Al LaPierre (B'ham News)
Lobbyist Al LaPierre today has agreed to plead guilty and testify in the federal criminal case against anti-gay Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford. In a deal struck this morning, LaPierre will plead guilty to two counts of conspiracy and one count of filing a false tax return, said his lawyer Tommy Spina. Story at al.com
The deal requires LaPierre to testify in the Aug. 31 case against Langford and Montgomery investment banker Bill Blount.
Langford, as you remember, is also facing a federal lawsuit over his refusal to allow the city to hang rainbow flags during the 2008 Gay Pride celebration. The suit was brought by Central Pride of Alabama.
Depositions are being taken in the discrimination suit. More information will be made available in the future. But one has to wonder, with the recent decision by U. S. District Judge Scott Coogler to deny a delay of the bribery trial, what will become of the discrimination suit if Langford is convicted and sentenced to prison?
Langford, with his typical spin, says the testimony from LaPierre "should be a help" to his case.
"All he can testify to is he made a loan to me and I have never taken a bribe from anybody. That's all he can testify to," Langford said.
According to LaPierre's plea agreement he:
• Took out a $50,000 loan to pay off an unsecured loan for Langford. Blount reimbursed LaPierre.
• Took $69,000 from Blount and funneled it to Langford at Langford's request.
• Took $3,500 from Blount and funneled it to Langford -- again, at Langford's request -- to pay for a trip to Mississippi with John Katopodis.
Within weeks of those transactions, Langford "used his power and authority to include William B. Blount and his company in a Jefferson County financial transaction, for which Blount received approximately $2.6 million," the plea agreement says.
LaPierre was paid $100,000 in connection with those transactions, it says.
The plea agreement also says that Blount and LaPierre on several occasions paid for clothing Langford purchased on an account at Remon's.
For more info: Central Alabama Pride, al.com
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