Thursday, December 9, 2010
Fuelberg says he broke no laws in hiring of his brother
In a surprise move Wednesday after the jury was dismissed, prosecutors asked District Judge Dan Mills to allow the jury the option of considering lesser versions of the charges for Fuelberg
Closing arguments to begin Thursday
By Patrick George
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Published Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2010
Read the complete story here
FREDERICKSBURG — Breaking his public silence for the first time in more than two years, former Pedernales Electric Cooperative General Manager Bennie Fuelberg testified in his trial Wednesday that he suggested the co-op’s outside lawyer hire his brother as a legislative consultant but “did not instruct” the lawyer to do so.
Though he said he now regrets not notifying the board of the hiring of his lobbyist brother Curtis Fuelberg using co-op funds paid through its outside law firm, he was adamant that he broke no laws. When asked by defense attorney Chris Gunter whether he felt he committed a crime, Fuelberg said, “I absolutely do not.”
Bennie Fuelberg also said he didn’t know until after he left Pedernales in February 2008 that the co-op’s lawyer, Walter Demond, was also using co-op money to pay $2,000 a month to the son of longtime co-op director E.B. Price.
Fuelberg insisted he never told Demond, a former partner with the Clark, Thomas & Winters law firm, to make payments to his brother or Bill Price. Bennie Fuelberg and Demond face identical charges of first-degree felony theft, money laundering and misapplication of fiduciary property in connection with the payments.
But in a surprise move Wednesday after the jury was dismissed, prosecutors asked District Judge Dan Mills to allow the jury the option of considering lesser versions of the charges for Fuelberg. Demond is to be tried next year.
pgeorge@statesman.com
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4 comments:
So Benie's defense is, "I didn't do it"
How original. Ask every convicted felon in prison, and they will tell you the same story.
the problem is too much regulation in the world today...
Les appears to be a libertarian fool. Finally someone is being prosecuted for the Bubba version of racketering.
Here is the game: If something is illegal, the corrupted politicians (most of them) get together and use the money of their special interest paymasters to buy off other politicians to change the laws to make it legal.
The shameless Republican politicians are the best at this sleazy skill - but the Democrats are learning fast. Ironically, during the time of Tammany Hall, it was the Democrats who were the corrupted ones, but now the Republicans have their heads so far up big business ass, they can smell profits on the bowels (sorry for the unpleasant but accurate word picture).
After the scumbag DeLay was convicted, and now this crony nepotist from PEC, we should be proud our local prosecutors are finally doing their job.
It's too bad Obama and other "house negro" Holder didn't have the same balls and integrity to go after the war criminals from the Bush administration. Sorry liberals, but the truth hurts.
Ralph, this is such blatant sarcasm that you apparatly missed the context. All crooks want less regulation. I'm sorry for not placing a label on it for you.
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