The father: Before becoming a well-heeled lobbyist with a home in the Hamptons, Harold Ford Sr. was a congressman for 32 years who broke the Republican stranglehold on his district, perfected the Election Day Ford ballot endorsement, and beat federal prosecutors in a celebrated corruption trial in 1993.
Uncle John: The brother of Harold Ford Sr., John Ford, now serving a 14-year prison sentence, was a powerhouse in the Tennessee General Assembly before being convicted on federal bribery charges in a sting called Tennessee Waltz. The trial featured undercover tapes of cash payoffs and of Ford threatening to shoot an undercover witness if Ford found out he betrayed him. (Years ago, John beat the rap after a truck driver accused him of firing a pistol at him through the sunroof of his car.)
Uncle Joe: Joe Ford is the mayor of Shelby County, which includes Memphis, and former operator of N.J. Ford and Sons Funeral Home, founded by his father. In 1999, he ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Memphis against Willie Herenton.
Aunt Ophelia: A latecomer to politics, Ophelia Ford is a state senator from Memphis. A few years ago, her weird histrionics and public rants caused family members to urge her to go to rehab. (She said she is anemic.)
Uncle Edmund: Edmund Ford Sr. was a member of the Memphis City Council who was indicted, and later acquitted, after a federal undercover witness videotaped him at his funeral home taking alleged payoffs. His son, Edmund Ford Jr., took his place on the city council.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2010/01/13/ford-family-values.html