State Sen. Malcolm Smith bragged that it was OK for him to try to bribe his way into Gracie Mansion — because it’s simply “the business of government,’’ according to damning audiotapes played in court Thursday.
Smith — who allegedly was plotting to pay off local Republican leaders to get himself on the GOP line for mayor last year — is heard being warned by an undercover agent that his operatives might want more cash to help pay for their kids’ college costs.
“Tell them I got a kid in Albany that needs to be born. So when you birth him . . . I’ll help you with your children,’’ Smith, a Queens Democrat, is heard scoffing on the tapes.
“I’d say absolutely not’’ to handing over more dough,’’ Smith added.
“I’d say, ‘I’m not giving you a freaking dime.’ I’d say, ‘If I even give you a nickel more, you have to stand on the Empire State Building and drop every person you endorsed and hold Malcolm up and say he’s the best thing since sliced bread. Matter of fact, he’s better than sliced bread.’ ”
Jurors in the White Plains courtroom also were shown video footage of former Bronx GOP leader Joseph Savino being handed a cash-stuffed envelope from the undercover at a meeting at Sparks Steakhouse in Midtown last year.
Savino has already pleaded guilty to accepting the payola.
Smith, a former Senate majority leader, and cohort Dan Halloran, an ex-Queens councilman, are facing corruption raps in the case.
On the audiotapes played Thursday, Smith is heard telling the undercover, known as Raj, “You give it to them already?”
He was referring to bribes, prosecutors said.
“I gave them half, like we discussed,” Raj replied. “They’re not going to get the other half of the money if they don’t come through.”
“Right,” Smith answered.
Even if he ended up as mayor, Smith said, his loyalty to his alleged co-conspirators was subject to reversal. He blasted their “amateurish” approach to political dirty tricks.
“So amateurish that the moment there’s an opportunity to just like cut them out, they’re done,” he said. “I mean, they’re just done. Out. Done. Over with. Not even worth having a conversation.”
The tapes were played on the same day that defense lawyers asked Judge Kenneth Karas to declare a mistrial after their request for a two-week recess to vet 92 hours of newly disclosed audio recordings of another informant, Moses Stern, was denied.