Preliminary hearing delayed again in Scandal at City Hall case

Against the objections of the prosecution, the preliminary hearing for the former mayor of Palm Springs and two valley developers accused in an extensive bribery scandal has been delayed once again.

Developers John Wessman and Richard Meaney are accused of bribing former Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet. Pougnet allegedly accepted the bribes in exchange for preferred treatment for Wessman and Meaney’s projects. Pougnet’s votes and influence were allegedly bought with at least $375,000 in bribes from the two accused developers.

The new preliminary hearing date has been set for July 17. It had originally been set for April 15 before being moved due to scheduling conflicts for the attorneys of the accused.

The preliminary hearing is expected to last three days.

The trio pleaded not guilty to bribery and perjury charges in October 2017.

If convicted on all counts, Pougnet would face up to 19 years in state prison and be barred for life from holding public office, while Meaney and Wessman would each face a maximum of 12 years behind bars.