McMahan Case Goes To Jury

The jury in the federal trial of Auditor & Inspector Jeff McMahan and his wife, Lori, began deliberations around 3 p.m. Friday after hearing nearly four hours of the attorneys' closing statements.

The Tecumseh couple face eight counts of conspiracy, mail fraud and accepting bribes.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gay Guthrie asked the jury to pay attention to the word "deniability" for Jeff McMahan.

It was a word used in taped conversations Lori McMahan had with ex-auditor's employee Tim Arbaugh and Kiowa businessman Steve Phipps whose abstract companies the auditor's office regulated.

Lori McMahan has testified that she was talking about "cover stories" that she would tell authorities regarding accepting illegal cash donations from Phipps.

Guthrie said that Jeff McMahan used Arbaugh and even his own wife to do his dirty work. "He can't just take the cash envelope himself," Guthrie said.

Rand Eddy, attorney for Jeff McMahan, asked jurors not to believe Phipps' testimony.

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