Schmitz found guilty in corruption trial
Associated Press
Issue date: 2/26/09 Section: News
DECATUR, Ala. (AP) - A federal
jury convicted state Rep. Sue Schmitz on seven felony fraud charges in her second trial Tuesday, automatically removing the north Alabama Democrat from her seat in the Legislature.
Schmitz, of Toney in Madison County, was accused of getting paid more than $177,000 from the federally funded Community Intensive Training for Youth program and doing little or no work over three years.
The nine-woman, three-man jury began deliberating Monday afternoon but stopped after a member developed a sinus headache. That juror was replaced Tuesday morning and deliberations went on for about 4½ hours until a verdict was reached.
Schmitz, 64, faces a maximum
sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each of three counts of mail fraud and as long as 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each of four counts of fraud involving a program
receiving federal funds.
She was acquitted of a single
count of mail fraud.
Prosecutors accused Schmitz of using political connections
to secure a community
relations job with the CITY program, which is run by the Alabama Community College System, in February 2003. They said she did not do much to earn the salary she received from then until October 2006.
Schmitz said she did work that included garnering support
for the program from corporate
donors and legislators. She testified she received little direction or cooperation from supervisors or CITY site managers.
The retired high school teacher is the latest legislator to be tried and convicted during
an ongoing investigation into corruption in the state's two-year college system.
"This trial pointed out exactly why double-dipping must be banned," said Gov. Bob Riley, a Republican who has pushed to end the practice of legislators holding jobs elsewhere
in state government.
"This trial exposed an entrenched, systemic and corrupt
power structure that needs to be destroyed, that must be destroyed, and that will only be destroyed if the Legislature will ban double-dipping."
In September, a jury deadlocked
11-1 for conviction on at least one count of the indictment,
forcing the retrial.
Rep. Jack Page, D-Gadsden, said he was surprised and disappointed
that Schmitz was convicted.
"I'm shocked and saddened,"
Page said. "This is not the same justice system I taught about when I was teaching
school."
jury convicted state Rep. Sue Schmitz on seven felony fraud charges in her second trial Tuesday, automatically removing the north Alabama Democrat from her seat in the Legislature.
Schmitz, of Toney in Madison County, was accused of getting paid more than $177,000 from the federally funded Community Intensive Training for Youth program and doing little or no work over three years.
The nine-woman, three-man jury began deliberating Monday afternoon but stopped after a member developed a sinus headache. That juror was replaced Tuesday morning and deliberations went on for about 4½ hours until a verdict was reached.
Schmitz, 64, faces a maximum
sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each of three counts of mail fraud and as long as 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each of four counts of fraud involving a program
receiving federal funds.
She was acquitted of a single
count of mail fraud.
Prosecutors accused Schmitz of using political connections
to secure a community
relations job with the CITY program, which is run by the Alabama Community College System, in February 2003. They said she did not do much to earn the salary she received from then until October 2006.
Schmitz said she did work that included garnering support
for the program from corporate
donors and legislators. She testified she received little direction or cooperation from supervisors or CITY site managers.
The retired high school teacher is the latest legislator to be tried and convicted during
an ongoing investigation into corruption in the state's two-year college system.
"This trial pointed out exactly why double-dipping must be banned," said Gov. Bob Riley, a Republican who has pushed to end the practice of legislators holding jobs elsewhere
in state government.
"This trial exposed an entrenched, systemic and corrupt
power structure that needs to be destroyed, that must be destroyed, and that will only be destroyed if the Legislature will ban double-dipping."
In September, a jury deadlocked
11-1 for conviction on at least one count of the indictment,
forcing the retrial.
Rep. Jack Page, D-Gadsden, said he was surprised and disappointed
that Schmitz was convicted.
"I'm shocked and saddened,"
Page said. "This is not the same justice system I taught about when I was teaching
school."
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Bill in Knoxville
posted 2/26/09 @ 8:41 AM CST
It sounds like Rep. Page is more interested in keeping a double-dipping system in place than in bringing honesty into government. He should be condemning taking money for little work. (Continued…)
Bill in Knoxville
posted 2/26/09 @ 8:44 AM CST
It sounds like Rep. Page is more interested in keeping a double-dipping system in place than in bringing honesty into government. He should be condemning taking money for little work. (Continued…)
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