Carmony Jurors Meet 7 Hours, Focus on Campbell Testimony

Jury deliberations will continue today in the trial of GOP campaign aide Rhonda Carmony, accused of violating election laws during a November 1995 special election that was critical for Republican control of the state Assembly.

The jury met for about seven hours Thursday, spending much of the afternoon listening to a clerk read back testimony from Laurie Campbell. She is the Democratic candidate Carmony is accused of helping onto the ballot while allegedly breaking election laws to hide the fact Campbell was being assisted by Republicans.

Campbell is a key witness who faces possible prosecution stemming from the controversial election to recall and replace Assemblywoman Doris Allen. During the trial, Campbell testified that she never spoke with Carmony nor received instructions from her, though Carmony sat in Campbell’s car as Campbell completed her nomination papers.

Campbell testified that it was a second GOP aide in the car, Jeff Gibson, who told her to falsely sign that she had collected her own nomination signatures.

Prosecutors attempted to impeach Campbell’s statements through Gibson, who swore that it was Carmony who gave the instructions.

It was the jury’s first full day of deliberations after a juror was unexpectedly dismissed Wednesday and replaced with an alternate. The excused juror, who wasn’t identified, apparently was overheard making statements unfavorable to Carmony.

The dismissal followed brief, closed-courtroom testimony by Jeff Butler, a friend of Carmony’s who was listed as a potential witness but wasn’t called by either side. Butler attended the two days of closing arguments.

Carmony, 27, is charged with three felonies for her alleged role in Campbell’s candidacy. Her attorney, Creighton Laz, contended during the five-week trial that Carmony was a bit player in the candidacy scheme orchestrated by Jeff Flint, chief of staff to Assemblyman Curt Pringle (R-Garden Grove). Flint, who hasn’t been charged, has denied any wrongdoing.

During the trial, witnesses testified about their concern that four GOP candidates in the winner-take-all special election would split the vote, raising the odds of victory for a Democrat unless others were recruited. The concern was greatest among donors to an influential political action committee providing the major funding for the Allen recall.

Allen had angered conservatives by becoming speaker with all Democratic votes plus her own. At stake was Republican control of the Assembly and the expected election of Pringle as speaker.

Allen was replaced by Scott Baugh, a Republican newcomer endorsed by Carmony’s fiance, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach). Baugh faces trial on separate charges alleging that he hid the source of thousands of dollars of contributions on his campaign forms.