The fraud trial of former Woolwich Township mayor Todd Cowan kicked off with testimony from the lawyer who was called in to investigate his expense filings.
Cowan pleaded not guilty to fraud and breach of trust Monday morning.
He’s accused of billing $2,770.86 to multiple levels of government during his time as mayor -- money which he says he paid back when he realized what he had done.
John Mascarin was the first witness called to the stand Monday.
Mascarin is the lawyer who was asked to look at Cowan’s expenses when questions were first raised.
He told the court that there was evidence of Cowan being reimbursed twice for the same expenses between 2012 and 2014.
Those expenses, he said, primarily involved per diem, mileage and hotel claims from conferences he attended.
Mascarin testified that he met with Cowan to ask him about the expenses, and found that while the mayor didn’t dispute his findings, he “wasn’t terribly familiar with the policies” governing conference expenses and reimbursement.
Cowan’s own lawyer seemed to agree with that assessment, saying he'd been told that Cowan often filed expenses well after the events occurred.
“He didn’t keep proper notes or records to help his memory,” Tom Brock told the court.
Cowan was elected mayor of Woolwich in 2010, and finished fourth out of four candidates in his re-election bid four years later.
On his way into court Monday, he smiled politely to members of the media and said he was doing “well,” but declined to discuss details of his case.
After a one-day break, the trial will continue on Wednesday.
