He, along with Scott Walker signed up over 10,000 people from across the gulf south for a pair of Houston Texas lawyers to sue BP. Now he, along with Scott Walker and Kirk Ladner are suing the lawyers:
I’ve read the suit and the exhibits. What I know about the law is exceeded only by what I don’t but I did wonder how the Precision Marketing Group could enter into any 2012 dated contracts as it was not formed until February 2013 but then again the fictitious business names were a flyin’ back in the go go days.
To the extent the attached exhibits indicate the compensation under these operating agreements were capped as percentages of the amounts the lawyers would ultimately collect, I see some very disturbing implications raised despite the assertions in the complaint to the contrary.
This suit will certainly be worth following. (H/T Anita Lee)
In other news:
Gov. Phil Bryant hires former DEQ director Trudy Fisher as $195-an-hour consultant ~ Jeff Amy
The Restore Act is attracting all the finest people.
Is this one of the reasons so many people via for the office of Board of Supervisor?
Today’s consultants are just yesterday’s con men. It appears they all get a start by working in government at some level and then come back with their hand outstretched relying on the contacts they made at the taxpayers expense. What this new Walker group has done is very similar to what went on with the asbestos claims. The vultures fan out and hire someone to stand on a street corner with a sign that offers free testing for asbestosis and everybody comes back positive. All get paid lots of money except the people who are really sick. Here we have three local men traveling to other states trying to convince people they somehow lost money because of the gulf oil spill. While I do not defend BP in any way, how can this be allowed? If a crab house or a restaurant cannot get gulf seafood they find another source. More than 80% of shrimp served in these establishments is imported anyway. This is why legitimate claims do not get paid. You have carnival barkers like these guys telling people 600 miles inland they are due money for fake damages. I hope they do not collect a penny. Scott Walker, in particular, has given the term republican “consultant” two black eyes. The damage to his political connections is yet to be assessed but will be significant. He should receive an award for finding more ways to take up front page space in the local newspapers than any person that I know of. Maybe they could have a ceremony before his ass is shipped of to prison and give him a Conny Award. I will gladly buy the trophy.
$1,500 per hour.
Schwing!!!
Oh.
The May 25 2012 group: Allegedly 1127 individuals and/or entities signed contracts to be represented. (page 7)
The July 15, 2012 group: Allegedly 9486 individuals and/or entities signed contracts to be represented.
(page 12)
Does the blog operator have any opinion on deferred billing agreements? I mean in general 😉
I’m no cheapskate, if such a specific case should ever arise, then I’d be more than willing to pay you for your opinion on that. Probably in the neighborhood of holding invoices over say one or two million for more than maybe six months or so… 🙂
I’m a big believer in the golden rule (having spent a career seeing it applied over and over again) thus I’m not much on deferred billing arrangements absent some very specific circumstances.
To the extent those agreements are essentially fee splitting arrangements:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/ethics/tx/code/TX_CODE.HTM#Rule_5.04(a)
COMMENTS: Texas Rule 5.04
http://www.law.cornell.edu/ethics/tx/code/CRule_5.04.htm
$1500/hour is about $1000 more per hour than Gidget and her girls got for services rendered.
Good catch, Doug, I was to comment on that myself. Your own state’s rules criticize such arrangements.
Indeed, as I recall, bar associations cast a jaundiced eye on naming a lawfirm or association for practice of law which does not on its face identify it as such. The ACME corporation or Marketing Group exactly denotes =– what? Quite misleading.
Furthermore, another surprise, I’ve never seen anyone characterize their d/b/a as a fictitious entity in their own pleadings! Call it a tradename or something, but “fictitious”?? Are they trying to say unregistered tradename??
“Marketing services”? GMAFB. Looks like the good old runner system at work.
Runner is the exact term I used in an email this AM because that is exactly what it is. Those guys from Texas were not the only ones paying runners to sign up clients to sue BP.
Page 17 gives it away, Doug, when the damn fools in their own pleadings attribute to a defendant a quote about “signing up” clients!
Ought to prove interesting when one group of malefactors rat out others.
Looking at the pleadings, the soliciting plaintiffs admit to work in many states. If they are going to hide under a professional practice label, are they admitted in ALL of those states? So, any enterprising disabled attorney might have some fun nailing a hide to the wall, La.R.S. 37:213 comes to mind.
