Espy was clearly trying to achieve two goals. He wanted to make sure that people back home knew that he wasn’t under a cloud or corruption, and to prove that he is still a viable Mississippi politician. Espy stated at that news conference that he wouldn’t be running for election in that year but that he was open to the possibility of running for office later. Espy was elected in 1986 as the first African-American to the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi. His opponents claim that the charges from the 1990s render him unfit for another term in Congress. A 48-second video entitled “Too corrupt For the Clintons” was released by the Mississippi Republican Party. It focuses on Espy’s 1994 resignation. This occurred during a federal investigation. Espy was indicted for receiving gifts from lobbyists and businesses totaling $35,000 during that probe. Espy was charged with accepting gifts, such as tickets for sporting events like the U.S. Open tennis tournament or the Super Bowl, from various organizations, including Tyson Foods, a poultry producer. The special counsel at the time could not identify the ways in which Espy, then-secretary for agriculture, assisted the gift-givers. Some entities that gave Espy gifts were sentenced and fined. It is not stated in the anti-Espy video that Espy was found not guilty by a federal jury. The video also includes a link to a website titled “The real Mike Espy,” which was paid for by the state Republican Party. Oleta Fitzgerald, Espy’s campaign manager, stated that the United States Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the charges against Espy were unfounded. The prosecution was accused of overreaching. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith’s attack on Washington is nothing but Washington’s usual–false personal attacks designed to hide the fact that she had hurt Mississippi families by imposing an age tax and reducing coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. She also incurred higher monthly health care costs. “Mitch McConnell should feel proud, but Mississippi isn’t.” Hyde Smith, a Republican was appointed by Gov. Phil Bryant was appointed interim U.S. Senator to replace Cochran, who had been serving for many years. Hyde-Smith, a Republican, and Chris McDaniel (a state senator from Ellisville), are competing in a Nov.6 special election to replace Cochran. Fitzgerald refers to the U.S. Supreme Court because he was the one who wrote the unanimous decision that made it legal for federal officials to accept gifts if it was related to an official taking action for the benefit of the gift-giver. Scalia’s opinion came from a case where the special counsel’s Office appealed a lower court ruling to dismiss charges against Espy. According to the video, Espy’s behavior was so disturbing that it forced Bill and Hillary Clinton to resign. Lucien Smith, the chair of the state Republican Party, broadcast the plans to run against Espy during an episode on Mississippi Today’s podcast, Jungle. “I don’t know Mike personally and he may well be a remarkable individual, but he does possess the rare distinction of being among the Clintons’ corrupt officials, having asked him for his resignation just a few years prior to the indictments.” Espy addressed these indictments as he announced his candidacy to the Senate seat. Espy stated that he knew what it took to defend a good name. False accusations can be made against you, but I believe that fighting is the only option. It took me four years to correct the record, but I won the battle. “This experience made me wiser, stronger, more humble, and more faithful. I also discovered that Mississippi people, unlike Washington, would give you the benefit the doubt. “I will always be grateful for Mississippians’ generosity and kindness. Espy, a native of Yazoo City, received 28 percent of the white vote in 1999. His underdog campaign may surprise political pundits if he can reach that number on Nov. 6.