WSB's Veronica Waters reports Dan DeBardelaben testified he met Campbell in the mid-80s at a downtown athletic club, when Campbell was on the Atlanta City Council. The two played basketball together, and became fast friends, golfing together every week. The men were "true friends," said DeBardelaben, so close that their families sometimes shared Thanksgiving or Christmas meals together.

But DeBardelaben says in the summer of 1999, he did something he had never done before—gave cash to his friend Bill Campbell. He told jurors the money was from Sam Barber, the president of American Computer Technology--a vendor angling for a Y2K contract. DeBardelaben says his company, Concept 2000, subcontracted with Barber for two years. Barber, he said, had been reading an article on the city's problems with the IT company it had retained to do Y2K compliance work, and--knowing the two would be golfing together one day--asked DeBardelaben to broach to the Mayor the idea of ACT getting the work.

In the parking lot of the Hidden Hills Golf Club, DeBardelaben says, he did.

"What's in it for me?" he claims the Mayor replied.

DeBardelaben told Assistant U. S. Attorney Russell Vineyard it did not appear to him that Campbell was joking. Vineyard asked what he understood the comment to mean, and DeBardelaben said since the obvious benefit of ACT getting the job would be better services for the city, "I understood it to be money."

DeBardelaben says he related the conversation to Barber, who didn't seem perturbed and just said "Okay."

In June, July, and August of that year, DeBardelaben says, he passed Mayor Campbell three cash-filled envelopes totaling $55,000 from Barber. The first time, he testified, was at Campbell's Inman Park home, after Barber gave him an envelope indicating there was $25,000 inside.

"I stuck my hand in my right pocket and said, 'I have something for you.' He said, 'Let's walk outside,'" DeBardelaben testified. He says the pair walked to Campbell's car, where the Mayor opened his trunk and said, "Put it in there," motioning to his golf bag. "We kind of toyed around as if we were looking at the clubs." Vineyard then asked DeBardelaben why.

"I guess to distract from what was obviously going on," he replied. He says Campbell told him "no one else could know about this" and DeBardelaben agreed.

The next month, he says, he slipped another cash-stuffed envelope in a zipper pocket of Campbell's golf bag as the two hit a practice round of golf. The final time was at DeBardelaben's own Lithonia home, after he says he had withdrawn $10,500 from his own account. He later invoiced Barber, he said, for that $10,000 payment. The Mayor simply slipped the envelope into his pocket.

Vineyard asked if on any of the occasions, Campbell had thanked him for the money.

"No. We didn't discuss it. We never discussed any of the payments," DeBardelaben answered.

Defense Hammers At DeBardelaben's Credibility

On cross-examination, lead defense attorney Billy Martin immediately pointed out DeBardelaben's testimony is the opposite of what he told the feds for a year until he got an immunity deal in 2004.

"So we can assume it's somewhere within you that you will lie when necessary, correct?" Martin asked.

"Correct," said DeBardelaben.

Martin focused on the interviews he'd given the FBI in 2003, in which he repeatedly said Campbell had never received any money from him. DeBardelaben testified that in his initial appearance before a grand jury, he invoked his right against self-incrimination.

Even after hiring an attorney and receiving a proffer from the Government, DeBardelaben maintained the same story—that Campbell had never received anything of value from him. He did, however, tell the investigating IRS agent that he had some "gray areas" on his taxes involving deductions he'd taken.

DeBardelaben admitted that Campbell had never asked him to lie during the investigation, and says the former Mayor only told him that he would pray for DeBardelaben and his family.

DeBardelaben occasionally talked with Campbell about the probe, and says the former Mayor told him to let him know if he needed any help. He sought that help, he says, after four of his family members were subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury. Then in March 2004, he said, his story changed, and at the end of that month, he was given an immunity agreement by the Government but was not taken back before the grand jury.

"Six days later, ,as soon as you delivered Bill Campbell to them, they gave you complete immunity, didn't they?" Martin said forcefully. "Do you agree that the first time you told the FBI and these prosecutors that you gave money to Bill Campbell, they gave you a 'get out of jail free' card?"

DeBardelaben admitted to the timing.

After court, the former Mayor discussed his feelings about the day's testimony and seeing his old friend on the stand, saying he feels betrayed because DeBardelaben is lying.

"It's sad, actually," said Campbell. "It's sad to see him broken down like this. We were friends for many years, and the fact that they put this enormous pressure on his family, that they threatened to prosecute him for tax problems, is one of the sad stories of this whole ordeal."

Campbell reminded reporters that DeBardelaben had initially insisted to federal agents, even after being interviewed with his own lawyer present, that Campbell had not broken the law.

"It was only under the threat of tax prosecution and the fact they hauled his family members before the grand jury—four family members in the same day—that he broke and said what they wanted to hear," Campbell said.

DeBardelaben's cross-examination is expected to continue Friday morning. The expected testimony of Sam Barber, the man he says provided the cash for Campbell, may not occur.

As prosecutors push to wrap up their case, one of the final witnesses will be a face the jury has seen twice on the stand already—IRS Agent Bill Salinski. Salinkski will be expected to paint the prosecution's picture of Mayor Bill Campbell's finances. The government says Campbell's bank withdrawals dropped to an all-time low of $69 in 1999, while they allege he spent over $24,000 in cash that year. A prosecutor told the jury in opening statements that Campbell was treating city contractors "like human ATMs."

Friday, 24 February 2006