RIDGEFIELD — A northern New Jersey mayor told jurors in his corruption trial today that he didn't take money from a government cooperator posing as a corrupt developer because the man's approach seemed suspicious. Ridgefield Mayor Anthony Suarez was on the witness stand for the second day in his federal trial for bribery and extortion. Suarez and Guttenberg tax...
The corruption trial of Ridgefield Mayor Anthony Suarez enters its ninth day today.RIDGEFIELD — A northern New Jersey mayor told jurors in his corruption trial today that he didn't take money from a government cooperator posing as a corrupt developer because the man's approach seemed suspicious.
Ridgefield Mayor Anthony Suarez was on the witness stand for the second day in his federal trial for bribery and extortion. Suarez and Guttenberg tax preparer Vincent Tabbachino are accused of taking bribes from informant Solomon Dwek in an alleged scheme to help Dwek with fictitious developments projects in Ridgefield, a one-square-mile town across the Hudson River from midtown Manhattan.
Under direct questioning from defense attorney John Vazquez, Suarez gave his interpretation of secret videotapes made by Dwek that were already introduced at the trial by prosecutors.
Dwek previously testified that he gave $10,000 to Tabbachino to give to Suarez so that the mayor would give preference to his redevelopment projects and keep his applications "on the top of the pile."
Suarez disputed that interpretation today, testifying that there were no other applications pending at the time Dwek proposed his plan.
"There were no piles. There was nothing to expedite," Suarez said.
Vazquez played several portions of taped meetings and had Suarez point out instances where he had started to tell Dwek that donations to a legal defense fund wouldn't affect development approvals, only to have Dwek interrupt him.
Henry Klingeman, an attorney who set up the legal defense fund for Suarez to defray expenses from a separate civil suit, testified earlier in the week that Suarez asked him whether he should accept a $10,000 check from Tabbachino that was backed by the $10,000 in cash Dwek had given to Tabbachino.
Suarez said Thursday he was concerned about statements Dwek had made during the meeting about "building our relationship" and "expediting my approvals." He eventually left the check with Klingeman, who voided it.
Under cross-examination by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark McCarren, Suarez reiterated that he believed Dwek was a legitimate developer looking to build in Ridgefield.
Suarez later took $2,500 for the legal defense fund that his attorneys have said he assumed was from Tabbachino and not Dwek.
Cross-examination of Suarez is expected to resume Friday. Tabbachino is also expected to testify in his defense.
The pair were two of 44 people arrested in July 2009 in a massive government corruption and money laundering sting. Nearly half of the defendants have pleaded guilty and two have been convicted, largely on the strength of Dwek's testimony.