Prosecutor's Witnesses Called to Stand in Thompson Trial

The jury heard new witness testimony today in the Mike Thompson Trial

The former director of the Poverty Point Reservoir is charged with illegally using tax dollars for his personal projects.

Monday, the defense got a chance to cross-examine witnesses for the prosecution. 

At the center of questioning, was Joe Cleveland, a handyman for poverty point, used for Thompson’s personal projects.

Let’s remind everybody what the taxpayer money was paying for:  a project to create the Poverty Point Reservoir, then build boat docks and other structures for public use.

Thompson was the director of that project. 

We’ve seen him going into the courtroom in Monroe for five days now.

Monday some witnesses testified that they saw the handyman, Cleveland, working on Thompson’s property several times.

They said they saw him installing a barbed wire fence, welding a corral together and even installing an electric switch on Thompson’s property.

But did Thompson pay Cleveland with his own money or with public funds? 

That’s the question his lawyer raised with those witnesses.

Another key witness today:  the FBI agent investigating the case. 

The agent said Thompson could only produce one personal check for work Cleveland had done on his property from as early as 1996.