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FORMER ATLANTA MAYOR CAMPBELL GOING TO PRISON: Bill Campbell sentenced Tuesday to 30 months for tax evasion.
*Former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell will serve 30 months behind bars on charges of tax evasion.
U.S. District Court Judge Richard Story handed down the sentence Tuesday, tacking on additional punishment of a year of probation, a $6,000 fine and an order to pay more than $60,000 in back taxes, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
In addition to tax evasion, the former two-term mayor was also convicted of obstructing justice and accepting bribes. The jury had acquitted Campbell of the bribery charge during the trial, where the government's burden of proof is beyond a reasonable doubt. During sentencing, the government burden of proof is lower, notes AJC.
Outside of the federal courthouse, Campbell called the sentencing an “abomination.”
"This is not justice, we will appeal," he told reporters. "I never betrayed the public trust and the jury found that way. I think what we saw today was an attempt to undo what the jury had done."
The judge said there was enough evidence to find that Campbell, Atlanta's mayor from 1994-2002, accepted more than $50,000 in bribes in 1999 from his longtime friend and golfing buddy Dan DeBardelaben, reports AJC. In exchange, DeBardelaben and an associate wanted a lucrative deal to prepare the city's computers for Y2K.
The obstruction of justice charge was added after the government called one of Campbell's former friends, Gabe Pascaback, to the stand yesterday. She testified that early in the government's corruption investigation, Campbell had interfered.
Campbell's personal life was dragged into court via the testimony of two former girlfriends who told of romantic trips and gambling junkets around the world that Campbell, who is married, paid for with wads of cash.
At the sentencing hearing, Campbell’s attorney Fred Orr attempted to shave months off of the federal sentencing guidelines of 37 months because of his client's lengthy political career. Orr argued Campbell was committed to public service when he could have made much more money in the private sector.
"Mayor Campbell always found time for the unfortunate in our community," he said. Campbell replaced "disgraceful ghettos with vibrant mixed public housing." Orr also reminded Story that Campbell integrated the Raleigh school system alone while he was a first grader.
Prosecutor Russell Vineyard acknowledged that while Campbell may have done some good while in office, he also "fostered a culture of corruption," making a reference to several top ranking officials in Campbell's administration that have been convicted or pleaded guilty to crimes."
