Trial begins in former Louisiana governor’s gambling corruption case

Monday, Jan. 10, 2000 | 11:55 a.m.

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Prosecutors took former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards to court again today, this time in a case built on 24,000 hours of telephone conversations secretly recorded by the FBI.

The high-rolling gambler and reputed ladies' man who served as governor for four terms is charged with manipulating the riverboat casino licensing process and accepting payoffs from friends and cronies seeking casino licenses.

As he arrived in court today, accompanied by his wife, Candy, Edwards said he could not comment on the case, "but I am very, very pleased of the encouragements, support and prayers from family and friends."

Some 125 potential jurors were summoned for today's session. Choosing 12 jurors and six alternates to weigh the case against Edwards and his six co-defendants could take two or three days.

Besides the 918 secretly recorded phone conversations, the government also has video footage from a camera that agents hid in the office which Edwards shared with his son and co-defendant, Stephen.

On top of that, three others have pleaded guilty and agreed to testify for the prosecution, including former San Francisco 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr.

Authorities say the evidence against Edwards is much stronger than in the mid-1980s, when he was tried twice on federal racketeering charges involving a hospital and nursing home venture. Edwards acknowledged making $2 million from the deal, but said it was legal and that he was not in office at the time.

The first trial ended in a hung jury and the second in an acquittal.