Former Atlanta mayor indicted
Denounces indictment as 'witch hunt'
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell accused federal prosecutors of launching a "witch hunt" Monday after they announced his indictment on bribery, fraud and racketeering charges in a wide-ranging City Hall corruption probe.
A federal indictment unsealed Monday said Campbell broke campaign finance rules and committed wire fraud, mail fraud and bribery in a pattern of wrongdoing dating back to 1996, acting U.S. Attorney Sally Yates said.
"Former Mayor Campbell is accused of accepting cash payoffs from multiple city contractors in excess of $150,000," Yates said.
In addition, she said, Campbell solicited and received personal financial benefits from other city contractors.
Campbell denied the allegations, accusing prosecutors of producing a "tabloid indictment" after a "five-year inquisition." He said he passed a lie-detector test on the allegations in a process administered by a retired FBI supervisor.
"This is a witch hunt," Campbell said. "If you look at the allegations that are made, there is nothing new."
Indictment's dollars and charges
Campbell, who now lives in Florida, served as mayor from 1994 to 2002.
Two of his former aides and two other associates have pleaded guilty to charges related to the probe, and attorneys said earlier this month that they expected charges soon would be brought against the former mayor.
The first count of the seven-count indictment charges Campbell with violating the federal Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organizations statute, alleging a pattern of corrupt conduct over an extended period of time.
Prosecutors accuse him of taking $50,000 in cash from a nightclub owner with city licenses and $55,000 from a computer subcontractor during Atlanta's preparations to head off possible Y2K computer trouble.
According to the indictment, when the subcontractor asked Campbell about providing the service, Campbell asked, "What's in it for me?"
The contractor replied, "Whatever it takes."
In addition, the indictment states, a city construction consultant picked up $40,000 in Campbell's expenses on gambling trips, and a city water contractor handled $10,000 in expenses for a trip to Paris.
Campbell also is charged with soliciting and accepting more than $100,000 in illegal campaign contributions, defrauding campaign donors and filing false tax returns. The indictment accuses him of organizing and leading criminal activity that involved multiple participants and of abusing "his position of public trust."
The indictment, which a federal grand jury handed down August 18, was unsealed Monday
