Ex-District Clerk’s Former Assistant Testifies About Alleged Corruption Schemes
More allegations of cocktails and corruption out of El Paso’s federal courthouse on Thursday, as testimony continued in the trial of former District Clerk Gilbert Sanchez and attorney and former County Judge Luther Jones.
Sanchez is accused of conspiring with Jones to steer a private company’s contract in late 2003 through 2004. Sanchez and Jones are being tried in federal court on two counts of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and deprivation of honest services.
Sanchez’s former right hand man, Fernando Parra, was back on the stand Thursday.
Parra told the jury that before the project even went out for bid, he was meeting with Sanchez and Jones for drinks and dinners and that they were talking about how they were going to secure that contract for Altep. Altep, a data-entry company, hired Jones in 2004 to help secure contracts with the county.
According to earlier testimony, Jones was set to split one-third of Altep’s net profits if the company got the contact.
Parra testified Jones told him he planned on using that money to buy influence in other El Paso elections.
Parra told the jury that Jones told him, “If this goes through, we’re going to built ourselves a war chest and this is going to be really good for us.”
Parra has pleaded guilty to corruption and a separate obscenity charge.
The defense was quick to point out that Parra has yet to be sentenced on those charges and has taken a plea deal from the government in exchange for his testimony in this case.
The digitization contract mentioned during Thursday’s testimony was never actually awarded.
Related Links:Link: Corruption Trial Day 4: Ex-District Clerk’s Former ‘Right Hand Man’ Testifies Sanchez, Jones Would ‘Joke’ About Corrupt DealsLink: Corruption Trial Day 3: Defense Hammers Ex-Commissioner Betti Flores Over Testimony, Plea DealLink: Corruption Trial Day 2: Former County Commissioner Betti Flores Testifies Luther Jones Offered Cash for Votes Link:Corruption Trial Day 1: Campaign Contributions Brought Up In Sanchez/Jones Public Corruption Trial
