Halloran's Facebook Days Are Over for A While
A federal appeals court shot down ex-City Councilman Dan Halloran’s bid to stay out of prison on bail while he appeals his bribery conviction — a decision that also casts doubt on his chances for a reversal.
Halloran "Yes I Took the Money"
Prosecutors Wrap Up Final Arguments in Trial Against Former City Councilman(NT1)
Halloran "Yes I Took the Money"
Friday
Friday
Thursday
Former City Councilman Cross-Examined on Day 6 of Corruption Trial(NY1)* Former New York City Councilman in Bribe Case Cites Politics of Daily Life (NYT) Daniel J. Halloran III testified that the money he accepted was for work as a political operative.
Tuesday Update
Saturday Trial Update Juror cut loose from Halloran’s trial thought he was guilty(NYP) A
juror cut loose Friday from the corruption trial of ex-Councilman Dan
Halloran said he would have found the accused pol guilty of brokering
bribes to get Sen. Malcolm Smith...“I believe he was guilty of taking
bribes in exchange for setting up the meetings with the county chairs,”
said the juror, a 26-year-old man from Duchess County who was dismissed
because he could no longer serve on the lengthy trial. “It’s very
convenient that [Halloran] had an excuse for absolutely everything . . .
In my mind he really didn’t own up to anything.”Meanwhile, Halloran
took the stand Friday to desperately claim that he knew an undercover
federal agent was asking him to break the law but that he went along
with the conversation in order to snag campaign cash.“They’re trying to
get me to say, ‘I’ll do this in exchange for the money.’ Now, I’m not
going to do that because I know the rules,” Halloran said.“I’m trying to
tell somebody, ‘No,’ in a nice way . . . You can’t piss off donors.“I’m
not being completely honest with them, but [I need to] not have them
walk away from the table when I needed them for my congressional
campaign.* Voters Are Not Surprised When Albany Pols Get Indicted, Siena Poll Says(NYDN)
”Sunday Update Excuses for sale(NYDN Ed) For the love of money You’re former City Councilman Dan Halloran, on trial for corruption. The
jury has heard a recording of a developer asking you to find someone a
job, you agreeing, him handing you an envelope stuffed with cash, and
you saying, “Money is what greases the wheels — good, bad or
indifferent.”How do you explain that away on the witness stand? By
swearing that the money you accepted was in no way a bribe, but merely a
“loan.” Maybe you should have stuck with the insanity defense.* New
revelations of questionable uses of campaign funds underscore the need
for continued investigation, and for stronger reform of the laws on and
monitoring of political contributions and spending, the Times Union writes:
More on Dan Halloran Trial
Judge Goes After Halloran's Lawyer for Saying Bloomberg Bought the Ballot Also
Former City Councilman Halloran shook hands when making deals: FBI Agent(NYDN)
“He asked me for the money,” the agent told Halloran’s lawyer. To
consummate a dirty deal, former City Councilman Daniel Halloran “shook
hands, clinked glasses and decided that half would be paid up front and
the rest once it was done,” an undercover FBI agent testified Wednesday
in the pol’s corruption trial.
Judge scolds Halloran lawyer over Bloomberg claim(NYP) A
federal judge scolded a lawyer for indicted ex-City Councilman Dan
Halloran on Tuesday after the legal eagle claimed his client’s crimes
were business as usual for former Mayor Michael Bloomberg.Karas flipped
out, telling Varghese “you are flirting with sitting down” as the lawyer
questioned a federal agent and alleged the ex-mayor had given money
under the table to county Republican leaders to successfully get the GOP
line in the 2009. He also claimed Bloomberg gave the brother of former
Bronx Republican Committee Chairman Joseph “Jay” Savino a job after
receiving Savino’s support. The judge grew especially peeved when
Varghese asked the undercover agent — who had posed as a power-hungry
developer to get the goods on Halloran — if he knew whether Bloomberg
was ever prosecuted.* Former City Councilman Dan Halloran's lawyers try to drag Michael Bloomberg into bribery trial (NYDN)
Undercover agent to jury: Halloran ‘very guilty’(NYP)
A federal agent who went undercover as a wealthy businessman in the
bribery case of state Sen. Malcolm Smith testified Monday that he
believes co-defendant and former City Councilman Dan Halloran is guilty
of corruption charges and also shot down allegations of entrapment.
