Opening statements began Tuesday morning as the trial continues for the man accused of bribing former Bibb County School Superintendent Romain Dallemand.
Cliffard Whitby, 54, is accused of paying Dallemand more than $461,000 in bribes over the course of six years.
Whitby, former chairman of the Macon-Bibb Industrial Development Authority, faces charges of conspiracy to pay a bribe, five counts of paying bribes and money laundering.
Florida lawyer Harold Knowles, who was allegedly involved in passing the bribe money between Whitby and Dallemand, also faces charges of conspiracy to pay a bribe, paying a bribe, offering to pay a bribe and money laundering.
Whitby sat by his wife in the courtroom and was attentive as the prosecution, led by Assistant U.S. District Attorney Beth Howard, took the stand to deliver opening statements.
Howard began by telling the jury this case was about bribes. She said it was about offering a school superintendent money in order to support certain business endeavors of the defendant. Howard then walked the jury through events outlined in the indictment.
She spoke about how Whitby came to meet Dallemand at a national conference in Washington D.C. and told him about Macon Promise Neighborhood.
Howard says before Dallemand met Whitby, Dallemand was unsupportive of MPN because he thought it would take away from his own plans for the school district. But after the conference, Howard says Dallemand walked away in support of MPN.
Howard outlined how the pair allegedly used different companies and Knowles to pass money from Whitby to Dallemand, even going so far as Dallemand creating a company to cover up a transaction.
Dallemand later worked as an informant for the FBI, recording a meeting between him and Whitby in 2017 at a Denny's in south Georgia.
Howard says Dallemand is a key witness for the government, and the case depends on if the jury believes his testimony.
The defense claims it will be hard for the jury to trust Dallemand. They say he's changed his story many times. Defense attorney Nick Lotito used Dallemand's previous federal conviction against him, discrediting him.
Dallemand, who was superintendent from 2011 to 2013, pleaded guilty in August 2017 to federal tax evasion and taking a bribe in Florida and awaits sentencing.
Lotito says Dallemand will make the jury “uncomfortable,” and they will be “unable” to rely on him to make a decision.
Lotito went on to say the payments “were not a bribe, reward or made with corrupt intent.” He says the transactions were investments and perfectly lawful.
Dallemand will be offered benefits for his cooperation in this case, as well as the federal fraud trial of Isaac Culver, for which he testified in June.
Other witnesses for the prosecution include Mercer professors, FBI agents and key employees of the Bibb County School District at the time. The trial will resume Wednesday at 8 a.m.