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DEL.ICIO.USTestimony cites undisclosed speaking fees
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell didn’t initially disclose thousands of dollars he collected from city contractors for speaking engagements, a city clerk testified today.
Campbell later amended his campaign disclosure forms to include a $5,000 speaking fee he received from Sable Communication in 1996 and $10,000 from Oracle Corp. in 1998, Atlanta Municipal Clerk Rhonda Dauphin Johnson testified.
Johnson was first government witness called to the stand today. The order of witness appearances has been revised, with earlier witnesses who had been expected to take the stand being replaced by others.
Campbell, 52, maintains his innocence of federal charges of racketeering, bribery and income tax evasion.
During Campbell’s public corruption trial, his former aide, Dewey Clark testified that the mayor got $5,000 for a brief speech to Sable’s former chief executive, George Greene, and about a dozen of Green’s employees and relatives. During the speech, Campbell said he rewarded loyalty and punished his enemies and would “even drive up on the sidewalk to get them,” Clark testified.
Oracle, a software company with a city contract, paid Campbell $10,000 for a speech in 1998. In 1999, Oracle won a city contract with the potential to eventually earn the company $4.5 million.
Campbell made changes to his financial disclosure forms in 2000 – after the FBI began investigating allegations of corruption at City Hall.
During testimony today, prosecutors also pointed to another omission campaign disclosure forms. Under benefits and gratuities, Campbell listed free tickets to Braves, Falcons and Hawks games and events at Chastain Park and the Civic Center, Johnson testified today as prosecutors showed jurors several enlarged copies of the mayor’s campaign and financial disclosure forms. But the mayor didn’t list $12,000 a city contractor, United Water, paid for what prosecutors say was a romantic getaway for Campbell and a mistress, Marion Brooks.
Prosecutors say Campbell also didn’t list chartered flights to New York and Las Vegas that were paid by a businessman. City contractor Robert Crowder testified last week how he spent thousands of dollars chartering planes for then-Mayor Bill Campbell to gain a business edge.
Crowder, chief executive of construction company Brencor Inc, told jurors he paid $29,000 in 1999 for a jet to fly Campbell to New York and Las Vegas, with a limousine on hand. Defense attorney Jerry Froelich pointed out that the mayor took Crowder to Chops restaurant as a “thank you� and invited Crowder and his wife to sit at a table with Campbell during a Nancy Wilson concert at Chastain Park.
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