Snyder launches federal lawsuit
Convicted ex-Portage mayor targets Mayor Lynch, City Attorney Whitten
Post-Tribune, The (Merrillville, IN)
March 11, 2023
Disgraced former Portage Mayor James Snyder, convicted in federal court on charges of public corruption and obstructing the IRS, is going after the city's mayor and attorney, claiming they coached a witness in the corruption case not to meet with Snyder or his legal team.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Hammond, names Mayor Sue Lynch and Dan Whitten, the city attorney, and states that on or before March 19, 2021, city employees were instructed not to meet with Snyder or his defense attorneys in preparation for his second criminal trial.
"Mayor Susanne Lynch on her own accord and/or through City Attorney Daniel Whitten gave this instruction to known trial witness Randall Reeder Jr. and others, to intimidate Reeder and other possible witnesses," the lawsuit states.
Lynch declined to comment.
"The claims are 100% untrue and baseless. Beyond that I have no comment," Whitten said.
Lynch promoted Reeder from assistant superintendent of streets and sanitation to superintendent when she took office in January 2020.
During Snyder's first federal trial in 2019, Reeder recanted grand jury testimony implicating Snyder in an alleged scheme to steer a contract for garbage trucks to one company in exchange for a $13,000 payoff.
Reeder said during the trial that he "misspoke" when he testified before a grand jury on two occasions in 2016 and wanted to recant his statements under oath about Snyder's involvement in the purchase of five garbage trucks.
Snyder was convicted on that bribery charge in February 2019, though a jury found him not guilty on a second bribery charge involving tow truck contracts. Snyder, who was granted a second trial on the bribery charge and convicted yet again, has asked the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago to vacate his convictions and grant him a third trial.
In October 2021, Snyder was sentenced to 21 months in prison and one year supervised release for soliciting bribes and obstruction, but the judge ruled that Snyder did not have to report to prison while his appeal was ongoing. Snyder was first indicted in 2016.
Snyder, according to the lawsuit, became aware of the alleged conduct during a meeting with former city employees around June of last year after his second trial.
Lynch and Whitten, according to the suit, "were knowledgeable and aware that Mr. Reeder was a necessary and primary witness in the trial of Mr. Snyder. The United States Attorney accused Mr. Reeder of 'rigging' bids."
Reeder told Snyder about the "order" from Whitten and Lynch during a phone conversation on June 11, 2022, after Snyder's second trial. Neither Snyder nor his counsel had any knowledge of the order conveyed by Lynch and Whitten before then.
"These instructions to Mr. Reeder and/or other City employees were crimes consisting of official misconduct, witness intimidation and obstruction of justice as dictated in both state and federal law," according to court documents.
Snyder asserts that Whitten and Lynch's actions violated his First Amendment right to association; violated his Fifth Amendment right to due process; violated his Sixth Amendment right of compulsory process to obtain witnesses; are obstruction of equal protection and due process under the 14th Amendment; amount to criminal mischief; caused intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress; and amount to negligence.
Snyder is asking for a jury trial and financial compensation.
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