ARKANSAS – A former state circuit admitted Friday to accepting a bribe in exchange for reducing the amount of damages a jury assessed against a Conway, Arkansas business, officials said.
Michael A. Maggio, 53, of Conway, plead guilty to a one-count information charging him with bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, U.S. Department of Justice officials said.
As part of his plea agreement, Maggio admitted the following:
- In 2013, he served as an elected circuit judge for the state of Arkansas, Twentieth Judicial District, Second Division, presiding over a civil matter in Faulkner County Circuit Court.
- The plaintiff in that matter, the estate of a decedent, filed a complaint alleging, among other things, that a company, its owner, and others had neglected and mistreated the decedent leading to the decedent’s death while the decedent was in their care.
- On May 16, 2013, a jury returned a verdict in the plaintiff’s favor, awarding damages against the sole-remaining defendant, the company, in the amount of $5.2 million.
- About a month later, the company filed a motion for new trial or to reduce the amount of damages awarded by the jury to the plaintiff.
- Maggio further admitted that he formally announced his candidacy for the Arkansas Court of Appeals on June 27, 2013, while the post-trial motions were pending.
- On July 10, 2013, Maggio entered an order reducing the verdict against the company to $1 million.
- Prior to that order, officials said a fundraiser for Maggio’s campaign told Maggio that the company’s owner had committed money to support Maggio’s campaign.
- The fundraiser also communicated with Maggio regarding the pending post-trial motions.
- On July 9, 2013, the owner donated approximately $24,000 to Maggio’s campaign.
As part of his plea, Maggio admitted that his decision to remit the judgment was improperly influenced by the donations that his campaign received from the company’s owner, officials said.
Authorities also said Maggio further acknowledged that he attempted to delete text messages between the fundraiser and himself after the media became aware of the illicit contributions to his campaign.
The FBI investigated this case.