McCotter Testifies He Was Shocked By Falsified Petitions

LIVONIA (WWJ) - Two former aides to former Congressman Thaddeus McCotter will have to wait until later this month to learn if they will face trial on conspiracy and falsifying petition signatures for a re-election campaign that led to McCotter's resignation.

McCotter said it was "shocking" to learn that he didn't have enough petition signatures to qualify for the 2012 election.

Speaking publicly for the first time, McCotter testified on Thursday for the defense in the case against Paul Seewald and Don Yowchuang who prosecutors said submitted phony petitions to qualify him for the August Republican primary.

On the stand, McCotter said the high-ranking aides eventually admitted to signing off on the petitions when they weren't supposed to. "My number one questions was, 'We were told we had 2,000 valid signatures. Why would we do this?"

McCotter has not been charged. He quit Congress in July, weeks after being barred from the ballot.

His attorney David Otterwess spoke to reporters outside of the courthouse.

Both Seewald and Yowchuang could face trial depending on the Livonia judge's decision October 23.

"He is at this time going to be witness for the Attorney General in the subsequent trial. He is not offering any public statement at this time other than what he already has testified to in court," said Otterwess. "He's cooperating. He has always cooperated with the Attorney General's Office."