These are some of the people whose names have surfaced during the investigation of an alleged bribery scheme involving former Judge Michael Maggio:
Martha Bull. At 76, the Perryville woman died in a Greenbrier nursing home in April 2008. Her death led to a negligence lawsuit in Faulkner County Circuit Court.
Michael Maggio. A former circuit judge, Maggio pleaded guilty to taking a bribe to lower a Faulkner County jury's $5.2 million judgment in the Bull family's lawsuit against the nursing home. Maggio is in a federal prison.
Michael Morton. The Fort Smith businessman operates about 30 nursing homes. He donated $30,000 to 10 political action committees in 2013 and said he wanted it to go to Maggio's judicial campaign. Morton said the donation was not an attempt to influence the lawsuit's outcome. Morton is not charged with a crime.
Gilbert Baker. A former state senator and former chairman of the Arkansas Republican Party, Baker also was a lobbyist and political fundraiser. He now teaches music. A federal indictment charges him with bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy. It accuses him of being the middleman in a purported effort to bribe Maggio.
Chris Stewart. A Little Rock attorney, Stewart was hired by Baker to create eight of the 10 PACs to which Morton donated. Stewart is not charged.
Marvin Parks. A lobbyist, he was treasurer in 2013 of Arkansans for Lawsuit Reform, which Morton helped finance through Baker. The nonprofit organization gave large "bonuses" to Parks, Stewart and Bruce Hawkins, who in turn donated to Maggio's campaign, Baker's indictment says. Parks is not charged.
Bruce Hawkins. A lobbyist, Hawkins has said Baker was a former paid consultant for Hawkins' lobbying firm DBH Management Consultants. Hawkins is not charged.
Rhonda Wood. Now an Arkansas Supreme Court justice, Wood was once a circuit judge who worked in the same courthouse in Conway as Maggio. Baker said he gave a campaign representative for Wood $48,000 in contributions from Morton in late November 2013. Baker said he changed the date on the checks from July to November because they had arrived too early under Arkansas law. Wood has said she was unaware Baker had been holding on to them. Wood is not charged.
Clint Reed. A former executive director of the Arkansas Republican Party, Reed was a campaign consultant for Maggio's appeals-court campaign until leaving it shortly after published reports appeared about Maggio's contentious online comments. In about May 2013, Reed told Maggio and Baker that Maggio needed to raise about $100,000 to $150,000 for a successful campaign, according to the Baker indictment. Reed is not charged.
A Section on 04/07/2019