WCBS 880: John Haggerty, Former Bloomberg Campaign Aide, Gets 2-Week Prison Reprieve
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A Republican political operative convicted of stealing nearly $1 million from former Mayor Michael Bloomberg was granted a two-week reprieve Monday before he begins his prison sentence, WCBS 880's Irene Cornell reported.
John Haggerty reportedly was scheduled to turn himself in Monday, but was given the extra time because he's caring for an ailing relative, Cornell reported.
Haggerty fought his conviction, but the state's Court of Appeals rejected his final appeal last week. He was found guilty in 2011 of stealing from Bloomberg's 2009 re-election campaign in a trial that brought the former mayor to the witness stand. Haggerty was sentenced to 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison.
Haggerty had promised to run an elaborate poll-watching operation for Bloomberg. The poll watchers, however, were never hired, and Haggerty instead used the money to buy a house.
His attorney argued that it was a crime of emotion -- Haggerty was trying to hold on to his childhood home in Queens.
The prosecutor argued that Haggerty could have taken out a loan, but he chose to steal from Bloomberg, a billionaire, thinking his campaign would not notice.
On appeal, Haggerty unsuccessfully argued that the trial court should have required original documents proving the money belonged to Bloomberg, rather than relying on the testimony of a lawyer for the campaign trust.
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