Embattled city Comptroller John Liu won’t have to interrupt his mayoral campaign to testify for a former fund-raiser accused of funneling illegal contributions into his political war chest.
A revised witness list filed by Oliver Pan ahead of his Manhattan federal court trial next week conspicuously omitted the Queens Democrat, who was included on an earlier list in January. Defense lawyer Irwin Rochman wouldn’t explain the reason for the move, saying, “I can’t talk about my strategy or defenses before the trial.”
In addition to Liu, Pan’s new witness list also dropped Liu’s chief political consultant, Chung Seto, but kept top Liu aide Mei Hua Ru, along with Pan himself and co-defendant Jia “Jenny” Hou.
Pan and Hou, a former Liu campaign treasurer, are charged with scheming to defraud the city of matching funds by using “straw donors” to contribute to Liu’s campaign.