State: Ford ineligible for elected office
Katherine Burgess Memphis Commercial Appeal USA TODAY NETWORK – TENNESSEE
“I have lawyers and everything like that. State law — I’m not going to get into that. … I’ve got more lawyers than they’ve all got.”
The Tennessee Coordinator of Elections says John Ford is ineligible to seek or hold elected public office in Tennessee, but that hasn't stopped him from filing to run for general sessions court clerk.
Ford, 77, is the former state senator who left public office after being convicted of bribery in 2007 in the Tennessee Waltz scandal. Ford was convicted of accepting $55,000 in cash payoffs from an undercover agent posing as a corrupt businessman.
He was sentenced to five years in prison after his 30-plus years in the state legislature.
In a brief phone call, in which Ford declined to answer questions, Ford indicated that he would challenge his ineligibility to hold office.
“I have lawyers and everything like that. State law — I'm not going to get into that,” Ford said. “… I've got more lawyers than they've all got.”
He declined to put The Commercial Appeal in touch with any of his lawyers.
Others who've filed to run for general sessions court clerk include Shelby County Commission Vice-chairman Eddie Jones, current general sessions finance administrator Gortria Banks and Deidre Fisher.
Paul Boyd, Rheunte Benson and Thomas Long have also picked up petitions.
Shelby County Commissioner Reginald Milton said he plans to run and will announce his candidacy officially within days.
The Tennessee Waltz sting came in response to longstanding reports of corruption in the General Assembly. A fake company approached lawmakers, passing out money in exchange for influence and favorable legislation.
A judge restored Ford's civil rights in 2017, but the order says that pursuant to state law, he “is forever disqualified from qualifying for, seeking or holding any public office in Tennessee.” He is also “forever disqualified from registering to vote and from voting in the Tennessee” or from owning or possessing a firearm.
Local attorney Kevin Snider said Ford's attorneys may try to use the argument that because the law referenced in the order was created after Ford's conviction, it does not apply to him.
But, he said, filing a petition is risky since it arguably could have violated the court's order.
“You wouldn't do this unless you have some type of game plan," Snider said. “If you lose whatever argument you're ultimately going to have to make, you could be held in contempt of court irrespective of whether you can run for office or not.”
Ford previously tried to have his voting rights restored in 2014 and 2016 and was denied both times by Mark Goins, state coordinator of elections, according to a letter.
In an email to The Commercial Appeal, the Secretary of State's Office said, “Based on court documents reviewed by the Tennessee Coordinator of Elections, Mr. Ford is ineligible to seek or hold elected public office in Tennessee.”
Katherine Burgess covers county government, religion and the suburbs. She can be reached at katherine.burgess@commercialappeal.com, 901-5292799 or followed on Twitter @kathsburgess.