Michael Appleton for The New York TimesState Senator Malcolm A. Smith, a Democrat, arriving at court in White Plains on Tuesday, is accused of bribing Republican Party leaders to put him on the ballot in New York’s mayoral race. WHITE PLAINS — A state senator and a New York City councilman pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges that they plotted to bribe Republican Party bosses to place the senator on the ballot in the city’s mayoral race.
Councilman Daniel J. Halloran III was charged with Mr. Smith.
Noramie F. Jasmin, the mayor of Spring Valley, N.Y., was accused of accepting money and property. Four others who were named in the indictment also pleaded not guilty here in Federal District Court. The plot, outlined in a complaint unsealed on April 2, included fraud charges against State Senator Malcolm A. Smith, a Queens Democrat; City Councilman Daniel J. Halloran III, a Queens Republican; and the Republican Party bosses Joseph J. Savino and Vincent Tabone. Also charged in the complaint were Mayor Noramie F. Jasmin of Spring Valley, in Rockland County, and the deputy mayor, Joseph Desmaret. They were accused of accepting money and property to advance a real estate development there. Prosecutors said in an indictment last week that Mr. Smith had arranged for $40,000 in cash to be paid by the developer of the Spring Valley project — actually a federal undercover agent — to Mr. Savino, the chairman of the party in the Bronx, and Mr. Tabone, the vice chairman of the party in Queens. While those officials pledged to help Mr. Smith gain a spot on the Republican ballot, the indictment said, Mr. Smith agreed in return to help obtain about $500,000 in state funds for road work that would benefit the project. Mr. Halloran received $15,000 to act as an intermediary among the party bosses and Mr. Smith, according to the indictment. He is also accused of accepting payments from the undercover agent and an unnamed associate while agreeing to steer up to $80,000 in City Council discretionary money to them. The indictment said Mr. Smith had discussed giving money to other state senators to gain their support for a Senate leadership position. Mr. Tabone was described in an indictment as saying: “I run the Queens County Republican Party. Nobody else runs the party.” Mr. Tabone, the only defendant to comment to reporters, said he was an “unpaid party volunteer” and added, “I’ll have my day in court.”
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