Opening statements start Monday in trial of developer charged with bribing ex-Palm Springs mayor

BANNING, Calif. (KESQ) - A jury is set in the high-profile public corruption case against developer John Wessman, who’s accused of bribing former Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet in exchange for favorable treatment on city projects.

Opening statements are set to start Monday at 9 a.m. at the Banning Justice Center.

Wessman, 86, has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has declined public comment.

The trial comes just days after Pougnet, 62, pleaded guilty to nine counts of bribery by a public official, eight counts of illicit financial interest in public contracts and one count of conspiracy, as well as no contest to three perjury counts.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 2. With his plea, Pougnet is no longer on trial but could be called to testify against Wessman as the case proceeds.

Pougnet was charged along with Wessman in 2017, when the pair was indicted by a Riverside County grand jury in 2019, along with Coachella Valley real estate developer Richard Hugh Meaney, 59.

Wessman was one of the most influential developers in Palm Springs, credited with shaping the city’s modern downtown through projects like the Kimpton Rowan Hotel, Wessman Development headquarters, and the Palm Springs Downtown Revitalization Project.

Wessman and developer Richard Meaney were accused of paying Pougnet at least $375,000 to buy votes and influence projects in Palm Springs between 2012 and 2014. Projects include the Kimpton hotel and the surrounding downtown re-development project.

News Channel 3's Garrett Hottle will be in Banning next Monday covering the start Wessman's trial. Stay tuned to News Channel 3 on the air and online for any updates throughout the day,