Trent Lott Investigated in Scruggs Judicial Influence Probe
Federal authorities are investigating whether former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott was involved in an alleged conspiracy to influence a Mississippi judge to deliver a favorable ruling on behalf of plaintiffs lawyer Richard “Dickie” Scruggs, the Wall Street Journal reports (sub. req.).
The case is one of two in which allegations have surfaced that Scruggs tried to influence judges to rule in his favor in fee disputes. The newspaper quotes “several people familiar with the situation” who said Lott placed a call to Judge Robert DeLaughter, who was presiding over a fee dispute involving Scruggs, after Scruggs suggested DeLaughter was interested in a federal judgeship.
Seven months later, DeLaughter ruled that Scruggs owed a former legal associate $1.5 million in the asbestos fee dispute, rejecting the $15 million amount recommended by an outside expert.
DeLaughter was never nominated for the judgeship; a different lawyer said to have been approved by Lott was confirmed for the post in April 2007. Lott announced his resignation two days before Scruggs was indicted in a different case, but he has denied a connection to the Scruggs case.
Lott’s former chief of staff, Brett Boyles, told the Associated Press that Lott placed a courtesy call to DeLaughter about the judicial vacancy, but it was one of many he made and Lott did not recommend him.
Neither Lott nor Delaughter have been charged.
Scruggs, his son Zach and law partner Sidney Backstrom have been charged in a separate case involving an alleged conspiracy to pay Judge Henry Lackey of Mississippi $40,000 for a favorable ruling in a fee dispute. Lackey reported the alleged offer and participated in the FBI investigation.
In a ruling yesterday, a judge refused to dismiss the indictment against the three defendants. Scruggs is scheduled to stand trial on March 31. Three other defendants have pleaded guilty in the case.
The man who pleaded guilty to delivering the money to Lackey, Timothy Balducci, testified yesterday that it was Lackey who suggested a payoff, and it occurred in September, after Lackey contacted the FBI. He also testified that Scruggs tried to use Lott to influence DeLaughter’s ruling in the separate case, the AP story says.
