Judge Unseals Testimony of Hoffa Witness
A federal judge has agreed to unseal the grand jury testimony of a key witness in the indictment of former Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa for obstruction of justice.
U.S. District Court Judge Todd Campbell of Nashville agreed to unseal testimony about jury tampering by Walter Sheridan, a top aide to then-Attorney General Robert Kennedy, the Associated Press reports. Prosecutors may appeal the decision or seek to redact parts of the testimony before it is released.
Retired Cleveland State University law professor William Tabac sought the testimony in hopes it will help prove his theory that Hoffa was railroaded by the federal government, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Tabac says Sheridan’s testimony could shed light on whether another witness against Hoffa perjured himself and whether the government was aware of the wrongdoing.
Hoffa prosecutor James Neal told the Plain Dealer he doesn’t remember what evidence was presented to the grand jury, but he has nothing to hide. “There was no illegality in the prosecution of Jimmy Hoffa,” he said. As for Tabac, “I wish he’d get a life,” Neal said.
