John Ford, the former state senator who is considered the star player in the rollout of the Tennessee Waltz saga, wonย’t disclose his legal strategy as he awaits trial for his role in the FBI sting sometime early next year. But Ford promises ย“a correct presentationย” and insists, ย‘I donย’t have to prove anything. They have to prove something!ย”

One clue as to what that correct presentation wonย’t include: any reference to the independent movie filmed by undercover informant Tim Willis in the same downtown office space where one of the governmentย’s videotapes has shown Ford pocketing FBI cash. That money, several thousand dollars worth, was handed over by a supposed representative of ย“E-Cycle,ย” a fictitious computer firm used as an FBI front. ย“Thatย’s news-media talk. That donย’t mean nothing!ย” Ford scoffed about speculation that he might claim only to have been an actor in Willisย’ fictional drama.

Ford also doubts that this weekย’s resignation from the state Senate of former colleague Kathryn Bowers, ostensibly for health reasons, necessarily means she is about to change her plea, as expected, to guilty. ย“Sheย’s had real bad health,ย” Ford said. ย“Iย’m privy to some stuff. I mean, long before all of this came up.ย”