During the White Plains federal corruption trial of Halloran (R-Queens),
defense lawyer Vinoo Varghese tried to shoot down the government’s
claims that the pol in 2012 offered to dole out $80,000 in no-show city
consulting work on a Queens YMCA to the wire-wearing undercover agent in
exchange for funds to boost what would be a failed congressional run
by Halloran. Instead, Varghese tried to paint Halloran as a
cash-strapped candidate who tried to use the agent for campaign funds.
“Isn’t it true, your fears came true? You got played by Mr. Halloran,”
Varghese asked. The agent, known to jurors as “Raj,” shot back, “He took
cash from us. He took checks from us. Those are crimes, sir.” Halloran
allegedly pocketed $18,300 in cash bribes and $6,500 in straw-donor
campaign donations for agreeing to steer $80,000 of council
discretionary funding for the scheme, the feds say. Halloran is also
accused of pocketing $20,500 in cash bribes for masterminding
cross-party negotiations for a failed $200,000 bid to get Smith — one of
the state’s top Democrats — the Republican line in last year’s mayoral
race.
Halloran to Take the Stand . . . ”Sunday Update Excuses for sale(NYDN Ed) For the love of money You’re former City Councilman Dan Halloran, on trial for corruption. The jury has heard a recording of a developer asking you to find someone a job, you agreeing, him handing you an envelope stuffed with cash, and you saying, “Money is what greases the wheels — good, bad or indifferent.”How do you explain that away on the witness stand? By swearing that the money you accepted was in no way a bribe, but merely a “loan.” Maybe you should have stuck with the insanity defense.* New revelations of questionable uses of campaign funds underscore the need for continued investigation, and for stronger reform of the laws on and monitoring of political contributions and spending, the Times Union writes:
More on Dan Halloran Trial
Judge Goes After Halloran's Lawyer for Saying Bloomberg Bought the Ballot Also
Former City Councilman Halloran shook hands when making deals: FBI Agent(NYDN)
“He asked me for the money,” the agent told Halloran’s lawyer. To
consummate a dirty deal, former City Councilman Daniel Halloran “shook
hands, clinked glasses and decided that half would be paid up front and
the rest once it was done,” an undercover FBI agent testified Wednesday
in the pol’s corruption trial.
Judge Goes After Halloran's Lawyer for Saying Bloomberg Bought the Ballot Also
Judge scolds Halloran lawyer over Bloomberg claim(NYP) A federal judge scolded a lawyer for indicted ex-City Councilman Dan Halloran on Tuesday after the legal eagle claimed his client’s crimes were business as usual for former Mayor Michael Bloomberg.Karas flipped out, telling Varghese “you are flirting with sitting down” as the lawyer questioned a federal agent and alleged the ex-mayor had given money under the table to county Republican leaders to successfully get the GOP line in the 2009. He also claimed Bloomberg gave the brother of former Bronx Republican Committee Chairman Joseph “Jay” Savino a job after receiving Savino’s support. The judge grew especially peeved when Varghese asked the undercover agent — who had posed as a power-hungry developer to get the goods on Halloran — if he knew whether Bloomberg was ever prosecuted.* Former City Councilman Dan Halloran's lawyers try to drag Michael Bloomberg into bribery trial (NYDN)
Undercover agent to jury: Halloran ‘very guilty’(NYP)
A federal agent who went undercover as a wealthy businessman in the
bribery case of state Sen. Malcolm Smith testified Monday that he
believes co-defendant and former City Councilman Dan Halloran is guilty
of corruption charges and also shot down allegations of entrapment.
During the White Plains federal corruption trial of Halloran (R-Queens),
defense lawyer Vinoo Varghese tried to shoot down the government’s
claims that the pol in 2012 offered to dole out $80,000 in no-show city
consulting work on a Queens YMCA to the wire-wearing undercover agent in
exchange for funds to boost what would be a failed congressional run
by Halloran. Instead, Varghese tried to paint Halloran as a
cash-strapped candidate who tried to use the agent for campaign funds.
