The latest skirmish between federal prosecutors and lawyers for Bridgeport Mayor Joseph P. Ganim over allegations of political corruption involves detailed information about alleged payoffs.
Prosecutors Wednesday urged a federal judge to deny the defense request for more details about the $539,000 worth of alleged bribes and payoffs.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Sklaire and Ronald S. Apter argued that all the detailed information is already included in the indictment and four-page bill of particulars they filed Sept. 27.
The bill of particulars lists the benefit, the person who supplied it, the date it was given and the value.
Sklaire wrote in a court filing that providing more details “would unnecessarily require the government to preview its evidence and expose its liberties prior to the trial.”
Richard T. Meehan Jr., who heads Ganim’s defense team, disagrees.
“The judge was very clear in her ruling. She ordered the government to tie-in what they claim are illegal gratuities to the illegal act,” Meehan said.
Meehan filed a motion asking the judge to require the prosecutors to be more specific.
Ganim was indicted in October 2001 on 24 counts of racketeering, extortion, mail fraud, bribery and tax evasion. He was accused of accepting more than $400,000 in bribes and kickbacks in exchange for steering city contracts, but has pleaded innocent.
Ganim’s trial starts in January.
U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton is expected to rule on whether the prosecution must provide more details to the defense before the end of the year.
— Associated Press