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| David Fry is accused of attempting to bribe 2 commissioners |
Augusta, GA
From CityStink.net Reports
After more than 2 and half years since Augusta attorney David Fry was arrested for the attempted bribery of two sitting Augusta commissioners over the controversial TEE Center, it appears there will not be a trial after all. Fry has entered a plea and will be sentenced March 8th.
The details of the plea deal have not been released. Could it be an Alford Plea do-over? The last time Fry tried that it was thrown out by Judge Wayne Brown. But Fry's attorneys were successful in having Judge Brown removed from the case by hiring his daughter as part of the defense staff. We have to wonder how a trial would have went with Judge brown presiding.
This all seems to be an anti-climactic ending the the David Fry saga. Will we ever know what really happened? Many people do not believe that Fry acted alone. And what Fry was offering the commissioners in his attempted bribe continues to raise eyebrows with recent revelations over the controversial TEE Center parking deck. In late Augusta of 2009, Fry promised commissioners Alvin Mason and Corey Johnson profits in the parking deck if they switched their votes in favor of passing the TEE Center agreement. But what did Fry have to gain in all of this and why was he willing to commit a felony to get the TEE Center passed?
WRDW News showed a glimpse of the bribery note that Fry allegedly gave to commissioners Mason and Johnson. Two names stood out. Morris and Simon. Could this be referring to William S Morris III, publisher of The Augusta Chronicle and Paul Simon, Morris' business partner and head of Augusta Riverfront LLC?
For many people, it is still hard to believe that Fry was just some over zealous long gunman, and the offer of parking deck concessions beg for more scrutiny. But will people ever get answers to the many questions that abound in the David Fry saga? Well it all depends on what information comes out in the plea deal, but it appears now to be a convenient way to sweep it all under the rug. Even the local media seemed to forget about the trial that was expected to get under way more than two weeks ago.
We were hoping for a trial that would offer the opportunity to bring in witnesses and cross examinations. How much did commissioner Jerry Brigham really know about Fry's plans? When did he know it? Why did he not notify police? What did former commissioner Don Grantham know? A trial would have likely brought them to the stand to testify. A trial could have examined new evidence regarding the ownership of the ground floor of the parking deck that makes Fry's offer of parking concessions more plausible. Who was Fry really working for? Will we ever know? Will this all be swept under the rug?
Well at this point, with more scandals unfolding each day over the TEE Center, the Fry affair actually seems to be small potatoes. Even if we don't get all the answers of what really happened in the bribery attempt, there is ample evidence mounting of impropriety over the TEE Center in other areas. But many people will still think that the plea deal is yet another convenient way to cover all of this up. But at this point a complete cover-up may be impossible.***
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