Subject:  Gym owner: Fieger 'yelled' over FBI talk |
Author:
Chris
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Date Posted: 05/15/08 6:37pm
In reply to:
Diane
's message, "Fiegers' Trial Tomorrow ????" on 04/13/08 6:44pm
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Gym owner: Fieger 'yelled' over FBI talk
Paul Egan / The Detroit News
DETROIT -- The owner of a West Bloomfield gym who contributed to John Edwards' 2004 presidential campaign testified Wednesday that Southfield attorney Geoffrey Fieger raised his voice and called him an "idiot" for speaking to FBI agents who were investigating Fieger.
Shant Gharibian, owner of Exclusive Fitness, testified in federal court that Fieger told him "he must be some kind of idiot" to talk to the FBI. "He raised his voice and yelled at me," Gharibian said.
Gharibian testified he earlier agreed to give Fieger $2,000 checks to the presidential campaign of Edwards from both himself and his sister and had received a check from the Fieger firm to reimburse him and his sister for the donations.
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Fieger's tone changed when Gharibian said he told the FBI agents that he donated to the Edwards campaign on his own and the check he received from Fieger was a Christmas present, Gharibian told jurors.
"He said, 'That's right,'" Gharibian testified. In fact, Gharibian had lied to the FBI, he told jurors.
"What I was thinking at the time was that Mr. Fieger was going along, agreeing to my false story, in a way assuring me that I didn't do anything wrong ... to plant a seed in my head for any further discussions."
Under cross-examination, Gharibian testified Fieger never told him to lie to the FBI and Fieger told him he believed the campaign donation reimbursements were legal.
Fieger, 57, and his law partner, Ven Johnson, 46, were indicted in 2007 on conspiracy and illegal campaign contribution charges. They are accused of making $127,000 in illegal donations to the Edwards campaign by reimbursing employees, employee relatives and law firm vendors. The key issue is whether Fieger and Johnson knowingly broke the law.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Detroit
Gym owner: Fieger 'yelled' over FBI talk
Paul Egan / The Detroit News
DETROIT -- The owner of a West Bloomfield gym who contributed to John Edwards' 2004 presidential campaign testified Wednesday that Southfield attorney Geoffrey Fieger raised his voice and called him an "idiot" for speaking to FBI agents who were investigating Fieger.
Shant Gharibian, owner of Exclusive Fitness, testified in federal court that Fieger told him "he must be some kind of idiot" to talk to the FBI. "He raised his voice and yelled at me," Gharibian said.
Gharibian testified he earlier agreed to give Fieger $2,000 checks to the presidential campaign of Edwards from both himself and his sister and had received a check from the Fieger firm to reimburse him and his sister for the donations.
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Fieger's tone changed when Gharibian said he told the FBI agents that he donated to the Edwards campaign on his own and the check he received from Fieger was a Christmas present, Gharibian told jurors.
"He said, 'That's right,'" Gharibian testified. In fact, Gharibian had lied to the FBI, he told jurors.
"What I was thinking at the time was that Mr. Fieger was going along, agreeing to my false story, in a way assuring me that I didn't do anything wrong ... to plant a seed in my head for any further discussions."
Under cross-examination, Gharibian testified Fieger never told him to lie to the FBI and Fieger told him he believed the campaign donation reimbursements were legal.
Fieger, 57, and his law partner, Ven Johnson, 46, were indicted in 2007 on conspiracy and illegal campaign contribution charges. They are accused of making $127,000 in illegal donations to the Edwards campaign by reimbursing employees, employee relatives and law firm vendors. The key issue is whether Fieger and Johnson knowingly broke the law.
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