The creator of this video says it shows a Pulaski County Special School board member taking a bribe. Along with the video, a letter from a man claiming to be Ricky Weathers. Detectives on Thursday saying they spoke to Weathers and don't believe he has anything to do with the video or letter.
So who is the heavy set man on Gwen Williams porch?
Willard Proctor Jr. is the attorney for Williams, a PCSSD board member. He doesn’t know, but says he has an impression.
“It looks like a setup,” Proctor says.
"Who is this guy, why did he do this? Who else helped him? There is a video tape, someone had to be recording, we want to find that out," Proctor says.
Detectives saying today whoever this man is, he's not who he says he is. According to a letter sent to every school board member, Gwen Williams said she would help the man on the porch get a deal for sidewalk work around Harris Elementary School.
The video even included close ups of money going into an envelope and Williams later accepting an envelope.
Proctor thinks the entire incident was set up and is politically motivated. Williams is on a board divisively split 4-3 on issues like teacher unions. Two of the four majority members, Danny Gililland and Charlie Wood are up for re-election in 19 days. FOX16 News obtained its copy of the video, audio and letter from Wood on Tuesday.
"Given the contentious nature of what's gone on there, its not beyond the realm of possibility to think someone would be motivated to do that," Proctor says.
The investigation continues, while Williams maintains someone is trying to set her up.
Calls placed to Gililland and Wood to get their thoughts on whether they think their fellow board member is being politically targeted were not returned.
Proctor says Williams did in fact find a $100 bill in the envelope she accepted. But he says the man who gave it to her did so to express his condolences for the loss of an uncle and that Williams had no idea what was in it until she opened it.
