Feds Nail Birmingham Mayor For Bribes Over Sewer Bonds

Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford and two associates were arrested on Dec. 2 and charged with 101 federal counts including bribery and money laundering in connection with bond transactions and swap agreements related to bonds for a $3-billion county sewer project and other municipal financial deals. The charges stem from Langford’s time as president of the Jefferson County Commission and head of its Dept. of Finance and General Services. He was charged with soliciting bribes in exchange for steering business to William Blount, a Montgomery, Ala., investment banker. It was a classic pay-for-play scheme tied to the sewer bonds, says U.S. Attorney Alice Martin. She says Langford “sold out” his office for $235,000 in expensive clothes, watches and cash. In return, Blount was paid more than $7 million in fees for services, including bond transactions.