State Rests Case in Mecham Trial
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PHOENIX — The prosecution rested its case Tuesday in former Gov. Evan Mecham’s criminal trial on charges of concealing a $350,000 campaign loan after an accountant testified that more than a simple bookkeeping error was involved.
“This one transaction stands out above all other transactions,” accountant Leroy Johnson said under cross-examination by defense lawyer Michael Scott. “It’s the largest single transaction by far. The receipt is recorded a month after the fact. The name on the receipt is Evan Mecham, not Barry Wolfson (the developer who made the loan).”
Mecham and his brother, Willard, are charged with concealing the loan on financial reports required by the state.
The Mechams have contended that the $350,000 loan was properly reported as part of a $465,000 lump sum listed as a contribution from Evan Mecham. They have also said the failure to itemize the loan was an innocent mistake.
When cross-examining Johnson, Scott asked: “Isn’t it true, sir, that you could easily characterize what happened here as an accounting error or a bookkeeping error on Willard Mecham’s part?”
“I don’t believe so, no sir,” Johnson said.
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