Sludge Watch ==> Hollywood Florida - Sludge Contract and Corruption Charges

[Maureen Reilly]

Attorney says accused Hollywood official was doing 'God's work'


By Ihosvani Rodriguez | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
September 6, 2007


When Keith Wasserstrom worked behind the scenes as a Hollywood commissioner 
to help a sludge company win an $18 million city contract, he was not 
motivated by money. He was doing "God's work," his attorney said during 
opening statements in Wasserstrom's trial on corruption charges.

As both sides previewed their evidence Wednesday, two distinct portraits of 
the suspended commissioner emerged.

Wasserstrom's attorney, Milton Hirsch, described a young, rising 
lawyer-turned-politician who was deeply concerned about the environment, the 
safety of his family and the betterment of his community no matter what the 
financial cost.

"This trial is not long enough for me to describe all the good things he was 
trying to do for his city," Hirsch told the eight jurors.

Prosecutors said Wasserstrom's good works could ultimately have fed his 
wallet. He is charged with five felony counts of corruption and, if 
convicted, could face up to five years in prison.

Assistant State Attorney Catherine Maus painted Wasserstrom, 40, as a 
calculating wheeler-dealer who orchestrated smear campaigns and lobbied city 
staffers to hire sludge company Schwing-Bioset even though an evaluation 
committee had given the firm a thumbs-down.

"His intent was to do everything he could think of to make sure they got 
this contract," Maus told the jury. Wasserstrom's exhaustive efforts were 
fueled by the long-term goal of cashing in -- though indirectly -- soon 
after Hollywood hired the firm, Maus said.

Maus said Wasserstrom's team planned to sell Bioset's services to other 
governments, including Miami-Dade County, Fort Lauderdale and Broward 
County. Under state law, they would be allowed to bypass the bidding process 
and contract directly with Bioset once Hollywood hired the company.

Wasserstrom was looking to make at least half of all profits generated by 
deals with other cities, prosecutors said. His partners were Stacey 
Giulianti, son of Mayor Mara Giulianti, and Normandy Group, Bioset's Florida 
lobbyist. Normandy is owned by Arnold Goldman, the ex-husband of 
Wasserstrom's aunt.

Hirsch disputed the corruption charges, saying his client never intended to 
make money from the city he served as a public official. Making money 
outside the city was not against the law, he argued.

Hirsch held up a penny and said of his client, "He made not a single, shiny 
penny."

While Hirsch agreed Wasserstrom pushed hard for the Bioset deal, he differed 
with prosecutors on motivation. Bioset ranked last of four sludge companies 
overall, but first on issues like safety and environment, he noted.

Wasserstrom was willing to pay almost double what first-ranked Florida 
N-Viro wanted because he strongly believed it would benefit not only 
Hollywood's environment, but communities throughout the world, Hirsch said. 
"That is was mattered the most to him," the defense lawyer said. "In many 
ways, he was indeed doing God's work."

Also Wednesday, prosecutors told Broward Circuit Judge Joel Lazarus that 
when presenting their case, they will not try to prove Wasserstrom wiped the 
hard drive of a law firm computer before handing it over to authorities. But 
at the same time, prosecutors did not rule out bringing up the issue when 
they cross-examine Wasserstrom.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-906wasserstrom,0,3405422.story