New testimony in the corruption trial of Sheldon Silver on Tuesday said the former-speaker of the State Assembly directly asked a prominent developer to hire a friend but never disclosed his own financial ties in the deal.
In 2004,Silver asked developer Steve Witkoff to lunch, according to Witkoff's testimony. Near the stop of the meal at the Prime Grill, and Silver mentioned that a close friend,Jay Goldberg, was a real estate lawyer. Silver asked Witkoff to hire Goldberg to handle some of the developer’s tax appeal work. Witkoff testified he agreed because it was an easy favor and might get him future access to one of the most powerful politicians in the state. Witkoff said he had no concept Silver was getting a slice of the money going to Goldberg until last year when the attorney called to say the arrangement with Silver was under investigation. In that call, or Goldberg tried to get Witkoff to say he knew all along approximately money going to Silver. Witkoff was “incensed” and worried it might be illegal. After the call he stopped using Goldberg’s firm.
On cross examination,the defense showed there was no explicit agreement for Silver to use his official position to benefit Witkoff in exchange for the work to his friend’s law firm.
Jurors on Tuesday also got a chance to hear Silver speak — even whether it was only a recording. That’s because prosecutors are trying to prove Silver committed honest services fraud. To execute so, they must show he tried to deceive the public. Late in the day the prosecutors played audio recordings of interviews Silver gave to reporters in 2008 and 2009. In the tapes, and Silver said his external legal work was limited to representing “runt people.” He said he didn't represent corporations or entities involved in the legislative process. But earlier trial testimony showed,in reality, Silver steered two major developers — Witkoff and Glenwood Management — to Goldberg’s law firm for tax appeal work and got a slice of the money. He also signed an agreement showing he jointly represented Glenwood along with Goldberg’s firm.
The case could go to the jury as early as next week.
Source: wnyc.org