Indictment charges former Sen. Jon Woods(R AR), college president(Xtian) and pal in kickback scheme

[yortsed snacilbuper]

Last edited Fri Apr 7, 2017, 10:20 PM - Edit history (1)

CONSPIRATORS: From left, Micah Neal, Oren Paris, Jon Woods

Details are unfolding, but a new indictment filed in Fayetteville names former Sen. Jon Woods, Oren Paris III, the president of Ecclesia College in Springdale and Randell Shelton Jr., a personal friend of Woods and Paris

In short, Woods — who served terms in the House and Senate but didn't seek re-election in 2016 claiming the press of other business — guided hundreds of thousands in state surplus money known as the General Improvement Fund that benefited the tiny private college of which Paris was president.  The money went to the nonprofit corporation that runs the school. Shelton had a consulting company.

There are 12 counts of mail and wire fraud. They say Woods and Neal conspired to take bribes for steering the money to enrich Paris (he was paid $300,000 for his role at Ecclesia and his family together was paid $1 million, the indictment said). Paris paid the bribes through a consulting arrangement with a company set up by Shelton, the indictment says. Shelton in  turn paid legislators.

"I do know this confirms what I've always suspected about Jon Woods. He never had a job. He bragged about the good life he lived off state pay, per diem, travel and the hog slopping legislators enjoy. I should mention, too, that he was the architect of the so-called ethics amendment that provided a path to 1) longer terms in office; 2) higher pay; 3) an end-around an end to wining and dining restrictions despite the appearance that's what voters had done. Good GOP conservative politics. Shame on Warwick Sabin for throwing in with Woods on that amendment deal."

http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2017/03/02/indictment-charges-former-sen-jon-woods-college-president-and-pal-in-kickback-scheme

[WhiteTara]

1. Welcome to our corrupt little state

so filled with natural riches and sweet personal beauty and then there are the state pols who are so greedy and mean and corrupt. It's a hard place to live...but then again, it is so lovely it's hard to leave.