all may remember this post, in which I wrote about a rumored Jackson fundraiser for Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) thrown by former Rep. Chip Pickering (R-MS). Well, since the post, I've had the fundraiser confirmed by more than a few actual attendees.

Why was the fundraiser such a big deal?  Well, Pickering's obviously tainted goods right now thanks to the things he allegedly wrote in his own diary.  Sen. Vitter has had his own marital issues in the past.  Here's a history of his penchant for hookers. As a result, I'm sure Vitter didn't want to be publicly connected to Chip if at all possible.  Here's where it gets worse..

Pickering v. Pickering removed from the Mississippi Electronic Courts online system

Mississippi Electronic Courts, or "MEC", is currently in a pilot period, as I have blogged about before. During this pilot project, only Madison County Chancery is online. That's handy, as one of the most talked about cases in Mississippi is currently pending there: the divorce case of Pickering v. Pickering.

A funny thing happened today, though.

Not How Mississippi Wants To Be Remembered

The website Urban Dictionary has already created a new entry based on the latest Mississippi saga. Not quite how we'd like to be remembered, is it?

Latest Filings in Pickering v Creekmore Byrd

The litigation in Leisha Pickering's lawsuit against Elizabeth Creekmore Byrd continued last week. Mrs. Pickering's attorneys, Oliver Diaz and Chuck McRae, have requested subpoenas for witnesses for deposition testimony. The two names recognizable to me are Charles W. Pickering, Sr., the former U.S. District Judge and U.S. Court of Appeals Judge, and Steve Seale, former Mississippi State Senator, former chief legal advisor to Senator Trent Lott, and Jackson lawyer; according to his LinkedIn page, his clients include Cellular South. As we have noted before, Ms. Creekmore Byrd is on the Board of Directors of Cellular South.

It is rather early in the lawsuit to take depositions; I would consider this a pretty aggressive strategy on the part of the Plaintiff in the case. Recall that the Complaint alleges that:

The Defendants, John and Jane Does 1-7, are named as defendants herein because they may have aided Creekmore-Byrd in her affair and to entice and tortuously interfere with the contract between Leisha Jane Pickering and Charles Willis Pickering, Jr.

It could be that these depositions are meant to identify these "John and Jane Does." But that is complete guesswork on my part.

Next week may bring even more interesting news. Stay tuned.

Rep. Chip Pickering: Personal Conduct Is Relevant

Life teaches difficult lessons. When he spoke to the Washington Times in August 1998 about President Clinton and the Lewinsky affair, United States Representative Chip Pickering (R-MS) must not have thought that his own alleged infidelity would come to light. He told that conservative bellweather:

“I think for the good of the country and the good of his own family it would be better for him to resign. When someone puts himself forward for public office, then his personal conduct does become relevant.”

This was reported by Rachel Maddow of MSNBC. But I assume there aren't a plethora of Maddow-watchers here, so I pass it on to you here.