Colacurcio, 2 others deny illegal campaign contributions

Seattle strip-club owner Frank Colacurcio Jr. and two longtime associates pleaded not guilty yesterday to charges stemming from an alleged scheme to funnel illegal campaign contributions to City Council members in the 2003 elections.

Colacurcio Jr., who owns Rick's strip club in Lake City, appeared along with Gil Conte and Marsha Furfaro before King County Superior Court Judge Laura Inveen to enter the pleas.

Frank Colacurcio Sr., who is also charged in what King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng has termed a "political money-laundering" case, was in the hospital after emergency surgery, according to lawyers and his son. His arraignment was postponed until Aug. 1.

As a small swarm of reporters and TV cameras gathered around the defendants in the courthouse Colacurcio Jr., 43, joked he'd autograph the photos for a small fee. He declined to comment on the charges.

John Wolfe, Colacurcio Jr.'s attorney, said he plans to challenge the law prosecutors used to charge his client, saying it has never been applied to a campaign-finance case.

"While I have great respect for Norm Maleng, reasonable lawyers can disagree," he said.

Prosecutors charged the defendants under a broad statute making it a crime to cause false documents to be filed with government agencies — in this case, campaign-finance reports which did not reflect donations allegedly funneled by the defendants.

Citing bank records and sworn witness statements, prosecutors accuse the defendants of reimbursing friends and associates for thousands of dollars in contributions to the re-election campaigns of Judy Nicastro, Heidi Wills and Jim Compton.

The council members were not charged because investigators said they found no evidence that the officials knew of the alleged funneling scheme.

At the time, the Colacurcios were seeking council approval to expand the parking lot at Rick's. The council approved the controversial rezone on a 5-4 vote, with the three council members who got the money siding with the majority. In all, at least $39,000, and by some counts more than $50,000, in Colacurcio-related donations flowed to the council members' campaigns before the vote.

The Colacurcios and their associates have long denied any illegal conduct.

"We don't think any crime was committed here," said Richard Hansen, an attorney for Conte, after yesterday's arraignment. Conte, 71, is a former lounge singer and longtime friend of the Colacurcios.

Furfaro, 65, is an office manager for the Colacurcios.

Each defendant faces one count of conspiracy to offer a false instrument or record — a gross misdemeanor. In addition, each has been charged with multiple felony counts of offering a false instrument for filing or record. The charges carry penalties of up to a year in jail and fines of up to $15,000.

Family members and lawyers would not comment on Colacurcio Sr.'s condition yesterday. The elder Colacurcio is 88 and has been in poor health in recent months, they said.

Jim Brunner: 206-515-5628 or jbrunner@seattletimes.com