Judge bars decisions on de Blasio probe from corruption case

A federal judge Wednesday barred any mention of law enforcement decisions not to prosecute New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio during the upcoming corruption trial of former Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano and former Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto.

Federal and state prosecutors scrutinized de Blasio’s dealings with Harendra Singh, the restaurateur at the center of the bribery case against Mangano and Venditto, and last year declined to bring charges against the mayor — who has maintained he acted legally.

U.S. District Judge Joan Azrack said from the bench in a Central Islip courtroom Wednesday that she found the decision not to prosecute de Blasio “irrelevant” to the corruption trial.

She cautioned defense attorneys they’d run the risk of a mistrial and financial sanctions if the topic came up in front of jurors, but she said they could explore at trial “everything” Singh said about interactions with de Blasio and his administration.

Read more: https://www.newsday.com/long-island/crime/mangano-venditto-corruption-trial-1.17004073