Moriarty Testifies on Shakedown

Convicted political corrupter W. Patrick Moriarty testified Wednesday that Carson City Councilman Walter J. (Jake) Egan shook him down for about $30,000 in personal and political contributions in return for his support for Moriarty’s plans to build a mobile home park at a prime location on top of a former landfill.

Egan, defendant in a 12-count indictment alleging mail fraud and extortion, has said through his attorney that he was merely the courier passing Moriarty contributions along to aid candidates favorably disposed to the developer’s plans.

Egan is the 11th defendant indicted in a widespread investigation of Moriarty’s political activities, in which Moriarty, who is serving a seven-year sentence after pleading guilty to mail fraud changes, laundered more than $260,000 in hidden contributions to politicians throughout the state.

Testifying in Los Angeles Federal Court before U.S. District Judge Ferdinand F. Fernandez, Moriarty said the alleged Carson scheme got under way in a Cerritos restaurant in 1980, giving this account:

Egan told Moriarty and his aide, Richard Keith, who is serving a four-year sentence, that he had big plans. The councilman came straight to the point.

Egan, Moriarty said, wanted to become the dominant political force in Carson and insisted that Moriarty, who needed city approval for his mobile home park, help him out--or else.

Moriarty said Egan presented a plan budgeted between $50,000 to $60,000 to steer campaign contributions to candidates and create political action committees for propaganda efforts on their behalf. In addition, Moriarty said Egan promised that he would prevent city staff from opposing the project.

“I’m not a fence straddler,” Moriarty said Egan told him, adding that the councilman pointedly noted that he worked hard for his friends and equally hard against his enemies.

Moriarty came away, he testified, with the impression that Egan was “rough, abrupt, very straightforward.”

“He didn’t mince many words,” he said.

Moriarty testified that he decided to cooperate with Egan, labeling the councilman a “shakedown artist.”

Ultimately, Moriarty said, he provided about $30,000.

Part of it went into Egan’s pocket, he said.

Part of the money went to aid Vera Robles DeWitt, a candidate Egan favored, through a political action committee that distributed hit pieces attacking her opponents, Moriarty said.

Money was not the only way Egan sought to help Moriarty’s project, which city employees were questioning because of the possibility that toxic materials had been dumped in the landfill.

Moriarty testified that Egan permitted him a say in who would become the next city administrator. Egan, Moriarty said, showed him the list of finalists and Moriarty checked out Ray Meadors, at the time an official in San Rafael. Moriarty said he had an attorney call Meadors, who told the attorney he would back the mobile home project. Moriarty said he passed the word that Meadors was acceptable.

He got the job.