Paying in cash, ripping up the invoice

Natalie Gott

Monday, Feb. 28, 2000 | 11:52 a.m.

BATON ROUGE, La. - Edwin Edwards' propensity for paying with cash was the subject of testimony Monday at his federal racketeering trial, where a carpenter said the former governor once paid him in $100 bills and tore up an invoice.

David Kleinpeter said he was working on Edwards Baton Rouge house in 1995, the last full year of Edwards' last term in office. On his first payday, Edwards paid for a job of about $800 with cash - $100 bills.

Kleinpeter said Edwards looked at the invoice for the job, then ripped it up, saying he didn't need to keep it.

"It kind of surprised me," Kleinpeter said.

Edwards, his son Stephen and five other men have been on trial since Jan. 10. Prosecutors say they took part in a series of schemes to manipulate and profit from the awarding of riverboat casino licenses before and after Edwards left office in January 1996.

One former casino owner and a former casino consultant have testified about large cash payments they made for Edwards' help in getting licenses or fending off competition.

Kleinpeter said he often witnessed Edwards pay other subcontractors in cash.

"I did witness money changing hands, whether it was $100 or $1,000 I don't remember."

Kleinpeter said he also did a job at Stephen Edwards' house where he was also paid in cash.

Under cross examination, Kleinpeter said it didn't appear that Edwards was trying to hide his method of payment.

Edwin Edwards' attorney, Dan Small, raised the possibility Edwards won the cash he used at casinos.

When asked by Edwards' lawyer Dan Small whether $100 bills are a common form of payment from casinos, Kleinpeter said, "I would imagine," adding, "I have personal knowledge of $5 and $10, but not $100."

Earlier Monday, prosecutors appeared to begin laying the groundwork to claim Edwards spent more money than he legitimately made in the mid 1990s. They called two FBI witnesses who provided a general review of Edwards' records seized in 1997, including information on Edwards' 44-foot boat and his Mississippi ranch.

Also, Desiree Worsely, a former Edwards aide at the Governor's Mansion, testified about the duties - or lack of duties - of Edwards' friend and co-defendant, Andrew Martin.

Worsley said she could not think of any duties that Martin performed at the mansion, although he held the title executive assistant. Her testimony about Martin echoed that of another former aide at the mansion, Sid Moreland, who testified early in the trial.

Under cross examination from Martin's attorney, Sonny Garcia, Worsley said she did not attend any meetings with Andrew Martin. She also acknowledged that she and Moreland dated for several years and recently broke up.