Subject:  Lawyer testifies of Fieger prep talk |
Author:
Chris
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Date Posted: 05/ 6/08 6:32pm
In reply to:
Diane
's message, "Fiegers' Trial Tomorrow ????" on 04/13/08 6:44pm
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Lawyer testifies of Fieger prep talk
Paul Egan / The Detroit News
DETROIT -- An attorney in the Geoffrey Fieger law firm testified Monday he believed Fieger was trying to influence the grand jury testimony of attorneys who worked for the firm when Fieger called a staff meeting 17 days after the firm was raided by the FBI.
"When I walked out of there, what was running through my mind was, 'perhaps someone has an expectation as to what I'm supposed to explain in front of the grand jury,' " attorney Todd Weglarz testified at Fieger's trial. "I kind of thought that was what was happening, that this was sort of a blueprint."
Fieger, 57, and his law partner, Ven Johnson, 46, were indicted in 2007 on conspiracy and illegal campaign contribution charges. They are accused of making $127,000 in illegal campaign donations to the 2004 presidential campaign of Democrat John Edwards by reimbursing the donations of employees, employee relatives and law firm vendors. Fieger is also charged with obstruction of justice.
At a firm meeting that Fieger called on Dec. 17, 2005, Fieger produced a March 24, 2003, memo requesting donations to the Edwards campaign from the Fieger firm's attorneys that Fieger said was written by Jerry Kenney, a former partner in the firm who died in April 2005, Weglarz testified.
Fieger described the memo as "TNT" that he could use against prosecutors, Weglarz testified.
"It was emphasized a couple of times that this was Jerry Kenney's memo," he told jurors.
Weglarz testified he did not recall receiving the memo in 2003. After the meeting, he went to the office of another Fieger attorney, James Harrington, who searched his computer and found the memo in Johnson's directory, Weglarz testified. The memo bore the initials of all three of the firm's partners -- Fieger, Kenney and Johnson.
The trial continues today.
You can reach Paul Egan at (313) 222-2069 or pegan@detnews.com.
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