State Auditor Kathy McGuiness’ corruption trial heads to closing statements Thursday.
Closing statements will be limited to 90 minutes each, so the case will be handed to the jurors by lunchtime. And Judge William Carpenter said he, and likely the jury, are highly motivated to come to a verdict before the holiday weekend.
The defense called its last three witnesses Wednesday– two were former casual-seasonal employees at the auditor’s office.
Lydia August started in 2019 and planned on resigning at the end of May 2020 due to lack of work during the pandemic, but testified she was unexpectedly let go two weeks before that. A letter informing her of her official termination was never delivered to her, and her record shows she voluntarily resigned.
Kyra Marshall was a seasonal employee in summer 2021, and testified she got the position through McGuiness’ daughter and was never “really” interviewed.
Tracey Mitchell-Rogers closed the defense case, testifying she was thrown into her role as a fiscal officer blind after her intended supervisor, Shequanna Cousin, quit unexpectedly.
Mitchell-Rogers said she either did not have or did not learn all programs she needed to do her job - an issue that could explain payment errors related to the structuring charge against McGuiness.
