Posted on 04/06/2013 4:47:14 PM PDT by neverdem
Eric Stevenson 'was totally surprised' when officers came to arrest him for allegedly taking $20,000 in bribes. Stevenson's actions came to light thanks to another assemblyman, Nelson Castro, who was working undercover to expose political corruption.
The state assemblyman busted Thursday on bombshell bribery charges says he was reading the Bible when he was arrested and insists he did no wrong.
The allegations that Eric Stevenson took $20,000 in bribes stunned his constituents and his Assembly colleagues. But he told the Daily News on Friday that he was the most shocked of all.
“It took me totally by surprise,” the 46-year-old Democrat said, recalling the moment that lawmen arrived at his door.
“I thought it was a bad dream,” he added. “I had to shake my head. Like, this can’t be real.”
It was morning when the knock came, but Stevenson says he was wide awake. “I was already up,” he said. “I was reading — reading the Bible.”
Stevenson is accused of taking $20,000 in bribes to help the developers of adult day care centers in the Bronx — largely by sponsoring legislation to prevent any new competing centers from opening for three years.
Prosecutors say they have gathered a cache of audio and video recordings that will prove their case against Stevenson — the scion of a respected Bronx political family.
Stevenson declined on Friday to discuss the details of the alleged plot outlined in the 28-page criminal complaint.
But he maintained his innocence, suggesting he was entrapped by authorities in cahoots with Assemblyman Nelson Castro, who began working with prosecutors after he was indicted for lying in an investigation of voter fraud.
“I unequivocally deny this,” a defiant Stevenson said Friday. “I never told a guy to give me money to do something for them ....”
(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...
The 23rd Psalm, no doubt.
TRANSLATION: Nelson is in a jackpot, and cut a deal.
After all, I am a black democrat politician. The rules do not apply to me.
Then why is he an anti-Christ democrat?
Sorry. Ain't falling for it. The God card doesn't work for democrats. He should have just called them racist.
There does seem to be a couple of requirements for governmental illegal activity... 1. Be a Democrat. 2. Be a minority. Seems to be an impressive combination. Works really well in Detroit and other liberal areas...
Stevenson is accused of taking $20,000 in bribes to help the developers of adult day care centers in the Bronx — largely by sponsoring legislation to prevent any new competing centers from opening for three years.
Definitely a representative of the Democratic [sic] party, all right: he believes it's up to government to manage business.
If he is lying, I hope he gets nailed.
Upstate and western NY needs to secede from NY just like Virginia.
NY and West NY.
Was it one of those hollowed-out Bibles that you can stash stuff in?
My thoughts exactly.
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