Re: Indictment in ethanol plant scam

Posted by Paul Chesser at 09:08 AM

Today's story in The News & Observer explains how officials in the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources claim that Boyce Hudson, who is expected to plead guilty next week to corruption charges, could never have expedited environmental permits for an unidentified ethanol plant project as he promised:

Boyce Allen Hudson didn't work directly with state officials who review and grant permits, and although he talked to those who did, his influence went nowhere, Diana Kees, a spokeswoman for the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said Friday.

"I believe from what I've seen he did talk to the permitting staff, but he did not influence any decision," Kees said.

That's pretty hard to believe, since Hudson was able to deliver on his promise:

Company executives met with a potential investor a month later, and they praised Hudson's work.

"I said it's worth a hundred grand to me if you get my permits out of here in 90 days, and he said I can do it, and he did it," an unidentified executive is quoted as saying in (the prosecutors' criminal information) documents.

I guess it's possible Hudson did not influence "permitting staff," but another powerful political figure may have through other channels. According to the documents the ethanol company -- which is Agri-Ethanol Products -- got its air quality permit in less than 30 days. From what I'm told, that is unheard of.

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