It has been more than a decade since the political corruption scandal called Tennessee Waltz came to light. Now, three of the most well known defendants in that case have been successful in getting most of their civil rights restored. Local 24’s Mike Matthews is on it.
The black and white video was the story in the political corruption scandal known as The Tennessee Waltz. An undercover F-B-I agent told former State Senators John Ford and Roscoe Dixon he was in charge of a computer software company and needed legislation.
in return, he gave them cash; cash that juries saw them get on tape.
For former Shelby County Commissioner Michael Hooks, same thing. “I apologized at the time for any wrongdoing I might have done,” Hooks now says. “I did that without any buts, ifs, or ands. I apologized. I plead. I did my time. Did it. Didn’t complain. Came home.”
Hooks served 15 months.
Former State Senator Roscoe Dixon, who was seen on F-B-I tape telling people to throw him one of those stacks of cash served five years after being convicted.
He, Hooks, and former State Senator John Ford got most of their civil rights restored by a two judge panel last week. “I want to help these young men,” Dixon says, “… particularly African-Americans who don’t know where to go… or any Whites, Hispanics or anyone else that has the right to get their rights restored but don’t know how to do it.”
Shelby County Commissioner and long time attorney Walter Bailey represented Hooks, Dixon, and Ford, and says they wanted to get back in front of television cameras to encourage people to fight to restore their rights. “They’re here to set an example to the world and to encourage others,” he says.
The one right they did not get restored was concerning running for political office.
