Lucien Smith, a long time Balch & Bingham partner, was replaced as Chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party last week.

Mississippi Today reports:

Lucien Smith on Monday announced he’s stepping down as Mississippi Republican Party chairman, with Gov. Tate Reeves backing Coast businessman Frank Bordeaux to replace him.

Numerous Republican sources in July told Mississippi Today that Reeves, as new de facto head of the party in his first term as governor, wanted new leadership. 

And what polite excuse did spin doctors say was the reason Lucien was tossed aside?

It’s partly because Smith is an attorney at a major law firm that does millions of dollars in business with the state and Reeves believes that is untoward and wanted a chairman with no such entanglements.

With Bach’s reputation apparently in shambles, sources wouldn’t even mention the alleged racist firm by name.

Balch & Bingham appears to have a bad stench even in Mississippi.

And curiously the business dealings are called “entanglemens.” Is there something the Governor knows that the public does not?

Balch appears to have been set back tremendously in Mississippi, with Lucien Smith given three steps towards the door.

The Governor will now have others earwigging him instead.