Bribery trial for former Palm Springs mayor Pougnet and developer Wessman delayed to 2024
Former Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet and real estate developer John Wessman won’t be tried this year on allegations they engaged in a public corruption scheme beginning more than a decade ago. The two were first arrested nearly seven years ago, but the case has been repeatedly delayed.
The case was scheduled to go to trial this month, but was rescheduled until May 2024, according to court records.
The defense’s motion to call off this month’s trial date was granted, according to court records. Requests for comment for the two defense attorneys went unanswered.
Pougnet faces 21 felony charges and Wessman 10, including bribery, conspiracy and perjury, according to an indictment filed in 2019. They have both pleaded not guilty.
Richard Meaney, another real estate developer originally charged in the case, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge of conflict of interest related to an elected official in March. Ten felonies were dismissed on the same day, possibly indicating his willingness to testify against his former co-defendants. The plea was sealed by a judge, so its details remain unknown to the public.
Attorneys for Pougnet and Wessman said during the March hearing they needed more time to prepare for the trial in the wake of the plea.
Pougnet, Wessman and Meaney were first charged in 2017. The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, however, replaced that case with an indictment, following a grand jury hearing in 2019.
Prosecutors allege Pougnet accepted as much as $375,000 from Wessman and Meaney in exchange for support for their real estate projects in the city. The Desert Sun obtained grand jury transcripts for the 2019 hearing in which testimony further detailed the allegations. Several people testified that Pougnet was seeking ways to increase his income in 2010, while he was considering running for reelection.
Pougnet was provided with several positions for consulting and other work. Those positions resulted in payments to Pougnet, allegedly from Wessman but routed through Meaney, that amounted to bribery, according to prosecutors. They allege the scheme unfolded over several years, until an FBI raid of city hall in 2015 and the subsequent charges.
Christopher Damien covers public safety and the criminal justice system. He can be reached at [email protected] or follow him at @chris_a_damien.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Bribery trial of ex-Palm Springs mayor and developer delayed to 2024
