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Former Stockman Aide Testifies ‘I Just Do What I’m Told’

Said he was ordered to write checks to himself and another aide in former congressman’s corruption trial

A former aide to former Rep. Steve Stockman, R-Texas, said when he introduced himself to other members of Stockman's staff he said, "I just do what I'm told." (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)
A former aide to former Rep. Steve Stockman, R-Texas, said when he introduced himself to other members of Stockman's staff he said, "I just do what I'm told." (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

A onetime aide to former Rep. Steve Stockmantestified in the Texas Republican’s fraud trial that his job was to “just do what I’m told.”

Jason Posey was one of two former aides to Stockman who pleaded guilty in an attempt to get a more lenient sentence, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Thomas Dodd, the other aide, already testified and pleaded guilty to siphoning charitable contributions from the conservative Ed Uihlein Foundation.

Stockman is currently on trial for using $1.25 million in charitable donations to pay for campaign and personal expenses without paying taxes during his 2012 House campaign and in his losing 2014 primary challenge of Sen. John Cornyn.

Posey testified Monday that when he worked for Stockman in Washington, he and other staffers introduced themselves and their staff titles.

“I stood and said, ‘I’m Jason Posey and I just do what I’m told,’” he told the court.

Posey said he did not know about Stockman’s donors but did help set up one of the sham charities and that Stockman ordered Posey to write checks for large amounts of money to himself and Dodd.

Stockman’s attorney Sean Buckley tried to make the case that wealthy donors knew the money would not go to charity.

In particular, Buckley asked Dodd about emails sent to money manager Stanford Z. Rothschild in which they debated which charity would receive money from Rothschild.

“Were you trying to get Mr. Rothchild to believe he was buying a politician but also stiffing the IRS?” Buckley asked Dodd. “Was it a wink-wink thing?”

Dodd responded “That’s correct.”

But when Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Annis  asked about the same contributions, Dodd said Rothschild believed the money would go to charity.

The prosecution is expected to end its case by Tuesday and the defense is expected to do so by Thursday.

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