Jury Weighs Case Against Councilman

Convicted political fixer W. Patrick Moriarty used Long Beach City Councilman James Wilson’s respectability to gain access to other black politicians, defense attorney Terry Amdur charged Tuesday in closing arguments of Wilson’s trial on 25 counts of mail fraud.

Amdur likened Moriarty, a wealthy Orange County fireworks manufacturer, to a “cancer” who corrupts people. But Amdur said in final arguments that his client was not guilty of the government’s charge that he sold his City Council office to Moriarty.

The case went to the jury late Tuesday afternoon.

Hidden Payments Charged

Wilson, 58, a 16-year veteran on the Long Beach City Council, was indicted on charges of taking $54,000 in hidden payments from Moriarty from September, 1978, to March, 1983, for backing the legalization of non-explosive fireworks in Long Beach and lobbying for state legislation that would have benefited Moriarty’s fireworks business by millions of dollars a year.

Moriarty, who faces a seven-year prison term starting later this month, testified in the five-day trial that he hired Wilson as a personal consultant for $500 a month, then increased the amount to $1,500 a month, to lobby for fireworks and introduce him to public officials.

In maintaining his client’s innocence, Amdur said that Wilson had always favored selling non-explosive fireworks so that constituents in his district could raise money for charitable purposes.

“James Wilson was being paid to be a consultant,” Amdur insisted. “There was nothing wrong or illegal in that.”

Yearly Reports

The prosecution charged, however, that Wilson deliberately defrauded Long Beach voters of fair and honest representation by failing to disclose in yearly reports required by the state that he was working for Moriarty.

“He was working as Mr. Moriarty’s personal consultant for doing whatever Moriarty wanted him to do,” said Richard E. Drooyan, chief assistant of Los Angeles U.S. Atty. Robert C. Bonner.

Drooyan contended that Wilson had demonstrated his pliability by switching positions when Moriarty first favored local control of the sale of fireworks and then lobbying state legislators for Moriarty on behalf of a proposed measure prohibiting cities from banning fireworks sales. The proposal was approved by the Legislature, then vetoed.

After receiving a total of $4,500 in final pay, including “severance,” from Moriarty in 1983, Drooyan said Wilson then switched back to favoring local control of the sale of fireworks in Long Beach.

“What was changed?” Drooyan asked. “The only thing that had changed was that Wilson no longer was on Moriarty’s payroll.”