Edwin Edwards, the former Louisiana governor now making another run for Congress, said he probably would have voted for President Barack Obama in 2012 but implied he was unable to because of his previous conviction.
“I’m sorry to say where I was, there were no voting machines. I was in prison,” Edwards said in an interview with MSNBC’s Chuck Todd on Wednesday. “I would’ve probably voted for President Obama because I, like the rest of the nation, was caught up in his rhetoric and the bright future that should be available to us today. But I’m very disappointed in what he’s done. The Keystone pipeline should be approved.”
Ten years earlier Edwards was convicted of extorting roughly $3 million from companies seeking casino licenses.
In the interview with Todd the former governor maintained his innocence and said he was really jailed because of his former friends. Todd asked him if he acknowledged any wrongdoing.
Edwards, who’s running for Congress in the district currently held by Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), also had some harsh words for Obamacare.
“I would not have voted for it had I not been in Congress because it was too long, too technical, too involved, and it was subject to pitfalls which we now know was just bad for the country,” Edwards added.
“Well of course I’ve done wrong things in my life, I’ve made mistakes. But I’ll tell you I did not do what I was charged with and convicted of.” Edwards said.
Correction: This post originally implied that Edwards’s claim that he was unable to vote was untrue. Edwards was released from prison but he was still unable to vote in 2012 because he was on parole. We regret the error.
