In what will undoubtedly be a marquee issue of the fall campaign, the Attorney General's office released its
43-page report on the Lakeland frontage road scandal. For those unaware, the scandal revolves around allegations that Reeves directed his staff to interfere in an MDOT state highway project to promote the construction of a $2 million frontage road between Reeve's gated neighborhood and a shopping center in suburban Jackson.
The report hinges on testimony by MDOT executive director Melinda McGrath and an unnamed "confidential informant" (who I hypothesize is MDOT Commissioner Dick Hall) that indicated Tate Reeves' used his position to exert pressure on MDOT to expedite the Lakeland project. There's also a stream of text messages, emails, and meetings between the Lieutenant Governor's staff and MDOT staff concerning the project. The report indicates that the Reeves' wanted the project reprioritized, which necessarily meant other statewide safety projects would be moved further down the list.
The report includes such great anecdotes as Tate Reeves cursing out the mayor of Flowood, Republican state senator Josh Harkins (a big Tate ally) attempting to record cell phone conversations, and confirmation that Dick Hall routinely hangs-up on the Lieutenant Governor when he calls. All great political fodder.
As far as criminal considerations, Mississippi's lax public corruption laws mean that Reeves can probably only be dinged if there's a conflicting financial interest involved. The report suggests that this might be the case because Reeves holds membership in a local neighborhood association that would be involved in right of way transfer if the Lakeland project had proceeded. I think that's a pretty weak case, but Mrs. Tate Reeves did vote on her husband's behalf in favor of demanding MDOT to pay the association for any property transfer.
Playing into the political melodrama, Reeves' supporters are calling the investigation an abuse of power by Jim Hood (who is directing the AG's office to investigate a political opponent of his). The investigation was handled by two special assistant attorneys general and reviewed by two former MS Supreme Court justices, but the AG's office has declined to press charges or continue the investigation at this time (claiming that the LG's office unwillingness to turn over documents prevents the investigation from going forward). In the press yesterday, Jim Hood was out saying that the media and the public "need to read the report".
Unrelated note: 2/3 MDOT commissioners are retiring this year, and its understood that neither one of them necessarily enjoys working with Tate Reeves.
