09022015 - News Article - Testimony begins in Lake Station mayor's trial - Testimony in Lake Station mayor's trial focuses on need for credit cards

Testimony begins in Lake Station mayor's trial

Testimony in Lake Station mayor's trial focuses on need for credit cards

Post-Tribune

September 02, 2015 - 1:35 PM

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-day-three-soderquist-st-0903-20150902-story.html

A federal jury learned Wednesday about the creation of the Lake Station Food Pantry as testimony in Lake Station Mayor Keith Soderquist's criminal trial got underway.

Former Lake Station Mayor Shirley Wadding and other former food pantry volunteers testified about how the pantry was created more than a decade ago and that volunteers always used a check to pay for anything and that they never saw a need for a debit card.

Federal attorneys claim that Soderquist and his wife, Deborah Soderquist, obtained a debit card for the food pantry once they took over and then used it to withdraw money from the account to help pay for more than 50 trips to local casinos over the past few years. The couple is accused of doing the same with money from his campaign fund.

Linda Newton, former manager of the pantry, said she quit days after Soderquist took office.

"He berated me in front of clients," she said. "Said quite a few derogatory remarks."

Federal attorneys also laid groundwork on campaign finance reports with testimony from Abbey Taylor, the campaign finance coordinator for the Indiana State Election Division. She explained to the jury how candidates are required to report on their finance forms, including each individual donation and expense of more than $100.

Taylor also testified that candidates are allowed to use campaign money to pay their living expenses if they quit their job to run for office but that these expenses and any reimbursements for donations a candidate made to his own campaign must be reported on their financial forms.

The forms tell candidates that other personal expenses are not allowed by law, Taylor said.

Soderquist's attorney, Scott King, has argued that the couple withdrew money from his campaign fund to reimburse themselves for legitimate expenses, but federal attorneys say these were never recorded in their finance reports. The trial is expected to continue Wednesday afternoon with more testimony.