Trial of Election Aide Could Hurt Bloomberg

[Judi Lynn]

Source: NY Times

Trial of Election Aide Could Hurt Bloomberg
By JOHN ELIGON
Published: September 11, 2011

While John F. Haggerty Jr., a Republican political worker, will be the only defendant sitting at the defense table when his trial begins this week, the proceeding could prove damaging for another person: the mayor of New York.

In a pivotal pretrial dispute, the prosecution has been haggling with lawyers for Mr. Haggerty, who is accused of stealing more than a million dollars from Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, over what the focus of the trial should be.

To the Manhattan district attorney’s office, this is an ordinary case of grand larceny, with a narrow set of relevant facts: Mr. Haggerty deceived Mr. Bloomberg into giving him a lot of money by promising to provide a service — ballot security — that he never intended to deliver. Mr. Haggerty instead spent the money on himself, including $600,000 on a house in Queens, prosecutors have alleged.

But the defense argues that a crucial element will require an exploration of Mr. Bloomberg’s campaign spending habits and tactics. At issue is why the mayor paid for ballot security in such an indirect fashion: donating $1.2 million to the state’s Independence Party, which then transferred most of it to Mr. Haggerty.




Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/12/nyregion/larceny-trial-of-john-haggerty-could-hurt-bloomberg.html?_r=1&src=twrhp

[gateley]

1. I think if the people of NY are happy with Bloomberg, he'll do fine. nt

[No Elephants]

2. Hiring a Republican to provide ballot security is close to an oxymoron.

So, why is Bloomberg laundering money?