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Another Mayor Arrested; City Faces Bankruptcy

Posted by: Larry Schooler

3 December 2008 - 10:00am

The mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, faces a slew of federal charges related to bribery and abuses of power.

"Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford was arrested Monday after being charged in a federal indictment that accuses the former Jefferson County commissioner with receiving more than $236,000 in expensive clothes, designer watches and cash to pay his personal debt as part of a conspiracy to funnel county financial business to two of his friends."

"Langford is the fifth former county commissioner since 2005 to be charged with acts of public corruption while in office.

They contend Langford conspired to solicit and accept bribes in exchange for using his influence as commission president and head of the finance and general services department to include a supporter and his company in bond and swap transactions for the county's sewer program.

The estimated cost for the county's court-mandated upgrade of its sewer system has tripled since its inception and now stands at $3.2 billion. The county is considering bankruptcy as it struggles to pay the sewer debt."

Full Story: Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford indicted
Source: Birmingham News, December 2, 2008
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