7/27/2005 12:36:00 PM|||Nathan Moore|||

This (via the Memphis Commercial Appeal, registration is required) is the kind of situation that ethical committees and self-policing are designed for

The speaker pro tem of the Tennessee House confirmed Tuesday that she accepted $200 from an undercover FBI agent to gamble in Tunica.

Rep. Lois DeBerry said she traveled to the Grand Casino in May 2004 with then-Rep. Kathryn Bowers and a man called "L.C.,'' then known to legislators as an executive with E-Cycle Management Inc.

In and of itself, with the factual situation surrounding the cash, DeBerry perhaps could have maintained plausible deniability. Then she says this

Yet, FBI informant Tim Willis was posing as a lobbyist for E-Cycle, something DeBerry said she knew.

Sounds like an admission against interest to me. Someone needs to watch a little more Law and Order. Now, this entire episode with DeBerry might not rise to the level of a federal indictment. It does, however, rise to the level of moral condemnation. And it is the job of the Tennessee House of Representatives to make this resound loud and clear, and to show it cares to keep its house in order. With the current house leadership, and the amoeba-like spine of the governor when it comes to condemning the illegal activity of his party's legislators, I'm not all that sure it does.

Nod to TeamGOP on this one.

UPDATE Bob Krumm seems to have similar thoughts. He's right - that is A LOT of nickles...

|||112248622382311396|||Ethical Lapses