You are not the first legal eagle to opine to me today that a potential felony has been perpetrated. Williamson was involved in the second phase of the trial so that would be huge if such were to hold true. The authorities typically stay away from such matters when civil litigation is involved.
As I have mentioned to everyone that has inquired today this case has mucho potential.
As I enjoy my Chick fil A sandwich for lunch it appears Scott Walker is being fil A ed in the SunHerald newspaper. The comments are over the top negative about him, the poor man who lived in a million dollar shoe, Who had so many bills he didn’t know what to do. So he created another get rich scheme, false claims over the BP oil sheen. He traveled inland far and deep, Only Ritz- Carltons for him and his peeps. And when it came time to pay,The other gang said just go away. Keep the 60G and just forget, the balanced claimed they will not get. As I said a few days ago the problems in our state and maybe across our great nation seem to revolve around crooked consultants which if ever they had a poster child it would be Scott Walker. Time after time these type of people are being called out by law enforcement or citizens and shown to be undesirable folks who are not out to make an honest living but to find an angle to gain an entry point into something that belongs to others. When will the people rise up and force an end to the industry that creates the Walkers and others love to be referred to as “consultants”? This has almost become like a tattoo on the forehead of a gang member, hard to deny your affiliation. Of course if you are a consultant, you are a gang member. And that brings me to Trudy Fisher, the new $195 an hour whore(I don’t mean that in a sexual way Amy), I just wonder who the other whores are that will be fattening their silk purses at the state of Ms. trough that her contract mentions. She is but another example of the revolving door that people enter, stay a while, then leave to become wealthy doing this consulting work. Sad indeed.Did I say I love their chicken. Back to my real job.
Judging from those Sun Herald comments it may have been better if the plaintiffs had not requested a jury trial.
This much is for certain, Scott Walker well knows the inside of Judge Starrett’s court room.
War Eagle, I could not have said it any better. But remember, those others involved are not lily white. Look at their under the table records. And so like other politicians in our state, it appears we continue to reelect these crooks and they appoint crooks and the race is on.
I have say back and watched as the good honest employees with DMR have been fired since the DMR went out from under protection of the state personnel board. I think it is time to go to the Sun Herald and let them do a story on the truth behind the firings. The ones that were fired or told to retire knew too much. Why hasn’t there been any stories about 2 suicides and 3 other mysterious deaths linked to Walkergate , I ‘ve held my interview from being printed for over a year now. It’s time that the DMR needs to be shut down. I don’t think I will be alone once my story is printed .
After that whopper of an editorial they wrote cheerleading Miller do you really think anyone in their right mind would go to the Sun Herald complaining about Miller firing them?
Dream on sweet.
I don’t think they will be cheering when proof is presented and by the way Walker got rid of some that were a threat when he found out the big boys were coming not miller
At this point, I used to associate the initials “SH” with the Sun Herald but at this point it appears to be the start of the word SHIT.
Douglas has an outstanding point regarding the editorial that was posted in the SH-IT not long ago. I understand that they print stories based on information they receive but it makes me wonder if they are purposely shying away from the firings or are refusing to probe for facts.
I still have faith that if former DMR employees came forward to explain how things are run under the Miller dictatorship, they would probably print it. If they didn’t, I know another guy on the West side of the Coast that probably would. 😉
Speaking of the state personnel board. Does anyone know about the contents of this:
http://www.mspb.ms.gov/media/31346/docket%20no.%2013-074,%20kara%20vesa%20vs.%20mississippi%20department%20of%20marine%20resources,termination,%20settlement%20approved%20by%20therrell.pdf
What I find most comical are the words “pain and suffering” in the lawsuit. This is just my personal observation but it appears that the Scott and Trinity Walker family have stayed far away from any pain and suffering. By the looks of the photographs posted in the news since WalkerGate cut loose, one could argue that this family is extremely materialistic and enjoys showing off wealth. I am not quite sure what their image of pain and suffering is but……………..
Perhaps Scott could not afford to buy another Louis Vuitton purse and Trinity will have to settle for a trashy 200 dollar Coach bag from Dillards.
Perhaps Scott is feeling the pain for having to sell his home for 1.2 million and will have to move Trinity into an upper middle class subdivision. “Starting in the 400’s…………………”
Perhaps Trinity is upset because she cannot display her children in the latest “kiddie fashion wear” (to make others jealous) and will have to settle for Osh-Kosh. or another good deal found at Wal-Mart.
