JERSEY CITY — Former Jersey City Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini may not have to start serving a three-year prison term next week on federal bribery charges. U.S. District Court Judge Jose Linares said during a hearing in Newark today he may extend her scheduled Aug. 2 surrender date until he decides the broader issue of whether Beldini, 76, may...
Suspended Jersey City Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini, 74, center, with her lawyers Brian Neary, left, and Emile Lisboa talk to reporters after Beldini was found guilty on two counts in her federal corruption trial in Newark.JERSEY CITY — Former Jersey City Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini may not have to start serving a three-year prison term next week on federal bribery charges.
U.S. District Court Judge Jose Linares said during a hearing in Newark today he may extend her scheduled Aug. 2 surrender date until he decides the broader issue of whether Beldini, 76, may remain free on bail indefinitely as she appeals her February conviction on charges she accepted $20,000 in corrupt campaign contributions.
Defense attorney Brian Neary argued Beldini should remain free on the $100,000 bail she posted before her conviction because of her age, poor health and the likelihood she will be successful in her appeal. The appeal, in part, is based on recent federal court rulings shaping the law on corrupt campaign contributions.
Neary said Beldini’s trial jury should have been given specific legal instructions by the judge explaining they must find she willingly and knowingly engaged in corruption in order to find her guilty of bribery.
Beldini accepted $20,000 in illegal campaign contributions for the 2009 campaign fund of Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy, who was not charged. But during the Democrat deputy mayor’s nine-day trial, Neary argued that she did not profit from the money and was duped by an informant into making seemingly incriminating statements.
"There is a significant question that deserves review on appeal. ... It’s not just whimsical or far-fetched," Neary said of the appeal.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Moser said that, even if an appeals court agrees with Neary, it is not substantive enough a flaw in the trial for the appeals court to overturn the conviction or order a new trial.
"A jury of 12 people found without any doubt that the defendant acted corruptly," she added.
Beldini, a one-time burlesque dancer, was the first person to go to trial of the 46 state legislators, mayors, political operatives and rabbis arrested by federal authorities last year in a sprawling money-laundering and bribery probe called "Operation Bid Rig." The central figure was a federal informant, Solomon Dwek, a confessed real estate swindler who posed as a developer offering pay-offs in exchange for building approvals. Beldini was convicted on two bribery counts and acquitted of the most serious offenses of conspiracy to commit extortion and two counts of attempted extortion.
Previous coverage:
• Ex-Jersey City deputy mayor Leona Beldini seeks bail pending corruption conviction appeal
• Judge says ex-Jersey City deputy mayor Beldini could have walked away from the bribes
• Former Jersey City deputy mayor Leona Beldini gets three years in prison
• Ex-Jersey City deputy mayor Leona Beldini faces sentencing for accepting $20K bribe
• Judge upholds N.J. corruption conviction of ex-Jersey City deputy mayor
• Full coverage of the New Jersey corruption probe
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