PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia City Councilmember Bobby Henon’s chief of staff got emotional on the stand in federal court Thursday as the defense's star witness, as Henon and labor leader John Dougherty are standing trial on bribery and conspiracy charges.
Courtney Voss broke down into sobs several times as she recounted the events outlined in the indictment against her boss and Dougherty, but gave a very different version than the government’s.
“I know with every fiber of my being he did not do anything wrong,” she said at one point.
Voss served as a sort of stand-in for Henon, giving his version of the events that the government charges were corrupt favors for Dougherty and other labor leaders.
For instance, Dougherty’s anger after his car was towed did not prompt a resolution to investigate the tower, Voss said; the staff had started working on it months before in response to constituent complaints and Henon’s own car getting towed.
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Instead of Dougherty being the force behind the sweetened beverage tax, the Comcast franchise agreement, a towing resolution, and other actions, Voss said he was one of many stakeholders that Henon consulted on those issues.
But Voss has a starring role in one of the counts, that Henon voted against a non-binding resolution calling for an audit of the Parking Authority because its chairman had offered to provide her with free windows.
When she saw that in the indictment, she said tearfully, she “fell apart.”
She said Henon had made it clear all along she had to pay for the glass, but that she was short of money from rehabbing her historic but dilapidated house, so she’d put it off. After the indictment, she said she paid it immediately.
The prosecutor sought to turn her loyalty into a liability on cross-examination, asking why she tried to persuade other staff to refuse to co-operate with the FBI investigation.
“With all due respect,” she replied in a trembling voice, “the process of going through a federal raid is designed to divide people and it’s terrifying.”
Prosecutors tried to cast doubt on her testimony, citing her Council salary and her romantic relationship with Henon.
“Being protective of Mr. Henon is important to you and to his career as a politician?” he asked.
Voss agreed.
No one could doubt Courtney Voss’s loyalty to her boss after her testimony.
Philadelphia finance director Rob Dubow also testified for the defense, disputing the prosecution’s claim that Councilman Henon proposed the sweetened beverage tax, at Dougherty’s request, in revenge for a dispute with a rival union.
Dubow was instrumental in devising the tax all three times that it was proposed, including twice during the Nutter administration.
He testified that Mayor Kenney proposed the tax in order to fund his signature programs—universal pre-K, community schools, and a rebuild of city facilities. It was opposed by the soda industry, but it won with the support of education and parks advocates.
He said labor was divided, so Dougherty’s support was helpful in the 13-to-4 vote in Council.
The defense also called Henon political fundraising consultant Rachel Doran about a solicitation call Henon made to the Communications Workers president, which is evidence in a separate act in the indictment.
The government charges those contributions were, in effect, bribes. Doran explained the fundraising process, at one point noting that asking for a contribution in exchange for official action would be an illegal quid pro quo, implying she would not have allowed that.
Prosecutors noted that on cross-examination, Henon often did fundraising calls on his own.
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The defense also called more character witnesses, including Danette Ray, minister of a Black church that purchased a property in the Northeast that needed a zoning change to function as a sanctuary.
She said that white residents fought the zoning change, but Henon helped the church get the change and open.
The trial is in recess until Monday. The judge told the jury he expects they can begin deliberations on Tuesday.
