HARPERS – Why Wouldn’t Alice Martin Charge Dickie Scruggs?

Why Wouldn’t Alice Martin Charge Dickie Scruggs?

Today the Wall Street Journal corroborated some aspects of my report from December 10 (“Lott’s Lament”) concerning an investigation into whether former Senate Republican leader Trent Lott had improperly intervened to help his brother-in-law Dickie Scruggs in connection with his legal problems.

Here’s what the Journal reports:

Federal agents are investigating whether former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott knowingly played a role in an alleged conspiracy in 2006 to influence a Mississippi judge presiding over a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against famed plaintiff attorney Richard “Dickie” Scruggs, according to people familiar with the situation. …

Mr. Lott, who is a brother-in-law to Mr. Scruggs, unexpectedly announced his resignation from the Senate two days before Mr. Scruggs was indicted last November. Since then, Mr. Lott has been interviewed by federal agents at least once, according to a person familiar with the case.

The U.S. attorney’s office in Oxford, Miss., which is leading the investigation, is also examining whether several associates of Mr. Scruggs induced a different Mississippi jurist, Hinds County Judge Robert Delaughter, to rule in favor of Mr. Scruggs in a separate lawsuit by promising that Mr. Lott would recommend Judge Delaughter for a seat on the federal bench.

Harpers
2/22/8

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