Banning Jury Acquits Developer in Palm Springs Bribery Case Involving Former Mayor

After a week of deliberations, an 86-year-old real estate developer has been acquitted of all charges in a high-profile bribery case tied to the former mayor of Palm Springs. On Monday, a Banning jury found Harold Wessman not guilty of nine counts of bribery of a public official and one count of conspiracy, concluding a case that dates back over a decade.

The verdict brings to a close a long legal battle that began with a federal investigation and eventually became a local corruption probe. Riverside County Superior Court Judge Samuel Diaz cleared Wessman of any remaining bond obligations, declaring him fully exonerated.

Wessman's defense attorney, Elliot Peters, argued the prosecution's case relied heavily on the testimony of Richard Hugh Meaney, whom Peters described as a “dishonest, manipulative person.” He emphasized that Wessman, a longtime developer, took legal steps to advance his projects and deferred many of the financial dealings to Meaney.

Prosecutors alleged that Wessman and Meaney paid former Mayor Steve Pougnet over $225,000 between 2012 and 2014 in exchange for support of their redevelopment projects, including The Dakota, Desert Fashion Plaza, and Vivante. Deputy District Attorney Amy Zois maintained that Wessman orchestrated an elaborate scheme to manipulate city policy for personal gain.

Although charges against Meaney were dismissed last year, he pled guilty to a misdemeanor and testified for the prosecution. Pougnet, who served as mayor from 2007 to 2015, pleaded guilty to multiple felony counts last month and is set to be sentenced on July 2.

The projects in question were tied to the city's Measure J initiative, which passed in 2011 and enabled over $40 million in municipal bond funding to support downtown revitalization.

The acquittal of Wessman marks a dramatic turn in a years-long legal saga that began with sweeping accusations of corruption at the highest levels of Palm Springs government.