US attorney testifies about indicted Portage mayor's emails
Chicago Tribune
May 30, 2008
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-snyder-hearing-kirsch-st-0531-story.html
Northern Indiana’s U.S. attorney testified Wednesday about emails between him and indicted Portage Mayor James Snyder as a judge weighs whether prosecutors accessed privileged communications.
Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen continued hearing evidence during the ongoing dispute between Snyder’s defense attorneys and federal prosecutors over whether the mayor’s attorney-client privileged emails were exposed to the trial team. Snyder’s defense attorneys say the charges should be dismissed or trial attorney disqualified if those email communications were accessed.
Van Bokkelen allowed “limited” questioning of U.S. Attorney Thomas Kirsch II, who represented Snyder prior to being appointed to his current office, during a closed hearing.
Kirsch has recused himself from Snyder’s case, according to court documents, and the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois has overseen and managed local prosecutors handling the case.
Wednesday’s hearing was the third closed-door session Van Bokkelen has held on the email issue.
While the courtroom was briefly open Wednesday, Van Bokkelen said he’s gone back and forth on the issue.
“I’ve not been through a hearing quite like this one,” the judge said.
The allegations against the prosecutors say email communications between Snyder, defense attorney Thomas Dogan, and Kirsch that were seized in 2015 were read by the government’s trial team, according to court documents.
Snyder and John Cortina, of Kustom Auto Body in Portage, were charged in November 2016 with allegedly violating a federal bribery statue. Federal prosecutors said the mayor allegedly solicited money from Cortina and “Individual A” and gave them a towing contract for Portage.
Snyder received an additional bribery indictment for allegedly accepting $13,000 in connection with a Board of Works contract, and allegedly obstructing Internal Revenue Service laws.
Snyder and Cortina have both pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to court documents.
Van Bokkelen moved the start of Snyder and Cortina’s trial to October, according to court documents.
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