Federal judge opts to keep former Portage mayor's bribery case in latest twist
Clarion Princeton Daily
Bob Kasarda, NWI Times
Nov 11, 2020
HAMMOND — The ongoing public corruption case against former Portage Mayor James Snyder has taken yet another twist with the federal judge vacating an order from just days ago recusing herself from the case, according to court records.
U.S. District Court Judge Theresa Springmann does not explain her decision to keep the case, but scheduled a telephone status hearing for Friday afternoon.
The new bribery trial still is slated to begin Dec. 7, court records show.
Springmann issued the order Friday recusing herself from Snyder's case, just a few days after scheduling the trial date.
"The court finds that the speedy administration of justice requires that this case be reassigned," she said in the order.
She then vacated that recusal order Tuesday.
Snyder did not immediately respond Wednesday morning for comment on the latest development in his case.
Joseph D. Fitzpatrick, assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, had declined comment Monday on the judge's recusal.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Indiana is reportedly already recused from the case.
Federal prosecutors are again trying to prove Snyder solicited a bribe from two Portage businessmen.
The government alleges the then-mayor corruptly steered $1.125 million in contracts for the city of Portage to buy garbage trucks from a Portage trucking firm in 2013.
The government alleges Snyder solicited and received a $13,000 bribe from the firm’s former owners a few weeks later.
Snyder has pleaded not guilty.
His law team argues the $13,000 was a legitimate payment for consulting services Snyder provided the trucking dealership to save money on the cost of insurance and information technology.
The U.S. attorney’s office indicted Snyder in late 2016.
A federal jury found Snyder guilty in early 2019 of bribery and federal tax violations.
Another judge in the case overturned the bribery verdict in late 2019 on grounds Snyder deserved a new trial because he was denied the chance of calling for the testimony of the trucking firm's then-owners, brothers Bob and Steve Buha, that they didn’t bribe Snyder.
The brothers wouldn’t take the witness stand during the 2019 trial on fears they might be criminally charged themselves if they supported Snyder and contradicted the government accusations.
Springmann decided last month Snyder must face a new jury on the bribery charge, overruling defense arguments that a second trial was barred by the constitutional protection against double jeopardy.
Springmann indicated the upcoming trial could last between seven and 10 days.
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