Coleman witness removed from stand

ST. PAUL, Minn., Feb. 28 (UPI) -- A Minneapolis poll worker called as a witness in the state's U.S. Senate recount trial communicated with Republican Norm Coleman's lawyers, attorneys say.

Testimony from Republican poll worker Pamela Howell, called by Coleman to attest to how polling place errors could have led to double-counting of votes, was cut off Friday when she revealed she had communicated with Coleman's lawyers via e-mail without telling the attorneys of Democrat Al Franken, The Star-Tribune newspaper in Minneapolis reported.

"It's … clear from these e-mails that a very conscious decision was made by counsel not to disclose Ms. Howell's statement," said Franken attorney David Lillehaug.

Coleman attorney Joe Friedberg told the three-judge panel hearing the case that "clearly the e-mails should have been disclosed" but that they were "blown a little bit out of proportion," saying the e-mails were an innocent mistake from a young lawyer who'd never tried a case.

It was the second time in three days Howell, considered a key Coleman witness, had been removed from the stand after challenges by lawyers for Franken, who had a 225-vote lead in the official recount.