WSB's Veronica Waters reports Eunice Lockhart-Moss, Campbell's former scheduler, told jurors that her boss declined to sign seven United Water letter agreements upping the company's contract by $68 million before he left office. She said the last time she saw the documents in December 2001, they were unsigned and being taken out of her hands by then-chief operating officer DeWayne Martin.

Lockhart-Moss stuck by her story, even though Assistant U. S. Attorney Phyllis Sumner tried to paint her as a Campbell loyalist who crafted the details of her story just for the trial. The prosecutor even asked Lockhart-Moss whether she had eaten lunch with the former mayor after testifying Wednesday. She responded that she'd eaten with Mrs. Sharon Campbell and that Mr. Campbell had later joined them.

Sumner asked Lockhart-Moss why, in interviews with the FBI and appearances before the grand jury, she had never told that version of events.

"I wasn't asked," Lockhart-Moss replied.

"You certainly didn't bring it up, did you?" asked Sumner.

"I was with my attorney, who said simply to answer what they asked," she explained.

Lockhart-Moss said although she had seen Martin sign documents for Campbell at City Hall, she did not see him sign those and doesn't know who did.

Prosecutors contend Campbell defrauded citizens of his honest services by signing and mailing the letter agreements, because he didn't disclose that United Water had paid for his accommodations on a 1999 Paris trip. For much of his four days there, he spent time with former Channel 2 news reporter Marion Brooks, who testified earlier that the pair had a four-year affair.

Lockhart-Moss says she had been unaware of the Paris trip until questioned by the government; she testified that she asked Campbell about it and he told her. She did not know, she said, who Marion Brooks was even by that time.

Ex-City Attorney Says Campbell Never Broke The Law

Former City Attorney Susan Pease Langford took the stand, addressing the Government's allegation that Campbell took bribes from a strip club owner in exchange for a promise to get the man a license for a new club. Prosecutors called Campbell's former personal aide, Dewey Clark, to testify that he passed $50,000 from Michael Childs to Campbell over the course of about a year. Childs, said Clark, also paid him money.

Langford testified that when she heard the allegations of bribery, she reported them to Mayor Campbell who then encouraged her to take the report to the Fulton County District Attorney's office.

"He's the one who handles criminal matters," she explained."

Langford said neither she nor the Mayor had made any attempt to conceal or hide the allegations. She also told jurors that her positions with the city would have allowed her to know whether Campbell had broken any laws. Defense attorney Billy Martin asked Langford if she had any knowledge of Campbell soliciting or receiving bribes.

"Absolutely not," she declared.

Langford's cross-examination by Assistant U. S. Attorney Sally Yates seemed contentious from the start, as Yates grilled the lawyer about her response to the feds' probe of City Hall corruption.

Yates asked about the concerns expressed by some Atlanta City Council members when Langford was up for the position as City Attorney that Langford was "so close to Mayor Campbell you'd just do what he wanted?"

Langford replied she had addressed any of those concerns, as was evidenced by her 12-2 confirmation by the Council.

Yates asked Langford whether she had not "directed" city employees being asked to come for questioning by the U. S. Attorney's office to go through her and take a lawyer from the department with them. Langford said she had asked employees to do so, not directed them. Yates countered that Langford had done more than ask, and Langford replied that the two were "quibbling over words."

"My position was that employees asked to come for interviews by the federal government were entitled to representation that they didn't have to pay for," Langford testified. "They weren't forced to take a lawyer with them, but we were certainly going to make a lawyer available."

Yates had Langford read a resolution by the City Council written by Councilman Lee Morris, a longtime political foe of Campbell whose testimony earlier in the trial about "scandals" exposed during Campbell's administration prompted a defense request for a mistrial. The resolution directed the City Attorney to rescind her order that FBI agents seeking interviews with city employees had to go through her office first.

Langford's cross-examination resumes Friday.

More Than 80 Witnesses Called So Far

Earlier, the defense team called three witnesses to the stand who challenged the veracity of other witnesses who've taken the stand for the prosecution. Businessman Vertis McManus was re-called to the stand to counter testimony from former Atlanta chief operating officer Joe Reid, who said he had received $19,500 in bribes from McManus through a non-profit agency, but perhaps only $300 cash. McManus testified Thursday that he had also provided tickets and about $10,000 for Reid for his honeymoon, and $20,000-$30,000 more to help Reid with his home over the course of about two years.

Two other men, Mark Hawks and Eric Griffin, testified to how they were directed to bid on a pair of Atlanta contracts under $20,000, and pay kickbacks to Michael Sullivan, then an employee of United Water. Sullivan was the former director of Atlanta's office of contract compliance and was forced out of City Hall over a sexual harassment case.

Testimony Nearing An End?

Before sending jurors home for the day, Judge Richard Story indicated testimony could wrap up by the middle of next week. Prosecutors are likely to call rebuttal witnesses once the defense rests.

Campbell was asked again if he wants to tell his story to his jury.

"Well, I certainly want to. There's no doubt about that," the former Mayor answered.

But Campbell's lawyers say no decision has been made.

"We're going to meet with his lawyers and his wife and we're going to talk about it," said lead defense attorney Martin.

Friday, 3 March 2006