By David Spunt – bio | email
BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) – What Edwin Edwards is going through is all too familiar for another well-known Louisiana politician. Former Insurance Commissioner Jim Brown spent time at the same prison Edwards called home, Oakdale in Allen Parish.
“Edwards is such a fascinating character. He’s the most charismatic interesting character apparently in the state today because there’s so much media interest in him,” Brown said.
Brown first met Edwards in 1970. He served as senator, secretary of state and insurance commissioner during the Edwards era. What Brown says fascinates him most, is the “rock star status” the former governor has, even today. Brown would even argue Edwards is more popular than the Governor Huey Long.
“You either love him or you hate him, but either way, you want to hear about him, you want to talk about him; you want to read about him,” he said.
Brown has more in common with Edwards than just being political colleagues. In 2000, he was sentenced to six months in prison for lying to a federal agent, something he still says he didn’t do. Though Brown only spent six months behind bars, and never went to a halfway house, he said it was a life changing experience.
“Nobody wants to go to prison. It ain’t a piece of cake. Some people say going to a federal prison is like going to a health club. That’s not the case at all,” he said.
Edwards will be a free man July 6th.
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Article source: http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=13839156
Category: Prison Time