Posted on 01/27/2008 10:31:54 AM PST by NormsRevenge
Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown - whose new book includes an entire chapter on "Tricks the FBI Played to Try to Get Me" - found himself the other day in front of the federal grand jury investigating state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata.
The grand jury proceedings in Oakland are part of a nearly 5-year-old federal investigation into Perata's links to lobbyists, his payment of campaign funds to family members and his role in pushing for various contracts.
Brown, who was known as the "Ayatollah of the Assembly" in his days in the capital, said it appeared from the questions he was asked that he had been brought in as an expert witness on the ins and outs of Sacramento lawmaking.
The feds were also interested in Perata's alleged efforts on behalf of a company that was trying to get a contract for "waterless toilets" at San Francisco parks and at the airport when Brown was mayor.
"I don't even know what a waterless toilet is," Brown says he told the jurors.
Did you ever meet with Sen. Perata? the federal prosecutor asked.
Yes, replied Brown - several times, on several different topics.
Did you ever keep any notes?
"No," said Brown.
Why not?
"Years ago I realized that my eyesight was failing, so notes don't do me any good," Brown said. "To compensate, I've trained my mind to concentrate on the most important information at a meeting and toss out everything else."
So you can't recall any of your conversations with the senator?
"No," Brown said. Then after a pause, the ever-dapper ex-mayor added. "But I could probably tell you what he was wearing."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
How the DBM loves Democrat crooks.
Willie is always entertaining, that is for sure.
"I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's
His hair was perfect"
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