ON THE TAKE TED SNUFFS
Former US politician Edwin Edwards has died aged 93. The three time Governor of Louisiana was elected to the most years of anyone in that office, 16 years. This ended when he was found guilty of corruption and racketeering, and sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.
Edwards cast himself as one of the last New Deal politicians (a new deal for himself?) and cited former Louisiana Governor (and fan of fascism) Huey Long as an influence. Early on, he marked himself as an opponent of racism, and a proponent of political bribes, citing that it was illegal to give them but not receive them. In 1985, he stood trial for bribery and mail fraud, but got acquitted as they held the trial in Louisiana, where he remained highly popular.
However in 1997 video tape surfaced of Edwards paying off a congressman, which led to an investigation which saw the model citizen (self-titled) going down for fraud. Despite campaigns, both George Bush and Barack Obama refused to pardon him. However after his release in 2011, he remained popular in his home state.
How popular?
As an ex-convict independent, and despite being caught in more corruption scandals than you lot have had warm dinners, Edwards nearly won a congress seat in 2014, reaching the run off only to lose to his Republican opponent.
Edwards divorced his wife while in jail, married his 50 years younger prison pen pal, and got her pregnant in 2013 in his mid-80s.
He was picked by 3 teams: Dead Ringers, Perhaps Pointless Puns, and Sir Creep’s Gris Gris theme team.
Edwin Edwards
7 August 1927 – 12 July 2021
3 teams