I hope Oliver Thomas has a good reason for refusing to cooperate with the Feds regarding his alleged knowledge of corrupt dealing in City Hall. Is his life being threatened? Is his family’s life being threatened? Does he know something we don’t about how his sentencing will go? Something is up.
Or is he simply that much of a scoundrel?
Because if the Times-Picayune is to be believed, the Feds are claiming Oliver knows of corruption within City Hall and isn’t divulging the sources simply for the reason of being thought of as a “rat.” This is a very telling statement. It speaks to Oliver’s view of himself and his city-wide reputation.
Oliver’s unwillingness to cooperate with authorities shows that perhaps he is indeed a man who carries a sense of self, but it is his allegiances that are astounding. When facing a choice to have his reputation ruined in the eyes of the people of New Orleans or ruined in the eyes of his criminal cronies, he chose the crooks. That is, he doesn’t want to be seen as a tattle-tale but doesn’t mind being thought of as a man who posses inherent knowledge of criminal activity by civic servants and has a golden opportunity to redeem himself and help the city, yet refuses.
So first he was a thief. The he was repentant. Now he isn’t.
Something isn’t right. He knows something we don’t. He was facing three years in prison. Unless he has worked out something else, he will face much more than that amount of time now. It seems like a huge sacrifice for someone to whom reputation doesn’t seem to bare much importance in the first place. If it did, he wouldn’t be in this mess would he?
If justice prevails, Oliver will get the maximum sentence. If he is to be made an example, a few years won’t be sufficient. And he needs to be made an example of. Because two-year prison sentences aren’t enough to deter a crooked politician from making $3 – $5 million off the city or state through bogus business deals.
As for Oliver, he is a disgrace, now more than ever. He had the appearance of an honorable man at times. But he has been exposed as a crook and a coward. Extenuating circumstances or none, I would like nothing more than to never see his face again.
More from: Ashmo, PGR, Celcus and of course the paranoid yellow blogger.
How does refusing to take the easy way out of your own hole you’ve dug qualify as cowardice?
I’m having a tough time answering this question because it has been phrased abstractly and on your terms.
But if you want to know why OT is a coward it is because of his lacking the strength of character to keep any of the promises he made to the Feds, to his constituents and probably to himself. It takes strength to walk the straight-and-narrow.
And I’m not so sure he is refusing to take the easy way out, as I alluded to in the article.
I was in City Council Chambers the other day and Chui Clark, local spokesman for whatever had a Tee Shirt on with the words…
Don’t be a Snitch
I want a t-shirt that says “Be a Snitch”.
We should all report illegal activity when it occurs.
I think Dirty South made a “Snitching is Bitching” shirt.