Opinion ID: 196785
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Exclusion of Skrine Memorandum

Text: 109 Sawyer contends that the court unduly restricted the presentation of evidence that he entertained lawmakers solely out of friendship and goodwill and he believed that this did not violate the gratuity statute. 25 Specifically, he appeals the court's exclusion of a document, written by Bruce Skrine, memorializing Skrine's interview with Sawyer after the Boston Globe's inquiry into the Puerto Rico trip. That document reflects Sawyer's assertion that such entertainment, while perhaps excessive in Puerto Rico, was commonly done and that, [the] legislators were all friends of his and that they were not in anyway [sic] discussing legislation or lobbying. 110 At trial, Sawyer did not attempt to offer this document to prove his state of mind with respect to his expenditures. In fact, he indicated to the court that its admission was not necessary because he had already elicited the desired testimony from Skrine. Later on, however, pointing out that the document did not mention that he entertained to gain access to legislators, Sawyer offered it to impeach Skrine. The court did not permit its admission on that basis, but it did allow Sawyer to cross-examine Skrine on that very issue. Because Sawyer did not offer the document for the purpose he now asserts on appeal, he has forfeited this claim. See United States v. Whiting, 28 F.3d 1296, 1302 (1st Cir.) (explaining that evidence must have been offered for the purpose asserted on appeal to preserve issue) (citing Tate v. Robbins & Myers, Inc., 790 F.2d 10, 12 (1st Cir.1986)), cert. denied, 115 S.Ct. 378, 498, 499, 532, 130 L.Ed.2d 328, 408, 435 (1994). But because the issue may again arise on remand, we further hold that because Sawyer was able to obtain the desired testimony on the issue he now asserts, we would find no abuse of discretion in its exclusion. See United States v. Newman, 49 F.3d 1, 5-6 (1st Cir.1995) (reviewing court's exclusion of evidence for abuse of discretion). 26