St. Pierre acknowledged that he used his company NetMethods to pay in cash for women and other entertainment on his boat, the Silicon Bayou, and at a Warehouse District condominium, often with city official Greg Meffert involved.
But contrary to Meffert's previous testimony, St. Pierre said he never saw the strippers perform sex acts on the yacht. St. Pierre said it was just guys partying too much and no city money ever went to finance the parties.
"In open areas of the yacht there was dancing (by the strippers)," St. Pierre testified. "Unfortunately, I did participate in that. I'm sorry I did it. I've apologized to my wife. We took things too far. We got out of control.
"It was not a good time in my life and I'm sorry for it, but I'll tell you this: It was never meant as a kickback or a bribe for anybody."
St. Pierre faces 53 counts of bribery, conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors allege he paid his former boss at City Hall, ex-technology chief Greg Meffert, more than $800,000 in exchange for millions of dollars in city contracts.
The government alleges that because St. Pierre's close friend Jimmy Goodson was used to pay for the strippers, and because he was on the payroll under St. Pierre's other company Imagine Software at City Hall, city tax dollars went to pay for the parties.
"It wasn't like something where Greg would come to me and say, 'We're going to the strip club and if you don't take me I'm going to cut your work off,'" St. Pierre said. "Our work spoke for itself. He needed us, we felt like, more than we needed him."
Following 11 days of mostly damaging testimony about city money allegedly going to pay for tropical vacations, strippers on a yacht and home maintenancefor city officials, St. Pierre began testifying Monday with an emotional contention of innocence.
At the start of his testimony Tuesday, St. Pierre's testimony was far less emotional and more technical as he's laid out the basis for his company, Imagine Software, getting work with Meffert's technology office.
"We made some big strides for the city, and the mayor ( Ray Nagin )got kudos and Greg got kudos," St. Pierre said. "One thing you wouldn't see was Imagine Software employees getting kudos, but our job was to make Greg look good and we did that."
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