Thursday, April 10, 2008
Immigration / Law and Order / Politics / Woods 'Chicken Man' Denies FBI Accusation
Posted by Jeff Woods on Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 9:23 AM
Not to defend a crooked politician, but you can't blame former Rep. Ronnie Davis for being a little miffed. An FBI agent went public yesterday with an allegation that cockfighters paid Davis $30,000 to help pass a law in 1990 to make their bloody sport a misdemeanor rather than a felony.
The agent, Thomas Farrow, said he learned of the bribes from a cockfighter. It apparently wasn't enough evidence for the FBI to charge Davis with any crime then because nothing was filed. But that didn't stop Farrow from making the accusation before the House Judiciary Committee where under the state constitution he enjoys immunity from slander claims. Farrow was speaking in support of legislation to make cockfighting a felony again.
Cockfighters knew Davis so well they referred to him as "chicken man," Farrow said.
Asked about Farrow's comments, Davis said, "I would tell him to his face that he is a … bald-faced, ignorant liar."
Voters tossed Davis, a nine-term Republican from Newport, out of office in 2002 while he was under indictment in a swindling scheme. He pleaded guilty in 2004 to federal fraud, extortion and drug charges and went to prison for two years.
