Opinion ID: 3049934
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Jefferson County Officials

Text: The defendant County officials implicated in the bribery scandal are: Defendant McNair: Jewell C. “Chris” McNair (“McNair”) was a Jefferson County Commissioner. McNair was responsible for overseeing the operation of the Jefferson County Environmental Services Division (“JCESD”), which included the sewer system.1 Defendant Swann: Jack W. Swann (“Swann”) was the Director of the JCESD. Defendant Wilson: Ronald K. Wilson (“Wilson”) was Chief Civil Engineer for the JCESD and served on the Product Review Committee (“PRC”).2 After leaving the JCESD in 1999, Wilson formed his own firm, Civil Engineering Design Services, Inc. (“CEDS”). 1 The repair and rehabilitation project, which is the subject of this appeal, was required under the terms of a consent decree between Jefferson County and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The consent decree was entered into as a settlement of claims brought by the U.S. Justice Department in 1994 against Jefferson County for violations of the Clean Water Act, and it required Jefferson County to repair and upgrade dilapidated sewer lines and wastewater treatment plants that were overflowing and leaking sewage into local watersheds. The JCESD initially estimated the work would cost County ratepayers $1.2 to 1.5 billion over the next decade. The actual costs were closer to $3 billion. 2 The PRC was a technical committee that reviewed materials, specified the products that could be used on the sewer project, and qualified contractors for certain kinds of work on the project. During the relevant time period, the PRC had between 10 and 11 members. Among them were defendants Wilson and Barber, and co-conspirators Harry Chandler, Donald Ellis, and Larry Creel. 4 Defendant Barber: Clarence R. Barber (“Barber”) was Chief Construction Maintenance Supervisor for the JCESD and served on the PRC.