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BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A judge gave a former Idaho prosecutor and current candidate for governor permission to represent himself in a federal bankruptcy fraud case.
"You're on your own," U.S. District Court Judge Edward Lodge told defendant John Bujak on Thursday.
Bujak, former Canyon County prosecutor, pleaded not guilty in January to charges of bankruptcy fraud, concealment of assets, making a false statement under oath, money laundering and obstruction of justice.
His trial is scheduled to start May 6 in Boise. In March, he filed with the Idaho secretary of state's office to run for governor as a Libertarian.
"People rarely represent themselves in federal court," said Bujak, explaining that he wants to act as his own lawyer because he knows the facts better than anyone.
The U.S. attorney's office claims Bujak did not disclose to the bankruptcy court that he and his then-wife owned a $25,000 Rolex watch that was to be sold with a ring to an out-of-state jeweler.
Prosecutors said Bujak cashed the check at a payday loan store rather than putting it in his bank account.
Prosecutors plan to call Jose Vivero, a jeweler from Miami Beach, Fla., as a witness to testify that he bought a woman's Rolex from Bujak, court documents state.
Vivero paid Bujak $25,000 for the watch that the jeweler estimates has a value of $100,000, according to the documents that also contend that Bujak persuaded his then-wife to make false statements under oath about the watch.
Bujak, in legal filings, said the watch was a gift for his mother-in-law and was no longer in his possession at the time of his bankruptcy filing.
In previous legal skirmishes at the state level, Bujak has represented himself and won.
His troubles started in 2010, when he quit as prosecutor after being accused of diverting money from a $734,000 contract he had struck for the Canyon County prosecutor's office to handle misdemeanors for Nampa.
Bujak maintained it was a legal contract that saved taxpayers money, earned Canyon County lawyers raises, and bolstered his personal pay. A jury in 2012 found him not guilty.
He was also charged with creating false evidence, but the case ended in a mistrial, and prosecutors ultimately dropped that charge to pursue a contempt of court claim against Bujak. He pleaded guilty to that claim in July.
His law license was suspended in 2012 as he was fighting prosecution. In August, the Idaho Supreme Court re-instated the license.
If convicted in federal court of all the felony counts, Bujak could face up to 20 years if the possible prison terms run concurrently.
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Information from: Idaho Press-Tribune, http://www.idahopress.com
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