“Isn’t it true, your fears came true? You got played by Mr. Halloran,”
Varghese asked. The agent, known to jurors as “Raj,” shot back, “He took
cash from us. He took checks from us. Those are crimes, sir.” Halloran
allegedly pocketed $18,300 in cash bribes and $6,500 in straw-donor
campaign donations for agreeing to steer $80,000 of council
discretionary funding for the scheme, the feds say. Halloran is also
accused of pocketing $20,500 in cash bribes for masterminding
cross-party negotiations for a failed $200,000 bid to get Smith — one of
the state’s top Democrats — the Republican line in last year’s mayoral
race.
Entering court, Dan Halloran is asked if he's nervous to take the stand, says "if he wasn't he wouldn't be human."
Halloran to take the stand in corruption trial(NYP)Dan Halloran plans to take the stand in his own defense Thursday in a risky bid to clear his name on charges that he took bribes to help fix the Republican mayoral primary for a fellow Queens pol. Halloran is expected to tell jurors that he never pocketed any bribe money, and that any dollars that came his way were nothing more than legal campaign contributions. Halloran’s risk in taking the stand involves the federal prosecutor who is almost certain to grill him on cross examination over the $20,500 in cash bribes he allegedly took to steer state Sen. Malcolm Smith to the top of the Republican mayoral ticket.Former New York City councilman Dan Halloran repeatedly mentioned his surgery to remove a brain tumor as he took the stand in the corruption trial against him, the New York Post reports:
Dan Halloran, who is accused of taking bribe money to help get a fellow Queens pol on the Republican mayoral ballot, had a benign tumor removed from his brain two years ago, and tried to tell jurors about it every chance he got. But prosecutors protested twice, and their objections were upheld by the federal judge assigned to the case in White Plains. Minutes later, Halloran said the campaign was cash-strapped because he had to stop fund raising for several month, but another objection was raised before he could explain why.
Halloran then began discussing his first meeting with Mark “Moses” Stern — a developer who wore a wire and cooperated with the FBI in the sweeping corruption probe that scored indictments against state Sen. Malcolm Smith, Halloran and others.“He noticed the scar on my head,” Halloran said. “He asked me about that.” There was no objection, just a chuckle and a shake of the head from the judge* Halloran Says He Took a Loan, Not a Bribe (WSJ)* Former Queens Councilman Daniel Halloran testified at his federal trial that an envelope of cash he took from someone who turned out to be a government informant wasn’t a bribe but a personal loan.* Former Councilman Halloran Testifies in His Own Corruption Trial(NY1)
Vinny the Chin Halloran Says Stop the Trial, I Am Nuts
Harroran Pay to Play Congressional Seat
Halloran allegedly tried to give away a congressional seat for $15K(NYP) For $15,000, you can own your own congressional seat!That’s what ex-City Councilman Dan Halloran allegedly gloated in 2012 while offering the unique opportunity to a crooked Rockland County developer. Mark “Moses” Stern — a developer who wore a wire and cooperated with the FBI in the sweeping corruption probe that scored indictments against state Sen. Malcolm Smith, ex-City Councilman Dan Halloran and others — testified Thursday about how Halloran made him an offer he believed wouldn’t be refused. Halloran then told Stern he could be “co-owning [his] own congressional seat, and I need $15,000,” Stern recalled on the stand. Stern – who cooperated with the feds to avoid prison after being indicted on fraud charges in 2010 and quietly pleading guilty – was asked by Halloran’s lawyer Vinoo Varghese if he tried to “dig dirt on as much people as he could” for the FBI. Stern responded, “Not dig dirt — but cooperate and give knowledge that I know.” Smith, the feds say, turned to Stern and an undercover agent for money and help pulling off a botched $200,000 bribery scheme to get the Democratic Queens senator the GOP line in the 2013. The senator, in turn, promised them $500,000 in transportation funds for a project in Spring Valley, NY. Halloran faces up to 45 years behind bars if convicted. Smith heads to trial in January.
Manhattan GOP Boss Isaacs When to John Catsimatidis After He Was Offered A Bribe to Go to the FBI?
Manhattan GOP leader ‘freaked out’ after being offered bribe(NYP) he
head of Manhattan’s Republican Party said Wednesday he “freaked out”
after being offered a $25,000 bribe to help Democratic state Sen.
