Campaign Contributions Brought Up In Sanchez/Jones Public Corruption Trial

Friday was the first full day of testimony in the joint public corruption trial of former El Paso District Clerk Gilbert Sanchez and attorney Luther Jones.

Both are accused of conspiring to steer a county contract worth millions to a company working with Jones in late 2003 through 2004.

The day began with Roger Miller, president of Altep Inc., on the stand. The company hired Jones as counsel in an effort to obtain a contract to digitize and scan records from the district clerk’s office.

Prosecutors showed jurors a spreadsheet showing Altep was not the lowest bidder for the project, but it appeared to be the most qualified.

The government alleges Altep was the most qualified because Sanchez and the district clerk’s office worked with Altep company salesman Bud Moore to set up criteria for the county’s request for proposal. That gave Altep an advantage, according to the prosecution.

Neither Miller nor Moore have been implicated in the investigation.

Miller also told jurors, at the suggestion of Moore, he made campaign contributions to members of El Paso Commissioners’ Court at the time, including Betti Flores, Miguel Teran, Charles Scruggs and Dolores Briones.

When asked by defense attorney Orlando Mondragon whether Miller ever offered Sanchez a campaign contribution, Miller said, “No.”

Miller said Sanchez never asked for a contribution, either.

The defense maintains when it came to the digitization project, Altep did not have a lot of interaction with Sanchez, instead communicating with Sanchez’s office manager, Fernando Parra.

Parra was charged with child pornography after turning over his computer to the FBI as part of the investigation. He is expected on the stand in this case as a witness for the prosecution.

Trial resumes Monday at 9 a.m.