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Former Palm Springs mayor [And Obama butt-buddy...] indicted in bribery scheme alleging he took $375,000
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Leroy N. Soetoro
Aug 25, 2019, 2:17:12 PM8/25/19
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https://abc7.com/politics/former-palm-springs-mayor-indicted-in-bribery-
scheme/5477705/
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. -- A grand jury has indicted the former mayor of Palm
Springs in a public corruption case that alleges he took $375,000 in
bribes from real estate developers.
Former Mayor Stephen Philip Pougnet could be barred for life from holding
public office if he is convicted, according to Riverside County District
Attorney Mike Hestrin. He faces up to 19 years in prison.
Real estate developers Richard Hugh Meaney and John Elroy Wessman were
also charged. The defendants will be arraigned in Riverside County
Superior Court on Sept. 12.
Officials allege Meaney and Wessman secretly funneled money to Pougnet
between 2012 and 2014 when they had lucrative development projects before
the city council. Pougnet allegedly voted on the projects and did not
disclose his financial interest.
Malcolm Segal, an attorney for Pougnet, called the votes "non-
controversial" in a statement and said his client was a "terrific mayor"
who "did his very best" for Palm Springs.
"This filing is simply another step in the legal process which will enable
Steve to have the matter heard by a jury," Segal said in a statement
Sunday. "He will plead not guilty and expects to be fully vindicated when
all the facts are presented."
Pougnet was indicted on 21 counts and Meaney and Wessman, who face up to
12 years in prison respectively, were each indicted on 10 counts. It was
not immediately clear if Meaney and Wessman had lawyers who could comment
on their behalf.
A statement from the current Palm Springs mayor, Robert Moon, as well as
Mayor Pro Tem Geoff Kors and the city's three councilmembers said they are
pleased the district attorney had a grand jury hear the case's evidence.
The elected officials noted they began their terms after the alleged
wrongdoing occurred.
--
No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.
Donald J. Trump, 304 electoral votes to 227, defeated compulsive liar in
denial Hillary Rodham Clinton on December 19th, 2016. The clown car
parade of the democrat party ran out of gas and got run over by a Trump
truck.
Congratulations President Trump. Thank you for cleaning up the disaster
of the Obama presidency.
The Obama-led Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)
approved Uranium One in fall 2010. With a little luck, we'll see
compulsive liar Hillary Clinton in jail before she dies.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp.
Obama increased total debt from $10 trillion to $20 trillion in the eight
years he was in office, and sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood queer
liberal democrat donors.
scheme/5477705/
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. -- A grand jury has indicted the former mayor of Palm
Springs in a public corruption case that alleges he took $375,000 in
bribes from real estate developers.
Former Mayor Stephen Philip Pougnet could be barred for life from holding
public office if he is convicted, according to Riverside County District
Attorney Mike Hestrin. He faces up to 19 years in prison.
Real estate developers Richard Hugh Meaney and John Elroy Wessman were
also charged. The defendants will be arraigned in Riverside County
Superior Court on Sept. 12.
Officials allege Meaney and Wessman secretly funneled money to Pougnet
between 2012 and 2014 when they had lucrative development projects before
the city council. Pougnet allegedly voted on the projects and did not
disclose his financial interest.
Malcolm Segal, an attorney for Pougnet, called the votes "non-
controversial" in a statement and said his client was a "terrific mayor"
who "did his very best" for Palm Springs.
"This filing is simply another step in the legal process which will enable
Steve to have the matter heard by a jury," Segal said in a statement
Sunday. "He will plead not guilty and expects to be fully vindicated when
all the facts are presented."
Pougnet was indicted on 21 counts and Meaney and Wessman, who face up to
12 years in prison respectively, were each indicted on 10 counts. It was
not immediately clear if Meaney and Wessman had lawyers who could comment
on their behalf.
A statement from the current Palm Springs mayor, Robert Moon, as well as
Mayor Pro Tem Geoff Kors and the city's three councilmembers said they are
pleased the district attorney had a grand jury hear the case's evidence.
The elected officials noted they began their terms after the alleged
wrongdoing occurred.
--
No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.
Donald J. Trump, 304 electoral votes to 227, defeated compulsive liar in
denial Hillary Rodham Clinton on December 19th, 2016. The clown car
parade of the democrat party ran out of gas and got run over by a Trump
truck.
Congratulations President Trump. Thank you for cleaning up the disaster
of the Obama presidency.
The Obama-led Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)
approved Uranium One in fall 2010. With a little luck, we'll see
compulsive liar Hillary Clinton in jail before she dies.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp.
Obama increased total debt from $10 trillion to $20 trillion in the eight
years he was in office, and sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood queer
liberal democrat donors.
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