Malcolm Smith secure the Republican line in last year’s mayoral race.
His solution: Call the richest person he knows. Testifying in the White
Plains federal corruption trial of the plot’s
alleged mastermind, ex-City Councilman Dan Halloran, Manhattan GOP
Chairman Daniel Isaacs said he called then-Republican mayoral candidate
and Gristedes tycoon John Catsimatidis about the illicit offer made
outside Spark’s Steakhouse in Manhattan on Valentine’s Day 2013. Unknown
to Isaacs and Halloran – who brokered the meeting – the offer was made
by a wire-wearing federal agent pretending to a powerful developer.
Isaacs said he later met with Catsimatidis that night and told him
about the offer — and that Halloran, then-Bronx Republican Chairman
Joseph “Jay” Savino and then-Queens GOP Vice Chairman Vincent Tabone
were also at Sparks.“I asked him to contact the appropriate law-enforcement authorities for me, and he agreed to do so,” said Isaacs, recalling how he became a government witness.
NY's Media Gives More Coverage to Spiderman Than Corruption and Other Issues That Effect the Lives of Real New Yorkers
No Coverage of Halloran's Trial
Smitherman spokesman Nathan Smith alleged.The threat to New York City’s public spaces(NYP) * Man dressed as Spider-Man punches NYPD cop in Times S(NYDN) * Man Dressed as Spider-Man Is Arrested After Scuffle With Police in Times Square (NYT) * Spider-Man Caught on Camera Punching Times Square Cop(Time) * Cops: 'Spider-Man' Slugged Officer in Times Square(ABC) *Spider-Man Faces Trouble in Case of Assault on Officer(WSJ) * Man dressed as Spider-Man accused of harassing woman and punching cop in ...(WABC) * Yet Another Times Square Spider-Man Arrested (NY Mag)
Maybe it was the cash-stuffed envelope that tipped GOP Boss Isaacs off That He Was Being Offered A Bribe
The agent, according to transcripts, told Isaac during the shady session in back of a parked car, “All I am saying is five minutes of work. You send me a bill for whatever you need.” Isaacs said he could see the agent’s breast pocket “had a large envelope.” Isaacs, a lawyer, also said he realized he wasn’t being offered legal consulting work as initially suggested — but rather a “bribe.” So Isaacs said he “freaked out” and left. * Manhattan Republican Party Chairman Daniel Isaacs, during former City Councilman Dan Halloran’s corruption trial, said he nearly took a bribe, thinking it was a legitimate payment for his legal and political expertise, but balked when he realized he was about to break the law* Manhattan GOP chairman testifies in Daniel Halloran corruption trial, says he almost took bribe(NYDN) “I’m generally not used to clients paying with large envelopes,” Isaacs said.
.
Sex, Bribery and Taped Corruption
Savino Show Halloran Some Kinky Love Then Rats Him Out
Former Bronx GOP Chairman Joseph “Jay” Savino on Monday fingered ex-City Councilman Dan Halloran for jurors as the “quarterback” of a failed $200,000 bribery scheme to get Democratic state Sen. Malcolm Smith the Republican line in last year’s mayoral race. “Have you ever accepted a bribe?” federal prosecutor Justin Anderson
asked Savino, who pleaded guilty in November to pocketing $15,000 as
part of the scheme. “Yes,” he answered, and when asked who arranged the bribe, Savino said, “Dan Halloran.”
Anderson
later showed the jury transcripts of text messages between
Halloran and Savino on Valentine’s Day 2013, shortly after Savino
allegedly secured his cash bribe during a meeting outside Spark’s
Steakhouse in Manhattan. Halloran tells Savino in a text, “Tell me u
love me.” Savino, a former power-broker lawyer, also confided to jurors
about how
far he’s fallen hard since being busted by the feds, saying he now works
at a restaurant cleaning bathrooms and filling ice trays.He said the
feds as part of his plea agreement opted not to prosecute
him for lying about his address for years so he could vote in the Bronx
— a move that also allowed him keep his Bronx Republican chairmanship.
