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 Defense closing arguments for Dean and Adam Skelos are expected in
federal court in Manhattan after Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Mukhi
accused them in closing arguments on Tuesday of working "to corrupt
one of the most powerful offices in our state."
Dean Skelos' trial is nearing an end days after his counterpart in
the state Assembly, former Speaker Sheldon Silver, was convicted of
bribery and extortion schemes that netted him millions of dollars.
The 67-year-old Skelos, a Republican, is charged with coercing three
companies into paying Adam Skelos about $300,000 in exchange for the
senator's political support on legislation from which the businesses
would benefit.
"If you got on the wrong side of the majority leader, he could gut
your entire business under the cover of night," Mukhi said on
Monday.
Defense lawyers for both men have argued that prosecutors have
overreached.
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"The government is trying to turn a very normal father-son
relationship into a crime just because of who his father is,"
Christopher Conniff, Adam Skelos’ lawyer, said in his opening
statement last month.
Neither Skelos called any witnesses or testified.
(Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Toni Reinhold)
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