Behaviors indicative of alcoholism: former Senator John Edwards, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and Ponzi schemer Russell Wasendorf Sr.
Under watch:
In an early 2009 piece on white collar crime, The Economist magazine mentioned something those who have read my books would predict: “Many [Club Fed and other white collar] prisoners suddenly discover, post-conviction, that they had a drinking problem….” I would add that those who don’t figure this out might benefit from greater introspection. In the spirit of The Economist’s discovery, a few recent stories follow for which the evidence of alcoholism is in the purported behaviors or alleged crimes themselves.
Former U.S. Senator John Edwards (D-NC), 59, found not guilty of one charge, with a mistrial declared by the judge on five other charges of violating multiple campaign contribution laws in a failed attempt to cover up an extramarital affair with Rielle Hunter, 48, a wannabe actress. Hunter hit her biggest show business payday when Edwards arranged to have her paid $250,000 to make a series of behind-the-scenes documentaries of his 2008 campaign while running for President. Inasmuch as he is—as are most politicians—well-protected by enabling journalists, there are only occasional references in news reports to Edwards’ possible alcoholism, such as “is he really partying?” and “under tremendous stress, Edwards had also been drinking too much.” However, journalists have no such qualms about an otherwise unknown like Hunter, whose life one writer describes as having had “a lurid, supermarket-tabloid quality to it—full of deception, betrayal [and] reckless behavior” before she turned 30 and found she needed “spiritual growth.” An ex-boyfriend, writer Jay McInerney, based his “cocaine-addled, sexually voracious” narrator of his 1988 novel “Story of My Life” on her earlier exploits.
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., 47, whose office, after he was inexplicably missing from the House floor for more than a month, finally issued a statement saying Jackson is “receiving intensive medical treatment” for a “mood disorder.” Such disorders are usually caused or mimicked by alcoholism. The statement was given two weeks after his office released another statement saying he was on medical leave and suffering from “exhaustion,” which is almost always a euphemism for “alcoholism.” Oddly, based on the description of his personal life at Wikipedia I would ascribe much lower odds of alcoholism in him than in his famous father, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, but it wouldn’t be the first time public expectations don’t match private reality. We’ll have to wait and see.
Russell Wasendorf Sr., 64, founder of Peregrine Financial Group, Inc., hospitalized in critical condition after a suicide attempt, following a number of seemingly inexplicable events surrounding him and his firm. His company had just come under investigation by the National Futures Association for alleged falsification of bank records amidst accusations it held only about $5 million in funds of the $225 million it claimed to have in a deposit account. Wasendorf gave his son power of attorney to act on his behalf a few days earlier, which was two weeks after he got married—to a woman family and friends believed he was due to marry several weeks in the future. Huh? Whenever we shake our heads wondering, “What the hell is going on here?” and read descriptive phrases in stories such as “erratic moves,” “the mystery deepened” and “adding to the puzzles,” we’ve got to look for alcohol and other-drug addiction. The alleged fraud and suicide attempt all but confirm high (80-90%) odds of substance addiction explaining all of the behaviors.
Still, it’s helpful to have stories of private behaviors. An anonymous but extremely credible source told me Wasendorf walked into a room at a hotel conference, screaming and cursing out a hotel employee because directional signs hadn’t initially lead him in to the right conference room. Most people would think “he’s just having a bad day; cut him some slack.” Sorry, but berating of an innocent is a terrific clue to alcoholism. If an addictionologist observed such a reaction on the part of a head of a firm with whom he had funds, he would immediately move all of his funds to another brokerage firm. Since investors may not get all of their missing funds returned to them, we can see that understanding alcoholism is immensely helpful at times—if you see the behavioral indicators and take them seriously.