Examiner Says Long was Influenced By "Strong, Manipulative Personality"
posted September 4, 2008
A psychological examiner who examined Billy Long said he asked him to help figure out why he committed a variety of crimes after getting elected sheriff of Hamilton County.
Dr. Bertin Glennon said after his first interview with him, Long asked him, "Can you help me see why I done this?"
Dr. Glennon said he concluded that Long's personality type and mental status "could be influenced by a strong, manipulative personality."
Dr. Glennon said that could result in "what has been described as sentencing entrapment, sentencing manipulation and outrageous conduct."
He said because of "strong emotions or wishes" that a person like Billy Long could have altered his lifelong behavior.
And he said he got into trouble when he operated on his own, while not letting anyone know that he was associating with the Rev Eugene Overstreet, who eventually began working closely with the FBI.
Dr. Glennon was asked to do the examination on the former sheriff in preparation for his sentencing in Federal Court in connection with guilty pleas to being involved in illegal drug sales, providing a gun to a felon, bribery and money laundering.
Attorney Jerry Summers had asked that the report be kept under seal, but Federal Magistrate Judge Susan Lee said it was a public record.
Dr. Glennon said he interviewed Long on two occasions for a total of six hours.
He said he began by asking Long how he had come to engage in illegal activities. He said Long told him he had been introduced to Overstreet, who said he could help him with the African-American and the Indian vote. Long said he was interested in obtaining money for his campaign from store owners who were from India.
He said he and Overstreet "became a working acquaintance" and Overstreet often called him.
Long said Overstreet asked him if they could get poker machines as this would help them get campaign money. He said he agreed that was a good idea. He said Overstreet later said his wife had cancer and he needed money to pay for her treatments.
Long said he knew he needed the support of black ministers so he continued to work with Overstreet.
He said he believed he was "getting scammed" by Overstreet and he "knew he was doing things that he should not have been doing. He said that he just put it to the side because he was trying to get elected and had to start planning his re-election."
Long said, "I didn't want to fool the guy, but I knew that I needed the black and Indian vote."
He said that he felt he needed Overstreet, though he said he did not like him.
Long told the examiner, "That's the dirty side of politics."
He said his association with Overstreet continued through the election and afterwards. He said he "kept getting angry, but he did not know how to continue without him."
Long said Overstreet again told him about his wife's cancer. He said he "knew he was getting deeper and deeper into this and he had some hope that if he helped Rev. Overstreet with his wife's cancer there was some hope that this would end."
He said he knew he was doing wrong and he kept it from his wife and his closest associates. He said no one from the campaign knew that it was going on.
He said he "wanted to get out of it, but he did not know how."
Long reported being in good health, but said he would wake up at night several times with his mind racing. He said marrying his second wife was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and he said he missed being with her and his two sons. He said his only hobby was riding his motorcycle, and he enjoyed doing this with his second wife.
He said he drank socially, but had never been drunk. He denied all illegal substances and said he does not smoke tobacco.
The examiner said Long has a normal IQ and does not show any mental health or personality disorder problems.
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