Instead of sentencing the Scott Walker for 18 months in a white collar resort, I would have shipped his entire immediate family to the Balkans for a year to feel the pain. Life would be like this:
“Kids, you can’t play in that section of the woods because of the land mines. You’ll get blown up”
“Trinity, we can only afford one pair of shoes per person.”
“Scott, you don’t have any government connections here so it looks like you are actually going to have to learn something and work.”
I have been digging into the “Eye Files” and I saw older intelligence that spoke of “a special someone” who had state contract(s) or connections to assist with the oil spill. I figured I would mention this because the recent SH article contained the word “BP” and we all know that the DMR was involved with BP doings to a certain extent. Any takers? 😉
Is he or she now with Trudy Fisher and Associates Consulting LLC if there is indeed such an organization? The Eye files contain so much sometimes only Eye knows. If mentioned on Slabbed before this could provide a clue.
She—most likely holds her current job through more Gulf Coast connections based on what I have been told. The same type of hillbilly type connections that got her on with the DMR.
And the current job is not with Fisher.
Hmmmm…..Let me see. Could I have a vowel ?
Boo hoo,boo hoo da’ poor Big Tittie Boy done did lots of ‘running around’ town finding plaintiffs now he bees a plaintiff. Conmen bees suckers for other con men? Well , he’ll get time off his bad back at his chosen penial inSTICK-IT-TOtion except when he done bends over to pick up his bar of soap it gonna bees mo’ fun then dat old long Slip and Slide by Wham-O on a hot summer day .
Said it before and I’ll say it again, something stinks with this DMR investigation. Scotty Boy is being protected, (wonder what they are afraid he will say) while others lives were destroyed for the sake of the cover up. What is Chris Lott helping Stacey Pickering hide?? When will someone stand up ad ask the right questions? BTW- why hasn’t Anita Lee not written a story about how the state auditors office is protecting Scott Walker? I’m beginning to wonder if Ms Lee has the people of the Mississippi Gulf Coast’s best inteerest in mind. Maybe she was hushed…I guess only time will tell.
Florance,
No offense but it would be hard to write a story about Scott being protected when he is scheduled to go to jail for 18 months. Of course, I still believe that Bill took the brunt of the blow in order to save Scott as much as he could. That is just my opinion though.
Agree Eye-Spy. Florence if you have any questions for Anita I’m certain she’d be happy to hear from you. The decisions regarding coverage or lack thereof are made way up the food chain at your typical local paper. You should contact Stan Tiner or Glenn Nardi with questions along those lines.
Douglas, Ms Anita is getting her stories from a few insiders who are trying to protect themselves. How many good people have had their lives ruined by the half truths printed in the local rag? Meanwhile others in DMR and in Pickering’s offices continue with the same old ways.
Seems likes Ms Anita wants the easy stories that come to her rather than search for the real true story.
Who was at the center of so many headlines? But who got the lightest sentence? Who is currently serving their time and who is runing around enjoing themselves?
I think someone is being protected by Pickering and friends.
Florence,
It would not surprise me that Pickering is protecting who he can with the aid and assistance of the Governor. Regardless of who got sentenced, and who didn’t, I can assure you that Bryant campaign supporters got off as light as they could. As far as serving time, if you happen to be talking about Scott Walker–he may have used his last “time-out.”
The longer Pickering can keep him out of jail, the longer he doesn’t talk and tell the whole story. I still say the DMR investigation stinks!
I bet Scott Walker and the Hancock County wing of the family will settle for $5000 because the amount claimed is overstated and maybe illegal. After reading the complaint I agree with the reference to several entities as a fictional entity.
Biloxi, it is just as a long time practitioner of law that you learn to choose your words to convey a meaning. Referring to your own enterprise or activity as fictional does raise the eyebrows a tad bit.
Queen Cobra, it looks as though the Sun Herald has abandoned honest reporting. Any guessers as to why would be appreciated. Could it be the DMR confiscated records have names they are covering for? Take your pick on who or how many big wigs? The local FBI and entire State of Mississippi appear to be covering for someone. Could it be Barbour?
The BP oil spill continues to stink up and pollute our communities.
Just like post Katrina, the pigs ran straight to the trough to feast. While Scott Walker is the headline grabber du jour, there is one name that is unmistakably woven throughout all the goings on in Hancock County. There have been so many coincidences one must start to wonder if they are actually coincidences at all.
