WSB's Veronica Waters reports former Hartsfield general manager Angela Gittens testified that on two occasions in 1994, Mayor Campbell directed airport officials not to rebid expiring contracts at Hartsfield--one for vending machines, and one for advertising. The companies' principals included friends of Campbell's: Dorothy Rowe had the vending contract, and Barbara Fouch's firm had the advertising job.

According to Gittens, Campbell was irritated when she insisted on a bidding process for a multi-million-dollar dirt deal for Hartsfield's fifth runway. She told jurors she was dissatisfied with the price from developer Ronnie Thornton. Gittens testified that after writing a January 1998 memo urging a competitive bid route, she got a call from the Mayor, whom she described as "upset."

"He told me to go ahead and make the deal with the sole source [Thornton]," Gittens testified. But she says she "couldn't," explaining that officials hadn't explored whether that would be the best option. Gittens also said to do so would have broken federal and city laws.

In May 1998, Campbell declined to reappoint Gittens, who was hired for a four-year term by Mayor Maynard Jackson before he left office in 1993.

In 2001, Thornton pleaded guilty to his role in violating banking laws to funnel over $100,000 in illegal contributions to Campbell's reelection campaign. Thornton received two years probation.

On cross-examination, Gittens testified Campbell had done nothing illegal, and acknowledged what she had told the FBI when interviewed in 2000.

"I go back to my earlier statement of having no knowledge of the Mayor getting any money from contractors," Gittens said. After court, a reporter asked the former mayor if he got involved in city contracting "more than he should have."

"No," Campbell replied. "Let me make certain people understand: I was elected Mayor. As Mayor, my job was to make decisions on behalf of the people of Atlanta. I did that. I'm proud of the decisions that I made. It moved the city forward."

Next on the stand was Angelo Fuster, who once served as Mayor Campbell's communications chief. After leaving City Hall, he became a media consultant. Fuster testified that he represented a client interested in getting a contract at Hartsfield Airport.

Fuster said he met with the Mayor to get a feel for whether his client might have a shot at the job, because he knew Barbara Fouch--a close friend of Maynard Jackson and the godmother of one of his daughters--would be in the running. Fuster says Campbell's reply was to tell him to look at how much Fouch had contributed to his campaign.

Friday's testimony is expected to touch on topics from the payoff to the personal.

With his own federal conspiracy charges pending in Texas, former Atlanta city contractor Gary Thacker is expected to testify about allegations he told prosecutors in Houston--that he paid off someone in Atlanta city government in hopes of bettering his chances to win city contracts. Prosecutors are also likely to call to the stand Martina Jimenez, a woman who worked with the city and had a romantic relationship with the mayor.

Friday, 17 February 2006