Posted on 10/16/2005 6:37:51 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
Wrangling over who will serve on the jury in the corruption trial of former Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala begins Monday in Dane County Circuit Court.
Both sides are preparing for an Oct. 31 trial before Circuit Judge David Flanagan that could stretch on for five weeks and include as many as 200 witnesses.
Among those expected to be called: dozens of lobbyists, about a dozen current and former lawmakers and Chvala himself, who plans to appear as an expert witness for the defense on the workings of the Wisconsin State Senate.
Chvala is charged with 19 felonies in a case alleging the Madison Democrat extorted campaign cash from lobbyists, illegally raised political donations in his Capitol office, used Senate Democratic Caucus staff to run political campaigns and illegally coordinated so-called "independent" expenditures with those campaigns.
The case is being prosecuted by David Feiss and Kurt Benkley, assistant district attorneys for Milwaukee County.
The prosecution plans to call former Sen. Brian Burke, a Milwaukee Democrat who ended his own corruption case on Oct. 5 by pleading guilty to one felony - using his Capitol staff to run his campaign for attorney general in 2002 - and one misdemeanor for obstructing an officer by withholding subpoenaed documents.
Chvala is the second of five lawmakers to face trial in the so- called caucus scandal, prompted by a 2001 series in the Wisconsin State Journal that revealed that the four legislative caucus offices were operating as secret campaign organizations controlled by leaders in the Senate and Assembly.
Others charged include former Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen, a Waukesha Republican who continues to serve in the Legislature; former Assembly Majority Leader Steve Foti, R-Oconomowoc, and former Rep. Bonnie Ladwig, R-Mount Pleasant. Their trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 20.
Responding to speculation that Chvala may follow Burke's lead and seek a plea deal, Feiss said, "I have no information that leads me to believe anything except that we will be going to trial." A call to Chvala's attorney, James Olson of Madison, wasn't returned.
Among the experts the former liberal lawmaker intends to call is James Bopp, an Indiana lawyer who specializes in fighting battles against campaign-finance restrictions and abortion. Bopp is expected to testify that Chvala's actions in funneling money from so-called independent groups to Senate Democrats whose campaigns he helped wasn't illegal.
The prosecution plans to call UW- Madison political science professor Dennis Dresang, who is expected to testify that Chvala had nearly unchecked power over legislation in the Senate, which would allow him to carry out his extortion threats.
Chvala is expected to counter that, despite the image he cultivated in office, "the Senate majority leader does not have almost absolute control over the working of the state Senate."
I'm not too pleased with the pubbies involved in this as well. Just the fact that it's actually coming to trial is simply amazing in Blue Wisconsin! Thank God for our Republican House & Senate. Without them, we'd truly be doomed.
Ping-a-Ling.
Let's hope they don't bring in some judges from New Jersey and Florida to hear this case :-)
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