Some Tennessee legislators have been caught with their hands in the till again, including one of the notorious Ford family:
Take, for example, state Sen. John Ford.But wait, there's more!
The Memphis Democrat has spent almost $2,200 in the past year to overnight packages by FedEx. That compares to $18,000 spent a year for all 132 members of the legislature.
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Billing records show that Ford's office has allowed his ex-wife Tamara Mitchell Ford to repeatedly use the state's FedEx account. Included are more than a dozen overnight packages she shipped at state expense to her family in South Carolina.
And that's not all. Taxpayers also paid for her to FedEx packages to court officials in Alabama where she faced DUI charges, packages to a resort in Orlando, even to overnight her credit card payments to American Express.
Talk radio's Phil Valentine says, "Give me a break."That John - wotta guy! And what's his take on the situation?
"This kind of garbage has got to end. We've got people who do not realize that this is taxpayer money."
The senator himself also keeps the FedEx trucks running, overnighting packages to lots of constituents named Ford: Joseph Ford, Kemba Ford, Michael Ford, Michelle Ford, Maxine Ford.
"No relation, of course," Valentine deadpans. "No, no, no. He's buying a car, you see, probably one part at a time. They are FedEx'ing it in."
Then, there are his constituents at some of the country's finest catalogue companies, such as Neiman Marcus and JCrew.
As for Sen. Ford, he tells Phil Williams, by phone, that the real crime is that NewsChannel 5 would dare to call him to ask about how he spends your money.A true man of the people.
"Don't call me today, tomorrow or ever -- you understand?" Ford says. "Don't call me back. If you do, I'm going to consider it harassment and file charges against you."
