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DEL.ICIO.USContractor says he was ordered to raise thousands for Campbell campaign
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A former city contractor testified today that Bill Campbell told him to raise $100,000 for Campbell’s mayoral re-election campaign if he wanted to do business with the city.
C.R. “Ronnieâ€? Thornton told jurors in Campbell’s federal corruption trial that the former mayor thanked him for thousands of dollars he had already contributed to Campbell’s 1997 campaign — through straw donors —- but wanted more as the election neared.
Thornton was trying to win favor with the mayor in hopes of getting a contract to provide dirt to build a fifth runway at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
“ ‘It was almost time to start the next phase of the campaign and I needed to get more than I had gotten before,’ � the contractor quoted the mayor as saying. “He made it very clear that without him, there was no project.�
Thornton said he told the mayor he was struggling to find contributors and asked if he could recycle a list of straw donors that he had previously used.
He said Campbell replied: “Yes. Just get the money together.�
Thornton said he scrambled to find available money from his businesses but fell short of the extra $100,000. The indictment against Campbell says he raised $86,000.
Thornton testified that Campbell’s campaign treasurer, attorney Steve Labovitz, later called him at his home and told him he would have to come up with “a fresh list of names.� Campbell later won in the runoff.
In December 1999, the city bought $2 million worth of dirt from Thornton as part of the airport expansion, but he was passed over for the bigger dirt contract.
Thornton, who is a veteran law enforcement officer and a retired police chief, pleaded guilty in 2001 to violating federal banking laws to conceal illegal contributions to Campbell’s 1997 re-election campaign.
Thornton was sentenced to serve two years probation and pay a $10,000 fine.
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