Tenn. Senator Says He Keeps Two Families

[Rose Siding]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. Jan 23, 2005 — State Sen. John Ford testified in a juvenile court hearing that he keeps two homes, living with two different women whose children he fathered.

Ford's testimony was part of his defense in a child support case. The Memphis Democrat heads a Senate committee that guides the state's child welfare policies, and for the past year he's tried to make use of a law he authored that keeps court-ordered support lower when a father is financially responsible for other children.

In a Juvenile Court hearing last year that is set for a follow-up hearing on Tuesday, Ford said he lives some days with ex-wife Tamara Mitchell-Ford and the three children they had together. On others, he stays with his longtime girlfriend, Connie Mathews, and their two children.

Ford and Mitchell-Ford went through a bitter divorce in 2002 that led to Mitchell-Ford's jailing after she plowed her car through Mathews' Collierville home.
Ford said he pays nearly all bills for both families. They stay in houses he owns and where he also lives, though neither home is in his South Memphis Senate district.

"You have two homes?" Referee Felicia Hogan asks during the tape recorded hearing.... "Well, that's unusual."
"Not necessarily," Ford shot back. "I know people who got five."

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/WaterCooler/wireStory?id=436283&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

[Bono71]

1. Wow...unreal...I missed it in the article (at work and skimmed

quickly) is he a repub or democrat?

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Democrat.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

3. he's dem rep from tenn ...jesus what an idiot..never did like his DLC ass

anyway

[Cheswick2.0]

36. DLC, .......well bless his greedy cheating republican values!

Fabulous example huh?
And he is related to Harold Ford? That's gotta be an embarrasment for mr Blue Dog Democrat.

[genieroze]

5. democrat

[aden_nak]

4. "I know people who got five"? Wow, he's got some learnin'.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

7. yeah....... like moving to southern Utah

[Rowdyboy]

6. What a piece of scum...Trying to dodge child support from one woman

while living with both his pregnant ex-wife AND his girlfriend.

And this is Harold Fords uncle, I believe. That certainly won't help his hopes of running statewide in Tennesse.

[w4rma]

9. Doesn't that Ford guy support destroying Social Security? (nt)

[JI7]

31. no

http://www.whnt19.com/Global/story.asp?S=2763442

[PhuLoi]

43. He 'has no problem with outsourcing.' A good little DLC biatch.

Carried Moon's crown on a pillow when Moon was coronated as 'Prince of Peace' at a Federal building in D.C. What a guy.

[Solly Mack]

8. That's the sort of stuff made for TV movies are built around

Someone call Lifetime!

Goodness. So many questions but most are none of my business...just flat out curious.

No doubt why he authored that bill, considering his ever growing number of kids.

Wonder where the portion of his money is coming from that he fears disclosing.

[central scrutinizer]

10. No, I foresee a new Reality Show

Where losers compete to see who can marry the most women and keep the families secret from each other. The winner gets a compound full of single-wides in Colorado City, Utah.

[Rose Siding]

13. And don't Senators have to live in the dist they represent in TN?

This floors me- He made 350 grand in 03 and pays $500/mo???

[Solly Mack]

18. I was under the impression that they did

or at least maintain a home of address for that district

no kidding about the 500 a month. It's why he authored that bill, to legally attempt to control what he pays from the inside...

[ElsewheresDaughter]

32. he's NOT a senator he is a congressman

[Rose Siding]

35. He's not a state senator?

In the first line of article: State Sen. John Ford

[Solly Mack]

37. He's a state Senator

http://www.mtas.utk.edu/public/LEGISLAT.NSF/0/bbe7d9b995f9358b85256448006d707e?OpenDocument

[indepat]

42. A state senator who authored a child-support bill tailored to aid him in

his perhaps unique family circumstances.

[charlie]

20. I knew I'd heard of this guy

Google him up. This character is always in legal hot water of some kind or another.

[Solly Mack]

23. I googled him. It appears he's no stanger to sponsoring bills

that benefit him or his family in some way....or holding them up.

