John Liu (Stephen Yang)
An indicted fund-raiser for city Comptroller John Liu claims the feds wanted him to help “manufacture” charges against the embattled mayoral hopeful.
In court this morning, a lawyer for Xing Wu “Oliver” Pan said “the facts here are so unique and disturbing” that he would seek the unprecedented dismissal of campaign-finance charges against Pan.
Defense lawyer Irwin Rochman cited the “highly improper manner in which the government dealt with Mr. Pan” prior to his arrest following a sting operation last year.
Rochman said the feds tried “to pressure Mr. Pan to help the government manufacture a case against Mr. Liu.”
Rochman didn’t elaborate on his allegations, and refused to do so outside court, saying more details would be contained in a motion due Sept. 10.
But he specified that the feds wanted to build a criminal case against the Queens Democrat, and “possibly some of his associates.”
A spokeswoman for the Manhattan US Attorney’s Office declined comment.
Liu’s campaign spokesman also declined to comment.
Pan is charged with scheming with an undercover FBI agent to use phony “straw” donors to funnel $16,000 into Liu’s 2013 campaign account.
The amount is more than three times the legal limit of $4,950 in contributions from a single individual.
Earlier this year, Liu all but dared the feds to bring charges against him in the case, in which his former campaign treasurer, Jia “Jenny” Hou has also been charged.
“If there is anything that my campaign is guilty of, or my supporters or my staff or by extension me, then prove it,” Liu said at the time.