Ellis Denies Trading County Work for Campaign Donations

After a stern warning from the judge to answer questions directly, former DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis spent Wednesday denying that he ever penalized companies that wouldn’t contribute to his re-election campaign.

“I never asked anything in exchange for a campaign contribution. I never promised anything,” Ellis said in his corruption trial, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Ellis faces 14 felony charges, ranging from bribery to theft, which he has consistently denied.

Much of the prosecution’s case rests on testimony given by DeKalb Purchasing Director Kelvin Walton, who spent two days telling the jury Ellis questioned why firms receiving large contracts from the county didn’t donate to his campaign. Ellis refuted testimony by Walton and others when he took the stand.

Ellis asked for lists of county contractors, and their phone numbers, in order to ask for campaign donations, according to testimony from Walton. Walton recorded conversations he had with his boss to collect evidence for prosecutors, reports The Atlanta Journal Constitution.

When Ellis was asked in court to explain how he funded his political campaigns, he testified, “I built a network of family and friends. … You start making phone calls to those folks. You reach out to people you know, and ask them to reach out to people they know. You ask people to contribute. You have to ask,” reports the newspaper.

The jury last week heard a recording of Ellis telling Walton to place a note in the file of Power and Energy Services so no other county work went to the company. Officials at the contractor had refused to donate to Ellis’ campaign.

Walton testified he kept and regularly updated lists of vendors who had contracts with the county so Ellis could solicit the business owners for campaign contributions, FOX Atlanta reports. He said the CEO told him to let contracts expire if a donation wasn’t made to his 2012 re-election effort.

Ellis’ attorneys hammered on the lies Walton admits he told a special grand jury. They argued Walton cooperated with prosecutors to avoid facing corruption charges.

Ellis was indicted in the summer of 2013 by a DeKalb County grand jury on charges he illegally pressured contractors into giving him campaign contributions. He faces 14 felony charges that accuse him of shaking down county vendors for campaign donations and punishing those who did not give, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

»Former DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis in court. Credit: FOX Atlanta screenshot

Related:

Ellis Defense Hammers on Lies Told by Witness

Jurors Hear Ellis Demand Donations in Secret Recordings

Request for Mistrial Rejected in Burrell Ellis Bribery Trial

Juror Excused from DeKalb CEO’s Trial; Testimony Focuses on Campaign Cash