The so-called “Ghost Lobby” trial was the summer blockbuster no juror bought a ticket to see, Arizona Capitol Timesdescribed the end of the bribery trial of former corporation commissioner Gary Pierce, Sherry Pierce, and lobbyist Jim Norton
That’s how water utility owner George Johnson’s attorney, Woody Thompson, put it in his closing statements on Thursday, the newspaper reported.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred Battista stated ten overt acts, like the cutting of checks from Johnson to the firm KNB Consulting, and seven official acts, like Gary Pierce’s vote at the Arizona Corporation Commission to increase Johnson Utilities’ rates, together proved there was a conspiracy at play.
“There were certain things that George Johnson wanted, and there were certain benefits that flowed to the Pierces,” Battista concluded.
According to the government, the things Johnson wanted were a rate increase and the ability to pass on his personal income tax expenses to customers of Johnson Utilities. And the benefits that flowed to the Pierces were $31,500 that ended up in their joint checking account after being paid to Sherry Pierce, and a land deal that would have allegedly been paid for by Johnson had it been successful.
The defense continued to argue there was no bribe, that Sherry Pierce was receiving bona fide wages for legitimate work – even if the government said 80 percent of her work product was merely made up of documents printed off the internet.
And Gary Pierce’s attorney, Pat Gitre, blamed what she viewed as a lack of evidence on a rushed investigation. Gitre said the government presented a neat, factual timeline to explain their case, but a timeline alone is not enough to prove a crime.
The government told the jury Johnson wanted something from Gary Pierce. But according to Gitre, Pierce acted in his official capacity in exchange for nothing from Johnson.
“This is the best the government could come up with in the two months of investigating they did,” she said.
The jurors will have to reach a unanimous decision on each of eight charges against each individual defendant. Battista will finish his rebuttal statements this morning before the case moves on to deliberations.
