WSB's Veronica Waters reports Monday, the Government called John Stege to the stand, who oversaw the Atlanta offices of Birmingham contractor Harbert Construction. Stege testified that in August of 1996, he was approached by Fred Prewitt, a friend of Campbell's and fundraiser for his campaign, to foot the bill for a new heating and air conditioning system for Campbell's home.

Stege agreed, and produced a phony invoice which inflated the cost of the $9,581 system by $10,000. The extra money, he said, was later issued via a pair of cashed checks which he gave to Prewitt. Prewitt told him he had passed the money to Campbell in a paper bag during a limousine ride to a fundraising event at the Ritz-Carlton in September.

On cross-examination, Stege acknowledged that he had never heard Campbell ask for any money, nor had he seen anyone give Campbell any money.

Stege listed several kickbacks he himself had received from other contractors, totaling more than $27,000. The checks were displayed on a large screen for the jury. Stege said he had not faced any charges in connection with those payments.

Gary Elrod, a veteran construction worker, testified that Prewitt had driven him from a job site where he was working for Harbert to Campbell's home. While there, he said, he assessed the work that needed to be done and drove himself back later to perform the task. The Mayor, he said, was on the porch. Elrod says he didn't receive any additional payment for the work, just his regular paycheck from Harbert.

Campbell adamantly denies that anyone else paid for his home's HVAC system.

"Never," Campbell told reporters Monday. "Never at anytime. I wrote a check for it. It's very clear. Even more important, look at my bank records. That'll tell you."

Defense attorney Billy Martin said they would decline to discuss testimony more specifically.

Prewitt's company, FBP Contractors, came under the spotlight of Atlanta's Office of Contract Compliance in 1996. OCC employee James Jackson read the jury a memo he'd written which "raised red flags" about whether Prewitt actually had any employees doing work at a job on which FBP was listed as a subcontractor. A site visit, Jackson said, had found that none of the workers on site said they were employees of FBP. Jackson said he called Prewitt to discuss his concerns and got "inconsistent" answers, prompting his memo.

Days later, Jackson testified, he was removed from monitoring that project, and FBP remained on the job. He was told that the move was made because of a possible conflict of interest: Prewitt sat on the Civil Service Board, which had upheld Jackson's previous demotion.

Prewitt later admitted acting as a front for white-owned businesses who needed to partner with minority businesses to bid competitively on Atlanta contracts. In court last week, a Government attorney said they had been told that if Prewitt is called to the stand in this trial, he has told his attorney he will plead the Fifth.

Last week, the jury heard Prewitt on an FBI tape of a phone call with contractor Bert Timmerman--who testified that he paid Prewitt as a consultant to help him get city business--discussing possible contract opportunities in Memphis.

Prewitt: Yeah. Okay, I will, um... Well, just let me know, uh, about the trip cause it's, it's, it's on [Memphis] Mayor Herenton's schedule.

Timmerman : Okay.

Prewitt: And we need to really take advantage of what we need for him to do, you know?

Timmerman: Right I understand.

Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton has been subpoenaed to testify in the case, and his office estimates he will be in Atlanta to take the stand mid-February.

The Campbell trial is in recess Tuesday for Coretta Scott King's funeral; testimony resumes Wednesday.

Tuesday, 7 February 2006