Jurors at the upcoming corruption trial of ex-Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano can hear that the prosecution’s star witness claims he bribed Mayor Bill de Blasio — but not that Hizzoner avoided charges, a judge ruled Wednesday.
Long Island federal Judge Joan Azrack said defense lawyers will be allowed to question former restaurateur Harendra Singh about “everything he said about de Blasio and the de Blasio administration.”
But Azrack said the decisions by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. and then-acting Manhattan US Attorney Joon Kim not to prosecute de Blasio were “irrelevant” to the case and off-limits for questioning.
“If you do, you’ll run the risk of mistrial and sanctions,” Azrack warned during a pre-trial hearing in Central Islip.
Azrack didn’t detail the reasoning behind her decision.
Mangano unsuccessfully tried to have the case against him dismissed on grounds of selective prosecution after it was revealed that Singh admitted showering de Blasio with tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions in exchange for a lease renewal on his since-shuttered Queens restaurant “on terms that were favorable to me.”
De Blasio has denied Singh’s allegations and accused him of lying under oath “to save his own skin” and strike a cooperation deal with the feds.
Mangano, his wife Linda, and former Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto are scheduled for trial on March 12, and more than 500 potential jurors filled out pre-screening questionnaires Wednesday morning.
“Happy reading,” Azrak told prosecutors and defense lawyers as they filed out of her courtroom.
Both sides declined to comment afterward.