Former New York State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos spent a second day on the witness stand in his federal corruption retrial. He denied threatening companies with business before the state to give no-show jobs to his son, Adam.
A prosecutor asked him on cross-examination Monday if he expected jurors to accept that he genuinely believed the job opportunities had nothing to do with his position as one of the state's most powerful politicians. Skelos insisted they "absolutely" should.
Skelos first took the stand on Friday in his defense. He said he was only asking old friends for help with his son, who is also charged.
The two were convicted in 2015, but the conviction was overturned after the U.S. Supreme Court redefined corruption.
Skelos did not testify at his first trial.
He did admit using “cautious language” in a conversation with former Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano after former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was arrested on corruption charges. He said there was paranoia that the call was being recorded.
Prosecutors have alleged that Dean Skelos abused his office by strong-arming the businesses into funneling more than $300,000 to the son through consulting work and a no-show job or else lose the senator's support.
