--克利夫兰市议员受贿500美元被从轻判刑入狱18个月

中国大陆网友请不要揉眼睛、怀疑这条新闻、也不要怀疑这一数字：五百美元:

我就在美国俄亥俄州克利夫兰东郊居住、工作，看了此事的电视、报刊新闻。

事情经过大致如下：

罗倍特.莱特（Robert White）原为克利夫兰市议员。他帮一企业恢复供电，收 了人家给的500美元，因为克利夫兰市政府拥有那家发电厂。2008年3月美国联邦 调查局开始查处罗倍特的受贿案。2009年3月13日美国联邦地区法官丹.普尔斯特 （Dan Polster）判处罗倍特.莱特服刑18个月。法官普尔斯特并警告罗倍特.莱 特说他违背了公众对他的信任（violated his public trust）。

法官的这一决定还是从轻判决：因为按法律罗倍特.莱特的受贿罪可以判处监禁 18至24个月。从轻的理由有二：一是这是罗倍特.莱特的首犯；二是罗倍特.莱特 的妻子患有重病、需人常照料。

报道说罗倍特.莱特一开始就配合美国联邦调查局的调查，对自己的受贿罪供认不 讳，并已在此前辞去市议员任职。

罗倍特.莱特已于今年5月15日开始在监狱服刑。

英文原版报道链接及全文如下：

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/03/former_councilman_gets_18_mont.html

Former Cleveland Councilman Robert White gets 18 months in prison for taking $500 bribe

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Peter Krouse

Plain Dealer Reporter

Disgraced former Cleveland Councilman Robert White will have to serve 18 months in prison for taking a $500 bribe from a businessman in 2007.

U.S. District Judge Dan Polster on Friday sentenced White at the low end of federal guidelines, which called for a prison term of between 18 and 24 months. The judge noted it was White's first offense. He also considered the health of White's wife.

The councilman's wife needs regular care, White's attorney Edward LaRue said after the hearing. He did not elaborate on her specific illness.

Polster admonished White for his crime, saying he vio lated his public trust, victimizing "all of us whose trust is now a little bit less," as well as other public offi cials who are tainted as a result.

White, who had more than 20 supporters in the courtroom, apologized for his actions. He pleaded guilty in December to one count of bribery.

The FBI approached White in March 2008 with evidence of the bribe. LaRue said his client cooperated with investigators from the beginning and sought legal help only when it was clear he was going to be charged with a crime.

"He's made no qualification or justification for his actions," LaRue said.

White took a bribe from an unidentified businessman in exchange for helping him get Cleveland Public Power to restore electricity to his establishment. The city owns the power company, which provides electricity to about one-third of the city.

White had represented Ward 2, which includes the Union-Miles and Turney neighborhoods in southeast Cleveland, since being appointed in 1996 to replace Earle B. Turner.

White must report to prison and begin serving his sentence by May 15.