What’s one to do? If you can’t beat ’em….join ’em.
Notice the consulting company’s name and the subject matter in the news story link below:
http://www.seacoastecho.com/article_6573.shtml#.VD8seX-9KSN
Not to be lost on this brilliant group of readers is the venue in which this discussion takes place. Oh the irony….
Next up:
Good time to set up shop to make bank off the BP $$$ being spent along the gulf coast.
http://www.dewberry.com/news/article/12-10-01/Dewberry_Opens_New_Location_in_Gulfport_Mississippi
The connector:
Cha Ching…time to cash in on all those contacts built up over the years as a “public” servant. No mention of a law degree….really??
http://www.dewberry.com/News/Article/14-04-03/Dewberry_Welcomes_the_Resiliency_Expertise_of_Ronald_Artigues
As the saying goes: Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
https://corp.sos.ms.gov/corpconv/ViewXSLTFileByName.aspx?providerName=BusinessDetailsAlone&FilingId=623bb341-5464-4655-b1f6-fafdbcec7a00
https://corp.sos.ms.gov/corpconv/portal/c/ExecuteWorkflow.aspx?workflowid=g12dbd558-fa5d-49a1-a869-ad8b9db198db&FilingId=1faa06da-bc6f-4b94-8cd7-07ffc2f1e51d
The tangled webs we weave….
https://corp.sos.ms.gov/corpconv/ViewXSLTFileByName.aspx?providerName=BusinessDetailsAlone&FilingId=dc42f966-71c1-42d6-a8ef-a74741c97b7c
Page 7 and Page 12…..
https://extranet.hga-llc.com/sites/DisasterRecoveryTeamGustavIke/stjohn/Shared%20Documents/Parish%20Generators/P%205%20-%20Procurement/Statement%20of%20Qualifications/Dewberry.pdf?Mobile=1&Source=%2Fsites%2FDisasterRecoveryTeamGustavIke%2Fstjohn%2F_layouts%2Fmobile%2Fview.aspx%3FList%3D68b9e0c2-4564-4b41-84a9-5589ebd96ea7%26View%3D79838fa5-4bdd-41fc-b8b3-2a5d574b6641%26RootFolder%3D%252Fsites%252FDisasterRecoveryTeamGustavIke%252Fstjohn%252FShared%2520Documents%252FParish%2520Generators%252FP%25205%2520-%2520Procurement%252FStatement%2520of%2520Qualifications%26CurrentPage%3D1
A little too close for comfort?
http://hcua.ms.gov/Minutes/February11_2014_Minutes.pdf
Dewberry and Butler Snow – no connection there. Hello?
It’s is business as usual in Hancock County. Wouldn’t expect anything less than lots of deal making going on behind the scenes. Interesting timing on Mr. Pitalo’s request. The latest minutes posted online for the HCUA are from April 2014. Imagine that?
Open and transparent governing with prudent oversight of taxpayers’ money is how the Mississippi West Coast rolls.
John Rodgers, you hit the nail right on the head. Currently, the DMR is being run by Senator Wiggins and , wait for it…..John McKay and Troy Ross to name a few in the chain. They are being kept informed by an inside worker named Jan Boyd, of what to do next. Boyd, who should have been one of the first ones let go by Jamie Miller ( because he allowed his son to “accept free State favors” ala Mississippi Taxpayers), IS currently still working for Mr. Miller and Mr. Miller is very much aware of what he has done and what his connections are. Now, you tell me – how is Mr. Miller is going to fire Jan Boyd with the likes of John McKay, Troy Ross, and Senator Wiggins breathing down his back?? They have the blessings of the powers that be! But just remember boys – it’s a long fall to the bottom. And there are lots of thorns on the way.
Nothing has changed folks…just new players. And the money is still flowing….into the pockets of our “dear friends”. The bureaucracy is growing….as reported by Jamie in the Sun Herald. He said that Joe Zeigler’s job was made into four positions. After all, he has to make room for more of the Boss Hogg’s cronies. Joe Zeigler (Billy Hewes’ relative) has been replaced by ONE person (unlike the BS that the SH listed – jobs are being added with “made-up” duties). The person taking Zeigler’s place is General Spraggins (Hewes relative) who just left a now, defunct business that he was a big part of. Bill Feidt worked for one of the failed companies involved in the Bernie Madoff scandal. He is now overseeing DMR’s funds???? This is just a sample of what has been done at the DMR. Only “suits” that are trained to move money need apply….AND you must be a member of the Pah-lasso, Bryant, Boss Hogg, McKay, Wiggins, Cotton Fore, and Hewes Fraternity. All standing with their hands opened. And Trudy Fisher looks the other way and lets them do anything they want involving wetlands and water quality. They break any rule they want to with the blessing of the rest of their cronies. These men are arrogant women haters, and I am not sure how Trudy Fisher fits in that clique???? Is it for sure she is a female? By birth or operation??? Can’t say and mean no disrespect.
