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DEL.ICIO.USRebuttal witness refutes defense testimony
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After Bill Campbell’s defense team rested today, prosecutors began calling rebuttal witnesses, including Mayor Shirley Franklin’s chief of staff.
Greg Pridgeon, who also briefly served as chief of staff during Campbell’s last year as mayor, refuted testimony from a previous defense witness about multi-million dollar amendments made to a city contract just as Campbell was leaving office in December 2001. Prosecutors allege that Campbell signed the United Water documents – worth an estimated $80 million over the life of the contract – after United Water paid more than $12,000 for the mayor’s 1999 romantic trip to Paris with one of his alleged girlfriends.
Campbell has denied signing the documents.
Eunice Lockhart-Moss, Campbell’s special assistant, testified last week that Campbell refused to sign the United Water documents. She told jurors that Campbell’s chief operating officer, DeWayne Martin, snatched the United Water documents while she was showing them to Pridgeon in December 2001 —- after Campbell had already vacated his City Hall office. Moss said Martin later implied that he signed the documents, forging the mayor’s signature.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell Vineyard asked Pridgeon: “At any time did Dwayne Martin ever reach around you and take documents from your hands?” Pridgeon responded:
“No, he did not. I would remember such an incident because it would have been out of character and would have stood out in my mind.”
Campbell is charged with soliciting thousands of dollars in bribes from contractors, including United Water, and using the cash for gambling trips with buddies and romantic getaways with alleged girlfriends. Campbell has publicly maintained his innocence on charges of bribery, racketeering and tax fraud.
He opted not to testify and the defense rested its case this morning, in the seventh week of the federal public corruption trial.
Prosecutors are still presenting rebuttal witnesses.
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