Reading about the day care problems now.


http://www.memphisflyer.com/backissues/issue577/edit577.htm

http://www.time.com/time/reports/mississippi/welfare.html

[charlie]

33. Here's a short editorial

that recaps some of the messes he's been in (no mention of his ex ramming his house with her car and attacking his gf last fall, though):

http://www.memphisflyer.com/backissues/issue418/edit418.htm

[H3Dakota]

41. Heck with Lifetime...

Someone call Jerry Springer!!

[displacedtexan]

11. Headline implies that Ford is a bigamist. Shame on ABC News!

Ford said he lives some days with ex-wife Tamara Mitchell-Ford and the three children they had together. On others, he stays with his longtime girlfriend, Connie Mathews, and their two children.

Not that I don't have a serious problem with someone in power who tries to shape the law to benefit his personal financial needs, but implying that Ford "keeps two families" is decidedly specious.

How many families is Donald Trump "keeping?"

[Rose Siding]

17. "Families" isn't deceptive, imo

He IS keeping two families. Lots of families don't involve marriage.

[saltpoint]

12. He might want to gussy up his grammar while he's at it.

"I know people who got five."

Them five musta done real good by Bush's tax cuts.

[DiverDave]

16. Hell, he probably did

alright in the "Tax cut" too...

[LincolnMcGrath]

14. Only three babies mamas?

Slacker!

[MADem]

15. Fuck up, move up???

So, the more you screw around, the LESS you have to pay in child support? Talk about REWARDING irresponsible behavior? And how the hell can he represent a district he doesn't live in? Does he have a studio love nest within the district lines?

Sounds like this guy needs to keep it in his pants. Loser.

[Southsideirish]

19. This is a State Senator - not Harold Ford, the DLC'r congressman.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

34. omg thank you for clarifying this he is >>>>>>NOT Rep. Harold Ford

[MemphisTiger]

21. This guy is an embarrassment to all Memphians

Blur or Red. We have to live with this piece of garbage all the time. I'm surprised the national media has just now picked up on his antics.

[Boosterman]

24. How do you feel about Herrington? eom

[MemphisTiger]

25. Almost as bad as Ford.

The mayor does not respect the citezens that he governs. Google this guy and see what kind of crap he has tried to pull. However, unless you live here it is hard to get a true feel of how bad he is.

[Boosterman]

27. I LIVED in Memphis

Moved to Walls. Property taxes and crime in my neighborhodd forced me to move basically. Closer to work now too.

I voted for Herrington the first time. Hes a crook imo and so is Ford. Those two have been soaking the taxpayers for every dime they could get. Jr is a stand up guy though. Considering his family its amazing.

[MemphisTiger]

29. It's always nice to hear from another democrat Memphian

in such a red area. Hopefully, the citizens of Memphis will wake up and realize that Herrenton is bad news for the city in 2007.

[Blue_Tires]

22. "I know people who got five."

great defense there, tough guy

[Bono71]

28. Lol...great grammar, as well. n/t

[noonwitch]

26. Providing homes for them to live in is a form of child support

It's sleazy to sleep around and father children, but at least he does his best to provide support.

[Rose Siding]

30. The suit is by a third woman, who he doesn't live with

He now pays $500/mo (in 03 he made 350K) to her for their daughter and doesn't want to pay her any more than that because he has other children.

[Cheswick2.0]

38. The man is a walking advertisement for involuntary sterilization

How many more women will this jerk impregnate before he is finished? And what the hell is wrong with these women? Do they have no self respect at all? Imagine bringing a child into the world undet these sleazy circumstances.

[theboss]

39. I'm always curious to meet the women in these bizarre arrangements

There is some fun psychology going on there.

[Bethany Rockafella]

40. What a ho!

Surely the people that voted for this guy will not vote for him again.

[charlottelouise]

44. Re-elected ?

None of this is news in Memphis -- this is an on-going melodrama. hasn't hurt John's re-elections in the past.