If you recall, John McKay, Mr. Harris, Baby Walker, Papa Walker, Greg Denyer, Robert Byrd, Colin Byrd, were all members of the same clan. The only ones charged for wrongdoing in any way at this point, are Baby Walker and Papa Walker. The rest who robbed the Taxpayers of this State are still free to pillage and plunder. Only, now they have picked up a few recruits. You would think that the Commissioners at the DMR would step in and do something. They are very much aware of what is going on but always have an excuse to cover up Jamie and their own behinds. They all need to be replaced with REAL Coastians and Mississippi Taxpayers!
Mr. Wiggins and Troy Ross owe their positions to John McKay and his con family. So they kiss his ring and jump when he says jump. So, Jamie Miller is doing everything they tell him to do without investigating or checking into anything (like he claims he does). He is being used by them as a puppet to do their bidding (“them” includes Phil Bryant, Steven Palazzo, and Boss Hogg). Now that Trudy is back in the saddle, (Cotton Fore’s chickie), they are rallying the wagons for another money squeeze. Our very own Legislators should be held accountable for allowing anyone (much less an inexperienced “Christian”???) to fire our State Employees at will. First of all, if Jamie was firing the ones that needed to be fired and were part of the scandal – that would be one thing. But he, and they, are using that opportunity to get rid of the good people and bring in more con Profits. That only goes to show you that the cover-up is still much in place. If Mr. Miller really wants to prove that he is doing the right thing at that Agency, he needs to start firing the correct individuals that were connected with the Walkergate and leave the innocent alone. The problems that the DMR has had, and still enjoys, are very much in place and still running the DMR. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck! Get rid of the Trash and the DMR Mr. Miller – or you might be the next piece of garbage carried out!! The people that worked on the computers at the DMR were all good people. You got rid of them all with your constant pressure and ultimate firing practices and replaced them with your own “suit” figureheads. If that is what you call a Christian – then I offer that you are studying the wrong book. You might want to buy a copy of the B I B L E, which is available at Christian stores everywhere or your local church. Because I am confident that your actions fall more into the category of things that the spawn of succubii tend to do. So if you are in doubt, please read and reread the B I B L E and remember – someone IS watching and you WILL answer to someone with a lot higher authority than you.
Florence, and all of the rest of you who are so justifiably concerned with the DMR and why that agency and how it has been run are good reasons to justify replacing our State Auditor,
Look at the situation in Bay St. Louis utility department that Stacey and his “investigators???!!!” passed over. The citizens of Bay St. Louis thought they had paid their utility bills last year, and for 3 consecutive months the garbage and wastewater collections were held back and used for “other things.” You can bet it was payroll–I’d be shocked to find out otherwise. Someone even asked them at an open meeting what they did with the money–no answer. Then the Mayor and City Clerk run down to The First Bank with the blessings of 4 of the 7 Councilmen and take out a loan to cover what they did and strap that on the back of the taxpayers throughout the city, even the ones in Wards 5 & 6 who don’t even get their utilities from the city–they are still with the County.
So, we have lots of reasons to replace Stacey. Can it be done? Who knows, but I’ll bet it is going to be an election topic he’ll have to answer for come next Spring when the campaign is in full swing. He’ll probably have the nerve to be asking these same taxpayers in the Bay that he let get screwed by the Mayor and City Clerk to donate to his campaign.
Pitiful doesn’t begin to describe any of them.
State Auditor Stacey Pickering has screwed ALL of south Mississippi! I hope people remember this fact when he again asks for their vote in the next General Election. Look at his record! Has not audited agencies, been in bed with Joe Cloyd and other Republicans & DMR cronies with a fund raiser in Ocean Springs and has pulled all amounts of strings not to allow the public to know what is in the DMR records. Who is the idiot covering for?