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Monday, February 6, 2006
Campbell case reaches to Memphis mayor
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
While prosecutors continued Monday to try to strengthen links between a city contractor and bribes allegedly paid to former mayor Bill Campbell, outside the courtroom, reverberations of the trial reached Memphis, where mayor Willie Herenton called an afternoon press conference to respond to reports he has been subpoened as a witness.
Last week, Dewey Clark, one of the key government witnesses and a close friend of Campbell who lived in a basement apartment at his Inman Park home, testified, “I gave the mayor [Herenton] $9,000 in cash in his [Memphis] office.�
Prosecutors called Herenton’s office manager, Suzette King, to the stand Monday to question her about her calendar record of times that Campbell met Herenton in Memphis. Defense attorneys objected, and she never testified. She may be recalled to the stand.
Herenton’s spokeswoman Gale Jones Carson said Monday that Herenton was subpoened last Wednesday, Feb. 1, to appear as a witnesss, but that was the first time Herenton was aware he would be asked to appear.
“He has not talked to the FBI period,� she said. “They have never contacted him.� The mayor declined to be interviewed.
Carson issued a statement saying: “Any allegations against Mayor Willie Herenton regarding former Mayor Bill Campbell will be addressed with the media after he testifies later this month.� Carson added he did not know exactly when Herenten is scheduled to testify or what he will testify about.
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Campbell crony paid thousands, two testify
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Two witnesses in the federal corruption trial of Bill Campbell testified Monday that thousands of dollars were paid to Bill Campbell’s friend Fred Prewitt by contractors hoping to do business with the city.
Steve Apolinsky, a former law partner with Bill Campbell, was the first witness as the federal corruption trial of the former Atlanta mayor opened its third week. Prosecutors are trying to flesh out for jurors the connections between Campbell and Prewitt, a city contractor, and bribes and kickbacks.
Apolinsky testified that he was on the finance committee for Campbell’s re-election campaign in 1997, and later worked as a consultant for Atlanta Water Corp. which was bidding for the city contract to privatize Atlanta’s water system.
Atlanta Water Corp. hired Prewitt as a consultant in its bidding process.
Apolinsky testified that Atlanta Water Corp. wrote checks to Prewitt worth more than $30,000. He also testified that in July 1998, Prewitt asked him for $2,500 for a trip Prewitt and Campbell were “making to Memphis for a speaking engagement and gambling.”
On cross examination, Apolinsky, said he had no knowledge of that money being delivered to Campbell or other cash or bribes given to Campbell.
The second witness of the day, John Stege, was an engineer who managed Harbert Construction Company’s negotiations and contract dealings with Atlanta. Stege has a plea deal with the government, agreeing to testify in exchange for not being prosecuted for kickbacks he testified he took from a city contractor.
He testified that Prewitt’s company, FBP Construction, had no employees other than Prewitt, no construction equipment and no office, and Prewitt operated out of space owned by Harbert.
He testified about thousands of dollars in checks written by Harbert to FPB construction for several water projects that Harbert was involved in. He also testified about hundreds of dollars in cash given to Prewitt for various events hosted by mayor Campbell.
Permalink | | Categories: Bill Campbell trial
Testimony resumes today
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The third week of the federal corruption trial against former Atlanta mayor Bill Campbell reopens today with prosecutors trying to build on testimony from three witnesses that have connected Campbell to thousands in bribes from city contractors, and a stripclub owner.
Campbell is facing charges on racketeering, accepting bribes and tax evasion.
The trial has been a mixture of high drama and tedium, as a rogues gallery of Campbell cronies (Michael Sullivan, Dewey Clark, Bert Timmerman) have taken the stand, interrupted by dickering between attorneys over procedure, then testimony about bank records.
Prosecutors believe the case, will take between six and eight weeks. Judge Richard Story has been hard-pressed to keep proceedings moving. One day 13 members of the jury were stranded on an elevator. Twice last week spectators were ejected for interrupting court.
Permalink | | Categories: Bill Campbell trial
