Donor Says Mayor Knew About Campaign Bribes

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. — A Long Island restaurateur testified under oath Thursday that he steered tens of thousands of dollars to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s political campaigns in return for favorable treatment by the city.

It was the first time that the restaurateur, Harendra Singh, has publicly detailed his efforts to use campaign contributions — as much as $80,000 raised from others, and much more personally by using “straw donors” to skirt contribution limits — to gain better terms during lease negotiations for one of his restaurants.

Singh also suggested for the first time that de Blasio not only knew of the illegal arrangement, but that the mayor encouraged it and actively helped the restaurateur.

“He made many phone calls,” Singh said of the mayor. “His office was working very hard, from his deputy mayor to his assistant to his intergovernmental affairs person. Everyone was working.”

Singh was testifying as a cooperating witness in the corruption trial of Edward Mangano, the former Nassau County executive, and John Venditto, the former Town of Oyster Bay supervisor, both of whom Singh has pleaded guilty to bribing.

Singh said that he and the mayor often discussed the lease and the donations in the same conversations.

And on two occasions, the restaurateur testified, de Blasio requested contributions for himself or political allies and, when told that Singh had already met the limit, said: “Listen, I don’t want to know. Just do what you have to do.”

Singh has already pleaded guilty to bribing de Blasio, although the mayor, who has denied wrongdoing, was not charged with any crimes — in part, prosecutors have said, because he only received campaign donations from Singh, not personal gifts.

The mayor, a second-term Democrat, has insisted that Singh received the same treatment as any other constituent. He also has suggested that the restaurateur made up the accusations in an attempt to appease prosecutors and avoid jail for his own crimes.

“It was thoroughly looked at, and there’s a reason there were no charges brought, because there was nothing there,” de Blasio said in January.

On Thursday, a mayoral spokesman reiterated de Blasio’s stance, saying, “This administration acted appropriately at all times, as we’ve said several thousand times.”

But the testimony on Thursday raised new questions.

Singh testified that he met de Blasio when he was the city’s public advocate. At the time, Singh said, he was having issues with his Water’s Edge restaurant, which was on city property in Long Island City, Queens.

The restaurateur owed millions of dollars in back rent, and a dispute had arisen over who was responsible for the replacement of a nearby pier. Singh’s restaurant would benefit from the work, but he did not want to pay for it. He also wanted to ensure that the lease would be renewed.

Singh said he called Thomas J. Garry, a lawyer and Democratic Party official, who knew de Blasio. The three met for lunch at Water’s Edge in the summer of 2011 or 2012, the restaurateur said.

The lunch started what would eventually become “a very close relationship,” according to Singh.

As de Blasio and his staff arranged for meetings with officials, the restaurateur said he started fundraising at Garry’s request. Two events while de Blasio was public advocate each brought in $10,000, Singh said, and four more during the mayoral campaign added between $30,000 and $60,000, he said.

Then there were the personal campaign contributions. Records show that Singh, his family and other associates collectively contributed tens of thousands of dollars. But the restaurateur suggested Thursday he gave more through “straw donors” — people who contribute to campaigns but then are reimbursed by the actual donor.

Singh said he discussed straw donors with the mayor twice, at Water’s Edge and at the Manhattan law offices of Kramer Levin, where de Blasio’s campaign committee met every month.

When de Blasio became mayor, Singh said he went to Gracie Mansion a couple times each month and often saw the mayor elsewhere. Whenever they met, Singh said they discussed the lease and the donations.

“Did you give these contributions as bribes to Bill de Blasio?” an assistant U.S. attorney, Catherine Mirabile, asked Singh.

“Yes,” he replied. He is not the only person who has claimed to have used campaign contributions to bribe the mayor. Jona S. Rechnitz, another major donor, pleaded guilty in 2016 to honest services wire fraud. He said he got meetings and other special access after contributing to de Blasio’s campaign and a nonprofit group that the mayor created to support his City Hall agenda.

De Blasio was not charged in that case either. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Mangano and Venditto could face decades in prison if convicted on charges including extortion, honest services fraud and conspiracy. The pair allegedly accepted thousands of dollars in furniture, plane tickets, discounted limousine rides and other gifts from Singh in return for helping him obtain bank loans and county contracts between 2010 and 2014.

Mangano’s wife, Linda, who allegedly received a no-show job as a food taster at one of Singh’s restaurants as part of the scheme, is also a defendant. She is charged with lying to the FBI in an attempt to cover up the crimes.

The Long Island trial may prove to be a headache for the mayor because there is a possibility that he will be asked to testify. The defense lawyers have argued that it is unfair to prosecute their clients and not charge de Blasio. A lawyer for Venditto, Marc A. Agnifilo, said last week he may request de Blasio. “We don’t know yet,” Agnifilo said. “It depends what Singh says.”

On Thursday, Agnifilo told reporters he was still not sure.

Singh’s relationship with de Blasio is expected to be discussed in more detail during cross-examination next week. The trial is expected to last at least another month.