Witness tampering probe linked to Edwards trial

Friday, Jan. 5, 2001 | 9:58 a.m.

The U.S. Justice Department probe came to light with the recent release of transcripts from a Dec. 7 closed-door meeting between U.S. District Judge Frank Polozola and two attorneys who prosecuted Edwards.

"We believe that there is an open investigation now concerning obstruction of justice and witness tampering, and we plan on pursuing this strenuously," said assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Magner.

Neither Magner nor assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Letten discussed suspects or the scope of the investigation.

Magner and Letten declined comment Thursday, citing a Justice Department policy against discussing possible investigations.

Edwards said he is unaware of any probe.

"I cannot delve into their mental process," he said of federal prosecutors. "I know nothing about what you're speaking of."

Defense attorneys in the case also said they were unaware of what the prosecutors may have been referring to.

Edwards, his son Stephen and three others, all of whom face a sentencing hearing Monday, were convicted in May of extorting payoffs in exchange for riverboat casino licenses.

Polozola called a hearing in December to discuss whether a Supreme Court ruling in a separate case, which stated that federal mail and wire fraud charges do not apply to unissued state licenses, nullified some of the convictions in Edwards' trial.

Letten and Magner brought up the obstruction of justice probe while the court was questioning witnesses about defense claims that the jury foreman in the Edwards case made remarks indicating bias against Edwards before he was selected to serve on the jury.

Polozola determined that the juror was fair.

Before and during the Edwards' federal trials in 1985 and 1986, his supporters were accused of gathering information about jurors, according to court documents released in October.

Those trials stemmed from indictments against Edwards on charges he used his political influence to award valuable permits for hospital construction.

The 1985 trial ended with a hung jury. Edwards was acquitted in the second trial.

The information about possible jury tampering in the 1980s was included in a filing by Polozola to explain his reasons for keeping the names and addresses of jurors secret in Edwards' riverboat casino corruption trial last year.