Former Butler County officials testified Tuesday that former county Commissioner Jim Eckstein was not the person they first heard a rumor of an alleged drunken driving cover-up involving former Commissioner Dale Pinkerton.

Former county Controller Jack McMillin was among those who testified on behalf of Eckstein, who is being sued in county court by Pinkerton for defamation.

McMillin said Eckstein was not who first told him about Pinkerton supposedly giving county human resources director Lori Altman an extra 20 percent pay hike in exchange for a DUI pullover going away.

Altman's husband, Scott Altman, is a state police trooper. The couple is suing Eckstein in a separate civil complaint that is being tried simultaneously in court.

McMillin said he was told about the rumor by county Treasurer Diane Marburger before ever discussing the topic with Eckstein.

“I don't think he added anything beyond what I already knew,” McMillin said.

He said there was no talk of the rumor being fact.

“It was clear in conversation it was hearsay,” McMillin said.

He said he gave no credence to the rumor before a state attorney general office investigation into the matter.

“You learn it's not a rumor mill,” McMillin said about county government. “It's a factory.”

Upon grilling by attorney Al Lindsay, who represents the Altmans, McMillin said he had no intention of looking into the rumor's possible validity at that point.

“I'm not about to go on a wild-goose chase,” McMillin said.

He said once the state was involved, it was not his place to be involved other than relay information about Altman's pay raise.

McMillin said county Judge Michael Yeager's office scheduled McMillin's interview with an attorney general investigator.

The state subsequently found no evidence of any wrongdoing.

Former county Commissioner Joan Chew, who also is a former county treasurer, testified, saying a former county resident now working in Harrisburg told her about the rumor.

“It was just everywhere,” Chew said about the proliferation of the rumor.

She recalled speaking to Eckstein about the alleged cover-up, but not the specifics.

“I can't recall exactly what was said,” Chew said.

Chuck Rogers, a retired county maintenance worker, also testified he heard the rumor from other county employees, not Eckstein.

“It was a countywide rumor,” Rogers said.

Although Rogers testified he later found out Yeager alerted the attorney general's office to the alleged cover-up, that comment was stricken from the record due to him not having first-hand knowledge of who contacted the state.

Larry Kriess, the former chairman of the Butler County Democratic Committee, and his wife, Patricia Kriess, also said Eckstein did not accuse Pinkerton of being guilty.

“Absolutely not,” said Patricia Kriess. “Not as fact.”

She said Eckstein would not besmirch anyone.

“He's not that kind of person,” Patricia Kriess said.

Larry Kriess refuted earlier testimony from Itzi Meztli and Steve Hively that Eckstein had a “hit list” of county officials, including Pinkerton, who he wanted gone from government.

“I don't believe that's true,” Kriess said.

While not knowing Hively, Kriess said he was familiar with Meztli, who was a Slippery Rock committeeman while Kriess was committee chairman. Kriess described Meztli as “a hard guy to trust.”

Attorney Doug Linn, who represents Pinkerton, pushed all the defense witnesses to confirm they didn't have first-hand knowledge of what Eckstein said to Meztli, Hively or county Assistant District Attorney Ben Simon.

Simon testified last week that Eckstein did state the rumor as fact while they had a conversation in March 2012.

Defense attorneys read a prior deposition by county Sheriff Mike Slupe, who could not attend the trial, about his hearing the rumor.

According to the deposition, Slupe stated he did not believe the rumor. Eckstein was not incriminated in the deposition.

Slupe is on a medical leave of absence.

Testimony ended around 3:30 p.m. The defense resumed its case today.