LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The first removal trial of a Louisville Metro Council member in more than 10 years wrapped up the third day with four different witnesses.

After more than 12 hours of trial this week, just five witnesses have finished their testimony.

Around 9 p.m. Wednesday, the sitting Council Chair, Rick Blackwell, D-12, called for a recess as charging committee attorney Kent Wicker finished questioning his sixth witness, Jim Griffin.

Griffin was hired by the Ethics Commission in 2023 to investigate the complaint against Councilman Anthony Piagentini, R-19.

Piagentini is accused of committing ethics violations when he co-sponsored an ordinance directing a $40 million federal grant that was awarded to his future employer, the Louisville Healthcare CEO Council, or CEOc. 

The former council minority leader recused himself before the final vote on the funding and removed his name as a co-sponsor. During Griffin's testimony, the charging committee's attorney, Kent Wicker, showed evidence that Piagentini's consulting contract started the same day that the measure passed.

Back in October 2023, the bipartisan Louisville Metro Ethics Commission found Piagentini guilty on six of seven charges levied against him in the case and recommended he be removed from Metro Council. The grant money was later pulled by Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and has since been allocated elsewhere. 

Piagentini continues to maintain his innocence. A month after he was found guilty, the councilman appealed the ruling, arguing in a lawsuit that the findings are "tainted by bias and must be reversed."

"I would rather die than accept what they have accused me of," he said following the ruling.

Piagentini's colleagues are now weighing the charges against him and the possibility of his removal. His 25 fellow Council members are serving as the jury. A majority vote of 18 is needed to remove him.

After more than 12 hours of trial this week, just five witnesses have finished their testimony.

The Ethics Commission found Piagentini committed six ethics violations. Two additional charges were added by the Council's Charging Committee — formed shortly after Piagentini was found guilty by the Ethics Commission — based on the outcome of the ethics trial for a total of eight charges.

The Council is hearing from many of the same witnesses and see the same evidence from Piagentini's ethics trial that happened last summer. Both sides have more than 10 witnesses to call, each person questioned by both attorneys and each Council member.

On Wednesday, Metro Council members began the court day by asking former Councilman Bill Hollander questions. He had testified Tuesday night as well, telling the court that he was "surprised and concerned" when he learned that Piagentini was working for CEOc.

Following Hollander, Deputy Mayor David James took the stand. James was a Council member for more than 10 years, and served as Council president during the vote on the controversial grant.

James recounted Piagentini abstaining, and even repeated that Piagentini was abstaining due to a business conflict before the vote was cast.

Piagentini’s attorney asked James if that was enough to cover him abstaining. James replied that, at the time, it was. He said Piagentini was a known player in the health care industry, so an abstention about a health care-related grant did not seem unusual.

James testified that he didn't learn Piagentini had taken a job with CEOc until weeks later when he was watching the local news. James said had Piagentini stated that his specific employment at CEOc was the conflict of interest, he would have paused the vote.

"Because he had participated in the conversations and the committee meetings and things like that," James said. "Then one would believe that there was a problem with the conflict of interest, and so I would've asked the county attorney's office for advice on what we should do moving forward and how we could do that."

No one questioned the conflict of interest during that meeting, and the vote was unanimous to award the funds to CEOc.

Following James, Aly Burress with the Louisville Accelerator Team took the stand. Burress was questioned for her notes taken during meetings between CEOc, LAT, and other Metro officials in January 2023. Piagentini was present at those meetings.

The trial will resume Friday at 4 p.m. with Griffin returning to the stand to be questioned by Piagentini's attorneys.

Related Stories:

Copyright 2024 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.