Sen. Dean Skelos has decided not testify in his Manhattan federal court corruption trial, his lawyer told the judge on Tuesday. Federal prosecutors, meanwhile, rested their case Tuesday after calling their 20th and final witness.
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His Democratic Party counterpart in the state Assembly, former Speaker Sheldon Silver, was convicted last week in the same federal court of collecting millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks. “The government is trying to turn a very normal father-son relationship in to a crime just “cause of who his dad is”, Christopher Conniff, Adam Skelos’ lawyer, stated in his opening assertion last month”. He cited and presented evidence showing that Dean Skelos intimidated businesses to enrich his son with salaries and to help him receive health insurance while working at a job only two days a week and setting his own hours.
Prosecutors say the audio from wiretaps and a body recorder worn by a cooperator show the father and son conspired to secure the son $300,000 in fees from various companies in exchange for favors in Albany.
Skelos when Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano’s SUV picked up the senate majority leader from his Rockville Centre home while the two lawmakers were on their way to a New York City police officer’s funeral.
Neither Skelos called any witnesses or testified.
On Wednesday prosecutors will conclude their closing remarks followed by those of the defense.
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The statement by Skelos during a brief colloquy with the judge set the stage for closing arguments beginning this afternoon and a climactic verdict that could come as early as this week. Jury deliberations are not expected to begin until at least Wednesday.
