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DEL.ICIO.USDefense begins calling its witnesses
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell’s million-dollar defense team is scheduled to take the offensive today by calling its first of several expected witnesses.
Campbell publicly criticized the government’s corruption case, which included 70 witnesses spread out during five weeks of testimony. His side gets its turn this week.
Defendants don’t have to testify or call witnesses since the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
But while Campbell said he feels confident he would be found not guilty, his attorneys are going to try to bolster their argument for an acquittal.
The witnesses planned for today:
• Andrew Young, a civil rights legend and a former congressman, Atlanta mayor and United Nations ambassador.
• Samuel J. Barber Jr., a city contractor and member of Campbell’s campaign finance committee.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sally Yates told jurors in her opening statement to the jury that Barber funneled about $50,000 in illegal contributions to Campbell through the mayor’s golfing buddy, Dan DeBardelaben. because he wanted a Y2K contract with the city. DeBardelaben testified about handing the bribes to the mayor and said after the election, Barber received a $3 million contract with the city, but complained it wasn’t enough.
Defense attorney Billy Martin told jurors in his opening statement: “Sam Barber, when confronted by the FBI, said, ‘I never gave Bill Campbell a cent,’” Martin claims Barber “lied repeatedly” and agreed to testify only after the government told him: “We’ve got you. Now, give us the mayor.”
• Lawyer Mark Trigg may testify about an uncollected $40,000 legal bill that prosecutors claim the Campbell campaign had money to pay but didn’t. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sally Yates said the Campbell campaign lied about the money it had on hand so it wouldn’t have to pay the law firm.
Instead, she said in arguments with the jury out of the room, Campell used the campaign fund money for personal expenses, and that was fraud.
In earlier testimony, one Trigg’s former law partner, Cary Ichter, testified that the firm accepted $10,000 in payment in August 1999, instead of the $40,000 owed, because the firm believed the Campbell campaign didn’t have the funds. At the time, said prosecutors, the campaign had about $80,000 in the bank.
• Zee Bradford, who worked as Campbell’s press secretary during his administration.
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