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ee re tre ae ra aR aT BR i A ‘ ° -23-+ first nor the last occasion upon which Mr. Agnew mentioned to Green his concern: about his personal financial difficulties. He had voiced similar. complaints white County Executive, and he continued from time to time to mention his personal financial difficulties thereafter. ores inferred from what Mr. Agnew said, the manner in which he said it, an their respective positions that he was being invited in a subtle but clear way to make payments. He, therefore, replied that he recognized vc. lAgnew' s financial problems and realized he was not a wealthy man. Green ok him that his company had experienced successful growth and would probably continue to benefit from public work under the Agnew Admin- istration. He, therefore, offered to make periodic cash payments to Governor “ners who replied that he would appreciate such assistance very much. On the basis of Green's experience, he had developed a policy that, where required, he would make payments in amounts that did not exceed an average o one per cent of the fees that his company received on public engineering contracts, This informal calculation included legitimate political contributions as well as cash payments. He knew that many politicians fete that engineers were wealthy and often demanded pay- ments in muct} greater amounts; frequently five per cent and sometimes higher. Although he believed that some engineers made payments in these amounts, he knew that such percentages were unrealistic, given the economics of the engineering industry. An engineering-firm could not, in his judgment, make a profit on public work if payments in these excessive percentages were made. He had come to the conclusion that his company could not afford .to pay more than one per cent and, in areas where more was demanded, he had simply refused to pay and had sought work elsewhere. Therefore, Green calculsted, largely in his head, that it would be appropriate for him to make arr ‘coximately six payments a year to Mr. bene in amounts of $2,000, $2,500, or $3,000 each. The exact amount of each payment to Mr. Agnew depended upon the amount of cash available