Status Update: FBI Grand Jury Investigation of Patrick Binning and Billy Long for Congress Campaign

Patrick Binning

A source close to BBCW says the FBI's grand jury investigation over a fraudulent e-mail sent to multiple media outlets the Friday before the election claiming Scott Eckersley dropped out of the Congressional race against Billy Long may soon be winding down. The investigation centers around one Patrick Binning who has ties to Billy Long, Springfield, Missouri, and Greenwood High School, where Long and his daughters attended school. The word is Binning hasn't denied or admitted to any involvement with the e-mail when questioned by the FBI. In other words, it sounds like Binning has taken the fifth.

This of course leads one to wonder if this will lead to an immunity deal for Binning if he was to disclose who put him up to sending the e-mail noting Eckersley quit the race. If Binning would give up those details, would it finally connect to Congressman Billy Long. Of course, through social media, we do know Binning had been in contact with Long multiple times prior to the e-mail.

As well, the e-mail had Billy Long's consultant James Harris and one of his former associates Shawn Bell eager to distance themselves from the e-mail. Harris and Bell were among the first to tweet Eckersley quit the race and then removed the tweets without any apology after word spread the FBI was getting involved. In an even stranger move, Bell called bloggers investigating the e-mail trying to get his name off any blog that was tied to the e-mail.

When the investigation is closed, will Billy Long and his political consultants have enough ties to Patrick Binning and his Lakefront Strategies, a political consulting firm in Chicagoland, to show the order came down from Billy Long or one of his paid consultants? I guess that is something we may find out soon. Of course, one truth that isn't going to change regarding this e-mail is Billy Long is the only person who stands to benefit from the fraudulent e-mail. This adds to the growing list of ethical dilemmas Congressman Long finds himself in in just six months in office.

For more background to this story, read about the ties that led the FBI to Mr. Binning:

http://bungalowbillscw.blogspot.com/2010/10/is-chicagolands-lakefront-strategies.html

http://bungalowbillscw.blogspot.com/2010/10/fraudulent-e-mail-suspect-from-illinois.html

http://bungalowbillscw.blogspot.com/2010/10/fake-ike-skelton-twitter-page-includes.html

http://bungalowbillscw.blogspot.com/2010/10/patrick-j-binning-removes-linked-in.html

http://bungalowbillscw.blogspot.com/2010/10/patrick-j-benning-deletes-lakefront.html