Subject:  Fieger trial continues Monday |
Author:
Chris
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Date Posted: 04/25/08 7:22pm
In reply to:
Chris
's message, "Clerk testifies Fieger repaid his donation" on 04/25/08 7:21pm
Friday, April 25, 2008
Fieger trial continues Monday
Paul Egan / The Detroit News
DETROIT -- Attorney Geoffrey Fieger's felony trial shifted Friday from the elevated drama of Thursday's opening statements to the mind-numbing numbers associated with a financial crime investigation.
At least one juror appeared to have difficulty staying awake as an official from Paychex, Inc. presented records related to checks Fieger law firm employees received that were allegedly paid to reimburse them for donations they made to the 2004 presidential campaign of Democrat John Edwards.
Fieger, 57, an outspoken Southfield attorney, and his law partner, Ven Johnson, 46, were indicted in 2007 on conspiracy and illegal campaign finance charges, accused of making $127,000 in illegal donations to the Edwards campaign by reimbursing employees, employee relatives and law firm vendors.
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Fieger, who rose to national prominence representing assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian in the early 1990s, is also charged with obstruction of justice, a 10-year felony.
Kathleen Pfeiffer, who works for the payroll processing company Paychex, led jurors Friday through a series of payroll sheets and summary sheets prepared by prosecutors to make the case easier for jurors to understand.
Pfeiffer showed that a series of odd-numbered bonus checks issued to Fieger employees in 2003 resulted in net payments to the employees of $4,000 or $2,000 -- numbers the government alleges exactly match the amounts of checks the employees and their relatives wrote to the Edwards campaign.
The trial continues Monday.
You can reach Paul Egan at (313) 222-2069 or pegan@detnews.com.
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