On Day Four of the federal trial against State Representative Larry Inman the defendant took the witness stand.
It was unclear if attorney Chris Cooke would put the Williamsburg republican on the stand until he was actually called.
The trial for attempted bribery, extortion and lying to the FBI surrounds a campaign funding request text sent to a carpenter’s union from Inman in 2018 and it’s impact on a key vote on prevailing wage.
Testimony seemed to focus on Inman’s opioid addiction and what role that played in his decision-making at the time of the text in question and if he was in the right state of mind to knowingly lie to the FBI.
The first half of the day saw several former staffers and friends describe the pain and pill problems Inman faced while serving in the House.
It all lead to finally seeing the state rep take the stand himself.
“I think it was a great presentation by Representative Inman,” says Cooke, “I think it was a good case for us and the government has their argument. Those text messages show arguments that a skilled attorney can make and he’s doing a good job with it.”
During his testimony, he described hoarding pain pills over the years until it reached a 25-30 pill a day habit. His former staffers claimed he became aggressive and would easily forget simple tasks at its peak.
“I have to admit I was an addict and a borderline alcoholic,” says Inman, “It affected my brain and my ability to make good judgment calls.”
Inman also explained his decisions around the time of the texts, like the final line, “We never had this discussion.” He says it wasn’t to hide a bribe but to cover himself from punishment by House leadership for divulging vote information to a lobbyist.
“I am finally relieved that I had the ability to tell my side of the story after a long lengthy battle with indictments and all the challenges I’ve had,” says Inman.
The trial will pick back up Monday morning with final questioning of Inman and then the two sides prepare for closing arguments.
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