Slap for bizman in Seabrook case

A HEDGE FUNDER caught a break Friday when the feds let him plead to a reduced charge over allegations he paid a $60,000 bribe to ex-correction union boss Norman Seabrook.

Murray Huberfeld — cofounder of Platinum Partners — admitted to one count of wire fraud conspiracy in Manhattan Federal Court. Federal guidelines call for six months to a year in prison.

Huberfeld, 57, only admitted that he defrauded his own hedge fund of the $60,000 through a false invoice disguised as a bill for Knicks tickets. He did not admit that the money was used for a bribe.

Jona Rechnitz — a deep-pocketed donor to Mayor de Blasio — said at Seabrook’s and Huberfeld’s first trial that he delivered the $60,000 cash to Seabrook (photo) in a Ferragamo bag in exchange for a $20 million investment from the Correction Officer’s Benevolent Association.

Judge Alvin Hellerstein questioned how Huberfeld could plead guilty to defrauding his own company

“It’s hard to think that Platinum Partners is a victim,” the judge said, adding that he could rule that the company “was a beneficiary” of the scheme. All the union’s $20 million was lost. Prosecutors did not explain why they agreed to the plea deal, which did not include a cooperation agreement.

Huberfeld and Seabrook’s first bribery trial ended in November with a hung jury.

Afterward, a juror said that Rechnitz was a “straight-up liar” whose lack of credibility strained deliberations.

“He regrets ever letting Jona Rechnitz in his life and looks forward to returning to his friends and family who know Murray as a man of high character and most generous heart,” Huberfeld’s lawyer, Henry Mazurek, said. Seabrook faces retrial in July. A lawyer for the once-powerful union boss, Paul Shechtman, said Huberfeld’s plea reinforces the defense.

“We look forward to proving at trial what is implicit in today’s events: That there was no bribe,” he said.