Agnew told to pay $250,000

Press, 29 April 1981, Page 9

Agnew told to pay $250,000

NZPA. Annapolis, Maryland Spiro Agnew, the former Vice-President of the United States, has been ordered to pay the state of Maryland $U5248,735 ($NZ276.096), a sum the judge said represented money Agnew allegedly accepted as kickbacks while Governor of Maryland. The amount that Judge Bruce Williams ordered Agnew to pay includes $U5147,500 in kickbacks, plus $U5101,235 in interest. \ Judge Williams ruled that the evidence clearly showed Agnew violated his public trust by accepting kickbacks and. that he had an obligation to repay the people of Maryland for violating their trust. The '• state had tried to subpoena Agnew as a witness, but Judge Williams ruled he- did not have to testify in the civil suit filed byjhyjedd-xpayers ~-

j A Federal-investigation of the alleged kickback scheme r resulted in Agnew’s no-con--1 test plea to a charge of J income-tax evasion and his. 1 resignation as Vice-President i on October 11, 1973. He paid - about SUSI6O.OOO in back - taxes, penalties, and interest' - to the state and Federal f Governments in 1974, according to his lawyer, Thomas J Harrison. The state has never tried 5 to prosecute Agnew, but Har--5 rison said criminal charges could still be filed. . t Agnew’s former lawyer, i George White, testified on ; Friday that he confronted 5 the former Vice-President in i February, 1973, with allega- - tions that Agnew had shared in kickbacks that had been ) solicited from consulting en- - gineers. s Mr White said that at that > California meeting, Agnew 1 admitted to receiving kick-