Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris is asking the Shelby County Commission to bar indicted member Edmund Ford Jr. from making grants following his arrest on bribery and tax evasion charges late last week, according to a statement released Monday, March 3.
The arrest stems from a series of grants the commissioner and former Memphis City Council member allegedly pursued for nonprofits in exchange for purchases at Ford-owned businesses.
“Considering these allegations of criminal corruption, it is appropriate for the commission to stop Commissioner Ford from making additional grants and participating in the county grant-making process while the prosecution is ongoing,” the statement read.
Harris, a former University of Memphis law professor, also plans to have discussions with legal authorities in the coming days to see what additional steps can be taken to prevent Ford from engaging in the practice as his case develops.
“The federal indictment of Commissioner Ford is devastating news for the residents he serves and for all of Shelby County,” Harris’ statement read. “While there is a presumption of innocence until proven guilty, his continued grant-making as a commissioner unnecessarily taints the process.”
Money for community grants is split evenly among the 13 commissioners. They also require member approval.
Ford allegedly sponsored the taxpayer-funded grants to three unnamed nonprofits. Moreover, the practice reportedly occurred during his time on the city council, which ended in 2018. Ford briefly served on both bodies concurrently after being elected to the county commission that same year.
The three nonprofits that received amounts on the dates named in the indictment appear to be Memphis Women Aiming Higher Inc., Prime Time Parenting and UCAN of Memphis, according to reporting and an analysis of records by The Daily Memphian. The unsealed indictment says a total of $629,500 in grants was awarded between 2018 and 2022.
Laptops were allegedly purchased from the Ford-owned E&J Computer Services and Repair as part of the quid pro quo, or other payments were disguised.
The Shelby County Commission has no policy that permits the body or its chair to remove or suspend another member. In the past, Shelby County commissioners accused of wrongdoing have remained in their seats as their cases have progressed. The charter states that a commissioner can be removed in accordance with state law.
In contrast, the chair of the Memphis City Council has the power to suspend a member awaiting trial while under indictment.
The commission’s ethics policies are currently being reviewed by Chairman Michael Whaley.
