Birmingham mayor: Corrupt or generous shopaholic?

TUSCALOOSA — Prosecutors accuse Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford of selling out the public in a bribery scheme that showered him with tens of thousands of dollars in cash, luxury clothes and expensive jewelry in exchange for lucrative government bond work.
 
In closing arguments Wednesday, prosecutor Tamarra Matthews Johnson told jurors Langford was heavily in debt and accepted the gifts from Montgomery investment banker Bill Blount along with checks or loan payoffs through a middleman, lobbyist Al LaPierre.

In exchange for about $236,000 in bribes, the prosecution claimed, Langford funneled Jefferson County bond business to Blount, whose firm received more than $7 million of the bond work. At the time, Langford was president of the Jefferson County Commission and oversaw its bond issue arrangements.

``This was a deliberate course of action for almost five years,‘’ she said.

Some of the bond deals made during Langford’s term went sour in the credit crunch last year, and Jefferson County is now trying to avoid filing the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history over $3.9 billion in sewer bond debt.

Defense lawyer Mike Rasmussen portrayed Blount as the real villain — ``the $7 million man’‘ — and wore a sport jacket made with cash-patterned fabric and golden lapels to make the point.

Langford is a compulsive shopper who also gives generously, Rasmussen said, so he didn’t consider the money and items from Blount to be bribes.

``He will give without expectation, receive without obligation. That’s what’s in Larry Langford’s heart,‘’ Rasmussen said in closing arguments at Langford’s corruption trial.

U.S. District Judge Scott Coogler said jurors would begin deliberations after final instructions Wednesday afternoon.

The jury is to consider 60 counts against Langford alleging bribery, conspiracy, fraud, money laundering and filing false tax returns. Langford, 63, would be automatically removed from office if convicted of a felony. The charges also carry years in prison and large fines if convicted.

All the charges cover the period when Langford was president of the Jefferson County Commission, which he left following his landslide election as mayor of Birmingham in 2007.

Government witnesses included Blount and LaPierre, who have pleaded guilty and await sentencing. They depicted Langford as buried in debt — with few assets and liabilities of about $650,000, including nearly $240,000 in credit card debt and more than $90,000 in car loans. An IRS agent said Langford owed $77,506 in taxes on unreported income.

The defense case consisted primarily of character witnesses. Langford did not testify.