The latest from O’Donnell’s trial: Commissioner to testify Thursday
Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O’Donnell is being tried in federal court this week on wire fraud and money laundering charges alleging he misspent campaign funds. He’s pleaded not guilty to 26 felony counts. The trial kicked off Monday with jury selection and opening statements from attorneys.
Here’s the latest from Thursday’s proceedings. For live coverage, go to www.twitter.com/amyreneeleiker.
4:34 p.m.: Michael O’Donnell tells Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith, “I did not buy any friendships.”
Asked whether he used friendships to enhance his position, he said: “I used those friendships to enhance my political position when I was doing campaign-related things.”
3:50 p..m.: “I was friends with these people before they worked on my campaign, and I was friends with these people after they worked on my campaign with no monetary attachment,” Michael O’Donnell says.
3:05 p.m.: Michael O’Donnell is offering testimony to jurors about turning down pay legislative raises and not reimbursing himself for campaign-related expenses in an effort to prove that he wasn’t desperate for money when he wrote $1,000 checks to two friends. Those friends — Colby Rankin and Jonathan Dennill — gave the same amount of money back to O’Donnell that he gave them shortly after receiving the checks. The government contends the 34-year-old commissioner was engaging in money laundering at the time because O’Donnell asked for the money.
“It’s offensive to me, it’s outrageous to me that anybody thinks I would steal any money in the first place,” O’Donnell said, adding that he’s never been accused of stealing. If anything, he’s seen as being “too generous,” he said.
O’Donnell also referred to some summaries he and his attorneys prepared leading up to the trial to fight prosecutors’ allegations that he improperly paid campaign staffers. He pointed out several bonuses paid on one document, saying that was a routine practice especially at year end.
1:25 pm.: Court is back in session following a lunch break. Michael O’Donnell will resume his testimony shortly. He’ll wrap up sometime this afternoon. The courtroom gallery has been packed with spectators today, including family members and friends of O’Donnell’s. Current legislators have also been in attendance.
12:50 p.m.: During his late morning testimony, Michael O’Donnell told jurors that recruiting and paying family and friends to work on a political campaign “is a highly accepted practice” at both the state and federal levels and that he’s “never known anyone in politics who have had to keep track of their time.”
“I’ve never heard of it. In fact, nobody that I’ve talked to has heard of it,” he said.
He also told jurors the FBI never asked to talk to him about his campaign spending, even though “I personally had all of the files” — including emails, Facebook posts, text messages, bank records and other notes and information.
“We’re all here today on bogus charges,” he said, adding that he “would’ve loved” to talk with the FBI. But “they were on a rush to indictment” without having “a shred of evidence.”
Had the agency approached him, jurors’ time and taxpayer dollars that went into his federal prosecution would have been save, he said, and he could have “avoided my life being destroyed.”
10:52 a.m.: Michael O’Donnell denies wrongdoing and the federal government’s allegations, saying: “They’re false. I’m not a thief. I’ve never stolen anything in my life.” He says he’s been waiting to tell his story to the public.
“I did not do these things. I did not steal from my contributors to enrich myself.”
10:45 a.m.: Michael O’Donnell has taken the witness stand to testify in his own defense.
10:39 a.m.: Defense attorneys spent the morning putting on witnesses who spoke to Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O’Donnell’s good character.
Jody Klein, owner and publisher of Wichita lifestyle magazine Splurge and a close friend of O’Donnell’s, told jurors: “He’s a very, honest, loyal and trustworthy person.” She said she’s donated several times to his campaigns and had no concern that he might not be using her donations appropriately.
Former Sedgwick County Commissioner David Unruh said he appreciated the way O’Donnell voted on issues while they held office together, saying O’Donnell’s votes often were consistent with his own views and in what he believes was the best interest of the community.
Asked about what duties a campaign worker can perform, former legislator and current campaign consulting business owner Jason Watkins agreed that they can be “as broad as the candidate’s imagination” and that a particular person’s value to a candidate is subjective.
“There are certainly conveniences to having campaign staff at your events,” he testified, adding that “it’s not at all uncommon” for a candidate to use campaign funds to continue paying people after they’ve won public office. Contracts and written agreements that outline payment and duties aren’t common, he said. Duties those people might have include attending events on a candidate’s behalf back home.
And O’Donnell’s former campaign manager and close friend, Dalton Glasscock, again took the witness stand, telling jurors that to outsiders who aren’t knowledgeable about the workings of campaigns, it might appear like attending an event such as a concert isn’t work. It’s important to candidates’ image, however, to have people accompany them to do things like mingle with guests, take notes and gather information, he said.
8:34 a.m.: Michael O’Donnell is in court this morning, dressed in a medium-colored suit and striped tie. He’s expected to take the witness stand today as the defense presents the bulk of its evidence. The government on Wednesday rested its case against O’Donnell.
His attorneys, meanwhile, moved to dismiss the charges at the close of the day Wednesday, saying prosecutors hadn’t proved their case. But U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren denied the request, saying he had to view evidence in a light most favorable to the government at this point in the proceedings.
Jurors are expected to get the case no later than Friday morning. Court is opening the day with attorneys taking up preliminary matters without the jury present.
Daily trial coverage
Background: A summary of the issues and what to expect during the trial
Day 1: Lawyers offer jurors differing views on O’Donnell’s reason for writing checks to friends
Day 2, updates: Friend says Aspen ski trip was “winter hang out,” not bonus payment
Day 2, wrap up: Trial gives glimpse of how much O’Donnell paid friends to work on campaigns
Day 3, updates: Jurors hear from key defense witness
Day 3, wrap up: Government rests case against commissioner; O’Donnell to take witness stand Thursday
This story was originally published February 28, 2019 at 8:37 AM.
