The Times and Democrat - Rickenbacker trial delayed until November

The corruption trial of suspended Orangeburg County Council Chairman John Rickenbacker has been delayed to give his attorneys time to review the evidence against him.

Rickenbacker’s federal trial was tentatively scheduled to begin in September, but has now been pushed back until at least November, according to a scheduling notice filed in U.S. District Court on Monday.

U.S. District Judge Margaret B. Seymour ordered the case delayed to give Rickenbacker’s attorneys additional time to prepare for his defense. She notes in her order that attorneys for both Rickenbacker and the government agreed to the delay. A federal grand jury indicted Rickenbacker in June, charging him with bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds and with extortion under color of official right. The charges stem from allegations that Rickenbacker solicited money and received bribes from an FBI agent posing as a consultant for a health care company interested in buying or leasing The Regional Medical Center.

Rickenbacker pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was released on $10,000 unsecured bond. Gov. Mark Sanford suspended him from his position on County Council after the indictment.

Rickenbacker’s attorneys requested federal prosecutors turn over their complete file on Rickenbacker to help them prepare for his defense. In her order, Seymour says that the prosecutors “responded by supplying counsel with information regarding the details of the investigation in connection with the case.

“Despite the exercise of due diligence, the defense counsel have not had an adequate opportunity to review the discovery. As a result, there is insufficient time to investigate the facts and research the applicable law.”

Jury selection in the case is now scheduled to begin Nov. 7.

The federal indictment alleges Rickenbacker solicited cash from a consultant working for an unnamed hospital company in exchange for the chairman’s assistance and eventual support for the company’s purchase or lease of the hospital.

He allegedly agreed to provide the company – and no other company bidding for the hospital – with a copy of a financial and operational analysis of the publicly owned hospital in exchange for $5,000 a month. The hospital is owned by Orangeburg and Calhoun counties.

The consultant later introduced Rickenbacker to an FBI agent posing as a consultant for the company, according to the indictment. It further alleges Rickenbacker took $50,000 from the agent and gave him a copy of the analysis.

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