The public corruption trial of Bronx Assemblyman Eric Stevenson took a wild twist Wednesday when a political operative who wore a wire for the feds admitted that he once stopped recording to privately enjoy a quickie with a prostitute.
Sigfredo Gonzalez, a former Stevenson political ally-turned-star-witness, testified that four Bronx businessmen who allegedly bribed Stevenson $22,000 to help them open adult daycare centers sent up a hooker to Gonzalez’s Albany hotel room as a gift in February 2013.
Stevenson, who wasn’t in the room, had collected a $5,000 bribe that weekend from the businessmen, Gonzalez testified.
“I was with the prostitute in the room, and turned off the recorder, and I was not supposed to turn off the recorder,” Gonzalez said.
When Assistant US Attorney Brian Jacobs asked why, a red-faced Gonzalez said, “because I was getting a b- -w job … I was embarrassed.”
He also said he kept the recorder off in a subsequent meeting with the businessmen, who he referred top as “the Russians,” because he was afraid they’d mention the prostitute.
Gonzalez said he was later confronted by the feds about why he stopped recording. He said he first lied before confessing and pleading guilty to making a false statement.
Prior to Gonzalez stopping the recording, Stevenson was heard blurting out, “He got a whole bunch of uh, um hookers — ho’s over there.”
Gonzalez then replied: “Nah, I’m gonna take ‘em. I got ‘em.”
Stevenson replies “Ah, boy.”
It was unclear if the businessmen thought Stevenson would be in the room when they allegedly sent Gonzalez some company. Gonzalez also said the businessmen partied hard with plenty of booze during the weekend.
Stevenson, meanwhile, had planned to bring in — and potentially try to pay off — Senate co-majority leader Jeffrey Klein (D-Bronx) on the alleged scheme to help the businessmen open the Bronx adult daycare centers and block competition, according to new testimony.
Stevenson was recorded on Dec. 27, 2012 telling Gonzalez that he planned to ask Klein to co-sponsor his bill in the Senate to limit adult daycare centers from opening citywide.
In one exchange heard by jurors, Stevenson tells Gonzalez, “I wanna bless it to the sponsor, too” – which Gonzalez testified was code for paying him off. Gonzalez then clarified that Stevenson is talking about “the senator” and Stevenson responds, “He gotta get a cha-ching, you know?”
Klein never co-sponsored the bill.
Klein spokeswoman Candice Giove said the senator “has no knowledge of or connection to this legislation or ordeal whatsoever.”
Stevenson and Gonzalez are later heard on the tape discussing a failed bid to secure $50,000 in capital funds from Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver – half of which Gonzalez said he led Stevenson to believe they’d pocket with the rest going to the “Russian” businessmen.
Stevenson is heard saying he met with Silver at the speaker’s Manhattan office to discuss the plan – and that it went well.
However, a Silver spokesperson denied such a meeting ever took place.
Additional reporting by Carl Campanile