Local political blogger Thaddeus Matthews has been covering the downfall of Councilmen Rickey Peete and Edmund Ford and businessman Joe Cooper since the story broke. I’ve checked Matthews’ blog occasionally in the past, but I must say I have gotten downright addicted to it over the weekend.
Matthews has a lot to say, and at times it’s up to the reader to separate what is fact from what is gossip/hearsay in his blog (especially in the comments that are left), but there’s no doubt that it’s an interesting read. And give the man his due – over a year ago in the aftermath of the E-Cycle scandal, he was saying that more officials would be brought down on charges of public corruption – and he was right.
Furthermore, he’s saying that we’re still not done. He’s hinted that Peete and Ford could flip and become government informants themselves, leading to other indictments. Ya know what, I wouldn’t be surprised if Matthews is right. I don’t have any particular names in mind when I say this, just a gut feeling that this investigation is going to net a BIG fish by the end of 2007.
My only other comment about the whole thing is that Rickey Peete sure has a name that lends itself to making jokes about his predicament. Tricky Rickey. Sneaky Peete. Re-Peete. Etc.