The feds also haven’t prosecuted Savino over other alleged crimes,
including charges that he used party funds for personal expenses, Savino
said.* Daniel Halloran accused of arranging $15G bribe for ex-Bronx GOP chairman(NYDN)
Joseph (Jay) Savino
said he pocketed a $15,000 cash bribe arranged by Halloran on
Valentine's Day in 2013. Halloran, a former City Councilman, then wrote
him a text message that read, 'Tell me you love me,' Savino said.
Savino, the ex-Bronx County Republican Party chairman, testified Tuesday
in Halloran's corruption trial. The men didn’t use the word “bribe,”
Savino admitted Tuesday when grilled by a defense lawyer. “At the time, I
took it to mean retained,” Savino testified. “But it was a bribe.” “He
was the quarterback,” Savino said, pointing at Halloran.* The
restaurant where ex-Bronx GOP Chairman Jay Savino is cleaning bathrooms belongs to his mother-in-law.The Manhattan GOP Boss Was Offered A Bribe and Did Not Go to the DA? Is It Legal for A Lawyer Not to Report A Bribe?
Manhattan GOP Chairman Daniel Isaacs also testified Tuesday, telling jurors he turned down a bribe on Feb. 14, 2013 similar to the payment Savino accepted. * The latest state Legislature indictment of Sen. Thomas Libous emphasizes the desperate need to clean up Albany’s culture of corruption, the Buffalo News writes:
Vinny the Chin Halloran Says Stop the Trial, I Am Nuts
4/4/2013
_____________________________________________________________________________
Halloran Also Has A Sex Problem
Halloran Play to Pay Sex
Councilman Halloran had an affair with co-ed: sources(NYP) The Queens city councilman at the center of the Malcolm Smith corruption scandal was a lousy husband, too — throwing away his marriage for a co-ed staffer half his age, The Post has learned.
Staffers bailing on Hollerin’ Halloran (Queens Chronicle)
Dan Halloran, 41 — who is charged in a bribe scheme to get state state Sen. Smith into the mayoral race — repeatedly hooked up with Meaghan Mapes, then 21, in her Queens home between 2010 and 2011, sources said.She served as his deputy chief of staff during that same period, earning $30,000.* City Councilman Dan Halloran's 2009 opponent, Kevin Kim, said he's considering a rematch. [Paul H.B. Shin and Lisa Colangelo]
Dad of Staffer Who He Had an Affair Wants Halloran to Rot in Jail
‘Affair’ dad hits Halloran (NYP) Disgraced City Councilman Dan Halloran preyed upon the “naive” staffer with whom he carried on a yearlong affair — and should rot in jail, the woman’s father told The Post yesterday.
4/3/2013
True News PM Update
Halleron: Member Item Bribe No Problem
Councilman’s Boast Revives Question of Quinn’s Oversight(NYT)A wiretap in a corruption case unrelated to New York’s City Council speaker, Christine Quinn, recorded a councilman’s assertion that he could extract Council money to be used as a bribe.*Scandal Suggests Narrower Corruption Law Still Survived(NYT) * More Rot in Albany A convoluted bribery plot over a spot on the New York City mayoral ballot exposes the worst in the state’s political culture.
Deputy Mayor Under Smith
Halloran: "That's our politicians in NY, they're all like that. .. You can't do anything without the fucking money." The other GOP county chairs don't seem like they want to answer their phones today* Catsimatidis, always full of new ideas, proposes reform schools in ever borough for bullies and troublemakers.
.
___________________________________
Bronx GOP Boss Savino Going to Rat
Preet Bharara Has Started the Dominoes Falling
Former Bronx GOP Chairman Jay Savino pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges.
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — The former Republican Party chairman in the Bronx has pleaded guilty to corruption charges, admitting to accepting a bribe to let a Democratic state senator run for New York City mayor as a Republican. Joseph Savino entered the plea to three public corruption counts Tuesday in federal court in White Plains.* Former Bronx GOP Chairman Jay Savino Pleads Guilty To Corruption Charges(NYDN)
* Former Bronx GOP Chairman Pleads Guilty In Connection With ...(NY1)* Savino pleads guilty in corruption scandal with Spring Valley ties(LoHud) * Ex-Bronx GOP boss pleads guilty in corruption case(TU) *Ex-Bronx GOP boss pleads guilty in corruption case(WSJ) * Ex-Bronx County Republican Chairman Joseph Savino pleads guilty to bribery ...(Bronx 12)
Savino admitted participating in the plot between November 2012 and April 2013 to aid state Sen. Malcolm Smith in getting on this year's mayoral ballot. Savino, who remains free on $250,000 bond, will serve as a cooperating witness against the other defendants in the case, according to his plea agreement. Smith, Halloran, Tabone, Spring Valley Mayor Noramie Jasmin and Spring Valley Deputy Mayor Joseph Desmaret have all pleaded not guilty to bribery and other charges.
