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Jury hears audiotape in defamation trial

An audiotape of an interview conducted by a state police internal affairs investigator played in county court this morning indicates former Butler County Commissioner Jim Eckstein stated a rumor about former county Commissioner Dale Pinkerton may be true.

Eckstein is accused of spreading a rumor that Pinkerton, one of the plaintiffs, gave county human resources director Lori Altman an extra 20 percent pay hike in 2011 in exchange for a drunken driving stop going away.

Altman's husband is state police Trooper Scott Altman. The couple and Pinkerton are suing Eckstein in separate civil complaints being tried ion court simultaneously.

During the audiotape, Eckstein, who is being sued for defamation, did not accuse Scott Altman of interfering with any arrest.

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