So he’s got that going for him.
Ex-City Councilman Dan Halloran said Monday he’s elated that a Dutchess County man is no longer serving as a juror at his federal corruption trial because the released juror told The Post he believed Halloran was guilty.
“I guess he disregarded the judge’s instructions to wait until all the evidence is in before he reached a decision,” said the Queens Republican, before heading into the White Plains courthouse for his third day on the witness stand testifying in his own defense.
“I am glad he is not on the panel.”
Judge Kenneth Karas dismissed the 26-year-old juror Friday because he could no longer serve on the trial, which was lengthened by several weeks after a delay. Afterwards, the juror told The Post he was convinced Halloran played a big role in a failed $200,000 bribery scheme aimed at getting Democratic state Sen. Malcolm Smith the Republican line in the 2013 mayoral election.
“It’s very convenient that [Halloran] had an excuse for absolutely everything . . . In my mind, he really didn’t own up to anything,” the juror said.
Continuing on the stand in his own defense Monday, Halloran repeated earlier claims that he was doing legitimate, political-consulting work when asked to explain government recordings of him allegedly offering bribes to county Republican leaders.
Halloran, for example, claimed the “under the table” payments he offered party bosses weren’t bribe offers but, instead, attempts by him to hire “political operatives” to help get Smith elected mayor.
“Hiring political operatives is under the table,” he said. Until such payments have to be officially disclosed in campaign finance reports, “you don’t want people to know who’s in whose camp, who’s pulling for who,” he added.
Halloran’s lawyer, Vinoo Varghese, was scolded by the judge on July 1 for bringing Michael Bloomberg into the discussion in court by claiming the ex-mayor’s political maneuvering to get the 2009 Republican line — which he had turned his back on when he registered as an Independent in 2007 while considering a presidential run — was legal,and no different than what Halloran did for Smith. However, the scolding didn’t stop him from making similar claims to reporters after court Monday.
“This is the way things get done in New York,” he said.
He also said the only difference between how Bloomberg secured the GOP nod and Halloran’s work for Smith “is Bloomberg had infinitely more money than Mr. Smith.”
Halloran is accused of pocketing $20,500 in cash bribes for masterminding cross-party negotiations to help fix the Republican mayoral primary for Smith.
Halloran is also facing charges of allegedly pocketing $18,300 in cash bribes and $6,500 in straw-donor campaign donations for agreeing to steer $80,000 of council discretionary funding for his district to a company he believed was controlled by those who paid him the bribes.
Halloran, if convicted, faces up to 45 years behind bars. Smith heads back for a retrial in January.