The first of five expected corruption trials this year involving State Politicos begins next week.
Longtime Andrew Cuomo aide and ally Joe Percoco and three other men are accused of bribery, bid-rigging, and corruption. Federal prosecutors say that Percoco accepted bribes in exchange for deals on lucrative State contracts.
Steven Aiello and Joseph Gerardi are both executives at Fayetteville based COR Development. Prosecutors say that in 2014 they, through their ex-lobbyist Todd Howe, paid $35,000 in bribes to Percoco's wife. They bribe was paid in exchange for a favorable outcome to skirt past Labor Union rules for a development project in Syracuse's Inner Harbor.
It is also expected that State Senator John DeFrancisco, County Executive Joanie Mahoney, along with former Syracuse Mayors Tom Young and Stephanie Miner, and current Mayor Ben Walsh will be brought up over the course of the trial proceedings.