Langford Trial: Day 6

After last weeks testimony which laid a convincing case that the Mayor has been "Paid to Play" including pretty tough evidence from his former associates, today we saw the jury look at a 2007 SEC deposition where the Mayor denied taking items from Bill Blount. Of course last week Blount, along with LaPierre admitted to doing that all along . Adding a further credibility problem for the mayor is the testimony of one Kieth Nelson, who along with a partner picked up the tab for Langford's share of a land deal. Why would anyone do that unless they were trying to curry favor with Langford while he was still in power?

TUSCALOOSA - Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford denied under oath in 2007 that an investment banker who pleaded guilty to bribery lavished him with items from high-priced New York stores, evidence at his federal corruption trial showed Monday.Testifying to attorneys with the Securities and Exchange Commission before he was indicted on charges that could send him to prison for years, Langford said he and banker Bill Blount swapped birthday and Christmas gifts, and Blount may have purchased a shirt or tie for him.

"We've exchanged gifts, but I know I've given him more than he's ever given me," Langford said in a deposition that was read to jurors.Langford confirmed in his SEC statement that he visited Manhattan stores with Blount during business trips to New York, as trial testimony showed. But Langford said he paid for his purchases with his own credit cards.Langford's claims contradicted testimony and records from earlier in his bribery trial that showed Blount used his American Express card to provide Langford with clothes and jewelry worth tens of thousands of dollars.

Langford, 63, will automatically be removed from office and could face years in prison if convicted on any of multiple felony counts of bribery, fraud, conspiracy, money laundering or filing false tax returns.All the charges stem from Langford's tenure as president of the Jefferson County Commission before he was elected mayor. Prosecutors contend he took bribes totaling some $235,000 to funnel lucrative public bond business to Blount, whose Montgomery-based firm received $7.1 million.

Blount and lobbyist Al LaPierre testified for prosecutors after pleading guilty in deals that let them shave years off prison sentences in exchange for their assistance.Trying to show Langford often had his hand out for gifts, prosecutors called businessman Keith Nelson to testify about a business partnership he and several other men formed with Langford to purchase property in the Birmingham area.

Members of the partnership each put up $10,000 in earnest money to secure a loan for a $500,000 piece of property, Nelson said, but he and another man, Pat Lynch, paid Langford's share. Lynch also made monthly payments on Langford's behalf, Nelson said.It wasn't clear why Lynch and Nelson would be willing to pay Langford's way. All three worked for Birmingham Budweiser, where Langford was a promoter at the time.

Will the SEC now want to speak with the mayor about his 2007 deposition?