Closing Arguments Expected Tuesday In Corruption Trial Of Ex-Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell
NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Closing arguments are set to begin Tuesday in the trial of a former northern New Jersey mayor charged in the state's largest corruption probe.
Prosecutors claim former Secaucus mayor Dennis Elwell accepted a $10,000 bribe from a man posing as a crooked developer looking for help with a hotel project.
The phony developer, Solomon Dwek, became a government informant after his arrest for a $50 million bank fraud. But Dwek didn't testify during the trial as planned, after he was arrested for failing to return a rental car and was jailed by the federal judge hearing the Elwell case.
Elwell's former political associate, Ronald Manzo, testified against him after pleading guilty.
Jurors must decide whether Elwell's claim that he thought the money was a campaign contribution is credible.
What did you think of Elwell's service in office? Sound off in our comments section below…
(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
