The one witness who pleaded guilty to the alleged John Wiley Price bribery conspiracy testified against Price in court Wednesday.[[414360543,R]]
Sales consultant Christian Campbell said he knew that Price, a Dallas County commissioner, was paid through political consultant Kathy Nealy for Price's support in two big county contracts.
First, Campbell said he was an employee of Schlumberger in 2001 when the firm sought a $40 million Dallas County information technology contract.
Nealy helped Schlumberger win that contract and received a consulting deal of her own with the company afterward.
In other states, Campbell said Nealy was "not very effective," but that Price repeatedly pressured Schlumberger to pay Nealy, even for work she had done in Florida.
Price wrote letters to Schlumberger executives on her behalf, reminding them about diversity.
"Make sure you are using her," Campbell said Price once told him.
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From the Schlumberger contract, Campbell said he understood that Nealy had unique access to Price that could be beneficial to another firm Campbell represented, Bearing Point.
In 2004, Bearing Point sought a Dallas County contract for digital imaging of county records.
Campbell said he urged Helena Tantillo, an executive with Bearing Point, to hire Nealy for acces to Price.
"I believed that she had the ability to influence him and do things on behalf of her clients," Campbell said. "She was likely to pay him."
On one occasion in 2004, Campbell said he paid Nealy $7,500 and evidence showed that Nealy wrote a check to Price the next day for $2,500.
Evidence showed Bearing Point was to be excluded from the finalists for the imaging contract, but Price helped keep the firm in the process and the company eventually won the contract.
Campbell agreed he entered into a corruption conspiracy with Kathy Nealy under questioning by prosecutor Walt Junker.
"What was your intent?" Junker asked.
"To buy influence with Commissioner Price," Campbell said.
"To bribe him?" Junker asked.
"Yes," Campbell replied.
As Campbell testified, Price passed many notes and whispered often with his lawyers.
In pointed cross-examination by defense attorney Chris Knox, Campbell said the only cash he ever paid directly to Price was campaign contributions that were disclosed and recorded.
Campbell agreed that Nealy's clients sometimes lost efforts to win Dallas County business. He admitted he repeatedly lied on expense reports with employers to conceal the real use of money or people attending meetings.
Knox pointed out that Price has always pushed diversity and support for minority- or women-owned business, so a letter to Schlumberger asking for that could be expected. Campbell agreed many issues raised by prosecutors were routine to Dallas County business.
Price pleaded not guilty. His lawyers claim payments from Nealy were legitimate for other purposes and the government overlooked evidence of his innocence. His trial could last months.
Kathy Nealy has been granted a separate trial to be scheduled later.
One other witness who pleaded guilty in the case testified against Price on Monday with evidence that supported government claims that Price hid income from taxes. Former art gallery owner Karen Manning said Price sold art items at her gallery. But she denied any knowledge of Price's tax returns. Manning pleaded guilty to one year of evading taxes on her own income.
In return for their guilty pleas, the government agreed to prison sentences of no more than three years for Manning and Campbell if their cooperation is satisfactory.
Helena Tantillo was convicted last year of false statements to the FBI in the case and sentenced to six months in prison.
