Dickie Scruggs’ visit to Columbus Tuesday — he spoke at the Rotary Club to make his pitch for his non-profit designed to provide support for adult literacy/job training — captured my attention as soon as his visit was announced.
He is a Faulkner character come to life — a jumble of contradictions living out a cautionary tale of greed and ego and shame.
His is a story of dizzying success and stunning failure. In his 70 years, he has been both respected and feared and despised and, perhaps, even pitied.
He is a multi-millionaire and a felon.
Ten years ago, he was one of the most powerful attorneys in the nation, successfully prosecuting the big tobacco and asbestos cases and becoming a multi-millionaire in the process. At that time, he had not one, but two yachts, fully crewed and ready to entertain Scruggs and his wide circle of friends at a moment’s notice. There were homes and jets and all the things that scream of conspicuous, audacious wealth. There seemed to be no limit to his desires and — as it turned out — no constraints on his insatiable appetite for even more.
Ultimately, it was greed that was his doom, and when Scruggs went down, he went down hard, sentenced to six years in federal prison for a notorious judicial bribery case. His son, Zach, went down with him, going to prison for 14 months.
Both were disbarred and disgraced, their reputations forever ruined.
It was difficult to read the faces of the Rotarians as they listened to Scruggs Tuesday. He was greeted politely and the audience seemed to listen intently. There have been warmer receptions at Rotary, but there have been cooler receptions, too.
I suspect there was more than one Rotarian who would have reached this conclusion: Good message, awful messenger.
Scruggs’ non-profit, called 2nd Chance MS, will spend $100,000 in a pilot program to help adults earn their GED and workforce certifications. Scruggs correctly observes that education and job training are critical if the state is ever going to emerge from its current state of crippling poverty and all the ills that go with it.
As sensible as the program is, I doubt many people will rush to donate to the organization, though.
No doubt, people are aware that Scruggs, already a wealthy, wealthy man, will continue to draw $20 million annually in fees from the tobacco case until 2025.
If Scruggs wants to help folks, he doesn’t need to pass the hat.
Given that, I strongly suspect that almost all of the $100,000 the organization will spend this year is coming out of his pocket. If the program is expanded, I suspect Scruggs will continue to be the primary source of that funding.
I don’t doubt Scruggs’ sincerity when it comes to doing something to address this issue, but I do wonder if his insistence on being the very public face of the organization isn’t a grave error. I suspect there will be some who say this is more about rehabilitating his tattered reputation than helping people.
If helping people is his primary motivation, it seems his goal would be much better achieved by maintaining a low profile and working behind the scenes. That his son, Zach, is the organization’s executive director hardly mitigates that image problem.
Maybe his ego simply won’t allow that.
As a felon myself, I understand the powerful need for redemption, the desire not be to be judged by your worst moment.
I also have come to understand redemption is internal. People will think what they want, and there’s not much you can about it.
It took me a while to understand that.
It’s been nine years since I walked out of prison.
Maybe just two years removed from prison, Scruggs hasn’t reached that conclusion yet.
But he will.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.