September 1993 - Did I Really Hear That?

From J. Burke McCormick of Richmond, VA (Little, Parsley & Cluverius), this excerpt from a deposition he took "in a construction lawsuit between the developer of a large apartment complex (my client) and the general contractor on the project." The witness, a vice-president of the defendant, is being asked about possible bribes of a county building inspector.

Q. Did you ever give anything of value to any of those inspectors that came out?

A. Yeah.

Q. What did you give him?

A. I gave a guy a refrigerator.

Q. A refrigerator out of one of the units?

A. Um-hum. No, not out of one of the unites. Hell, no. I ordered it.

Q. Do you think that is proper?

A. That was the way they had to play with this guy.

[Later]

Q. Now, a little bit further, it says, "Pay-off for electrical inspector." Do you see that? "Pay-off for electrical inspector."

A. That's the same guy.

Q. The fellow that got the refrigerator?

A. Yes, that's the same guy that got the refrigerator. I bought him a six-pack of beer and he wouldn't take it. He said he wanted a refrigerator. So I drank the beer.
- posted by texasbar @ 11/09/2009