Star witnesses hurt ESL vote-fraud case
I hope that former ESL City Councilman Charlie Powell and his four co-defendants in their federal vote-fraud case – especially Powell and Kelvin Ellis – aren’t inspired by Michael Jackson’s recent acquittal. Remember, “East Boogie” and Neverland are on two different planets, guys.
Sure, the federal case got off to a rocky start with the near-meltdown of federal snitch Dannita Youngblood, who lied under oath (then reversed herself) about being prepped for her testimony.
Then there were the revelations: that fellow FBI snitch Rudy “Showtime” McIntosh and Dannita Youngblood were lovers and, finally, McIntosh’s admission (under oath) that he lied about having earned a GED (certificate of general educational development) and that he, subsequently, lied (back in 1994) in applying for the ESL police department.
“So, yes, I falsified that application,” said McIntosh, during his testimony last Friday. So much for the credibility of the FBI and their spies.
Ordinarily, this case might have ended in a mistrial. Thank God for technology, because, in spite of the FBI’s poor choice of Youngblood and McIntosh as moles, despite the obvious credibility issues here, the arrogance (and big mouths) of Charlie Powell and the gang may prove to be their own undoing. Let’s roll the tape.
The government played audio excerpts (last Friday) that, in the mind of any alert jurist, were incriminating. Powell, in one clip, is heard telling McIntosh to pay voters. In words: “If that’s what you’re saying, pay $10 a vote. Get them 200 (votes), or get them 150 (votes), or whatever you think.”
Party secretary and Precinct Committeewoman Sheila Thomas was heard, in a separate clip, exclaiming, “We paid everybody!” while Precinct Committeeman Jesse Lewis was heard declaring that “I had to give %#@ $5 to fill out an application.”
Oh yeah, someone’s going to prison; and, since four persons have already pleaded guilty (and agreed to cooperate with the government), then all the government has to do is hold its case together long enough for the full truth to be revealed.
If looks and body language were incriminating, then Charlie Powell would already be guilty as charged. Not known for possessing charm, charisma or even personal warmth, Powell’s ever-present scowl and refusal to sit at the table with his co-defendants and their attorneys is an obvious attempt to distance him from the others. It won’t work.
Plus, it’s a BIG mistake, especially when most of the finger-pointing in this case will, most likely, be in Powell’s direction and from those who will seek to lessen their sentences by snitching on poor old Charlie.
Powell’s attorney, Bruce Cook, a St. Clair County Democratic Committee heavyweight, is defending Powell “out of friendship,” despite not being a criminal defense attorney.
Many speculate, however, that Cook is simply representing Powell in an effort to prevent Powell from implicating County Board Chairman Mark Kern in the vote-buying scheme.
According to records, Kern, the former mayor of Belleville, gave cash, in-kind contributions or loaned $177,370 to the county Democratic Central Committee (between October and the November elections), some of which was used to get out the vote in East St. Louis.
In any event, there will be a whole lot of snitching going on at the federal courthouse in ESL during the remaining two weeks of the trial.
The question remains: Will these federal snitches go from “heroes to zeros,” or will Charlie Powell, Kelvin Ellis and the bunch pay for undermining the political will of the citizens of ESL?
EMAIL: jtingram_1960@yahoo.com.
