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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sirens & Gavels

Defense expert to refute Steele recording

In what defense lawyer Robert McAllister said was "great news," a man hired by the defense to refute the authenticity of the FBI recordings in the Edgar Steele case will be allowed to testify.

McAllister requested Monday that George Papcun be allowed to testify. Judge B. Lynn Winmill agreed, and defense lawyers are working to arrange a time. Papcun could testify via video, similar to the taped deposition by Steele's alleged love interest, 25-year-old Tatyana Loginova of Ukraine. 
 
Papcun said he wouldn’t use the term “suspicious” to describe anomalies in the recording because a variety of factors could have caused the glitches he observed.
 
Winmill ruled today that testimony provided by Cyndi Steele and her daughter, Kelsey Steele, opened the door for testimony from Papcun about whether the recordings have been altered by the federal government.
 
Prosecutors are expected to present witnesses to rebut Papcuns testimony. The case could be with the jury as early as late tomorrow or early Wednesday.


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