Savino copped to taking a $15,000 bribe from an undercover agent in exchange for agreeing to help Smith get a Wilson-Pakula waiver to compete in the primary without switching his registration.
The feds say in court papers that Savino could apply to enter the witness protection program as the entrenched ex-politico’s cooperation “is likely to reveal activities of individuals who might use violence, force, and intimidation against” him and his family. He faces up to 30 years in prison and nine years of supervised release when he’s sentenced on Feb 25 – although he’s likely to get a significantly reduced sentence. His lawyer Robert LaRusso said he’d seek probation for Savino.
We Hear Your Now Melvin Lowe
Because
he is a
Democrat, Smith needed three Republican leaders' permission. According
to court papers, Savino accepted $15,000 from an undercover
FBI agent last Feb. 1 at a Manhattan restaurant. As part of the plea,
he must forfeit the money. Savino faces up to 30 years in prison at a
Feb. 25 sentencing.* Political Consultant Melvin Lowe Arrested in Corruption Case ...
Selling the GOP Line
Savino Throws Halloran Under the Bus
Joseph
“Jay” Savino told White Plains federal Judge Kenneth Karas that
Councilman Dan Halloran instigated the entire scheme to get state Sen.
Malcolm Smith (D-Queens) on the GOP ballot for mayor.The fallen Bronx
power broker said the deal was concocted after he
reached out to Halloran in January 2013 for help ensuring that the City
Council didn’t replace one of Savino’s hand-picked commissioners on the
city’s Board of Elections. “He basically told me the only way I would
keep my commissioner is to come to this lunch,” Savino said. Savino said
he met with Halloran and others – including an undercover
agent he referred to as “Raj” — at Spark’s Steak House in Midtown on
February 1. There, Savino said, it was proposed that he’d be hired for
legal services on development projects in Rockland County and the Bronx
in exchange for him helping get Smith on the GOP mayoral ballot. Savino
said he agreed to accept a $30,000 retainer — including $15,000 up
front.
Because he is a Democrat, Smith needed GOP support in at least three boroughs to run as a Republican without changing his party affiliation. Smith had Halloran allegedly set up meetings with Savino and Queens Republican Vice Chairman Vincent Tabone to arrange bribes for their support, while Halloran pocketed thousands for himself, prosecutors said
Mayor/Sheriff Andy Smith and his Deputy Barney "Halloran" Fife
In exchange for helping arrange meetings with Republican leaders, Halloran allegedly wanted to become a "deputy police commissioner" or "deputy mayor" in a Smith mayoral administration. "There were people involved in the scheme who thought it was a realistic possibility," Bharara said.
Danny Hakim notes three of the last five Senate majority leaders have been indicted for corruption or are in jail. (Smith, Espada, Bruno).* Bharara repeatedly said the arrests today were emblematic of a broader problem in New York. "Many may understandably fear that there is no vote that is not for sale, no office without a price and no official clean of corruption," he said.
Scandal pol Halloran hangs out a shady shingle
Even Lawyer Hallorian Broke the Law
New York City Councilman Dan Halloran, indicted on federal corruption charges, has rebooted his law firm while awaiting trial, with one client saying he met repeatedly with Halloran in his district office, a violation of city law, the Post reports:
.
Halloran says Wilson-Pakula bribery is not criminal(Queens Crap)
Quinn rips embattled Queens coucilman after revealed he allegedly used taxpayer-funded officer to meet with clients: 'Everything Dan Halloran does lately is just wrong'(NYP)
* Friday Update Halloran practice rips off taxpayers: Quinn(NYP)
No comments:
Post a Comment