Text messages presented at Woods trial show alleged conspirators' successful efforts to grab GIF cash from multiple legislators | Arkansas Blog:
"As Thompson takes some pains to point out, the other legislators have not been charged or implicated in the kickback scheme. But let me take pains to point something else out: These lawmakers, unnamed in Thompson's article when it first appeared yesterday, helped Ecclesia nab more than $700,000 in public GIF funds during a time when they were targeted by an alleged criminal conspiracy trying to influence them. The recipient of that money is an institution that operates as a church for tax purposes, raising constitutional questions to begin with.
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| One scheme involved state money given for shingle recycling, and Team Paris had a shingle recycling business. |
It is an obscure school with 200 students (around half of whom are enrolled in distance learning) that requested the money to make land purchases of no obvious need for educational purchases. Though most of the money was supposed to be for construction of student housing, there's no evidence of construction or structural renovation and the land was purchased at well over its appraised value. The stench on this was rank, and at least eight other legislators were happy to grease the wheels. Put it this way: Woods and Neal were able to nearly double their own contributions in the alleged kickback scheme through the help of at least eight of their colleagues. "
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| Another scheme was to use state medical marijuana money for Ecclesia. |
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