Tennessee Waltz tapes played in Ford's 2nd trial

The Memphis Democrat is accused of taking more than $800,000 from TennCare contractors Doral Dental Services, of Mequon, Wis., and OmniCare Health Plan Inc., of Memphis, to advance the interests of those companies in the legislature. Ford, 66, has maintained that he was being paid for work outside the state.

In a March 2005 phone conversation between Ford and former OmniCare CEO Osbie Howard that was recorded by the FBI, Howard tells Ford the government has subpoenaed his 2002 and 2003 business records and notes.

"I hope you ain't got no damn notes," Ford tells Howard.

Prosecutors also played recorded conversations Ford had with an undercover FBI agent in which he brags about deals he made with contractors for TennCare.

In the recordings, Ford says he "put together the deal" that led to Doral's contract with his consulting company, Managed Care Services Group. Ford also says he traveled first-class while working as a consultant and stayed in hotels like The Ritz-Carlton.

The jury also heard a phone conversation that took place shortly after Ford's business dealings with TennCare contractors became public in which Ford's brother, former U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Sr., tells him not to trust lawyers.

Harold Ford Sr. alludes to his own previous legal troubles in the conversation. He was acquitted of federal bank fraud charges in 1993.

The brother then tells John Ford that he should have taken his advice and resigned from the Senate.

Harold Ford Sr. tells his brother he's been getting a number of phone calls from people in Memphis about his brother's troubles.