New York Post

Bribe-case cop: Stink of Blas donor will stick to me

- Kaja Whitehouse

A former NYPD official accused of bribery is worried he won’t get a fair trial thanks to the many corruption scandals that have been linked to his alleged co-conspirato­r — Mayor de Blasio donor Jeremy Reichberg.

Former NYPD deputy inspector James Grant — accused of acting as a rent-a-cop in exchange for bribes — says Reichberg, a former Borough Park police liaison accused of doling out the bribes, has been tied to so many corruption schemes that evidence of his alleged wrongdoing will “monopolize” their upcoming trial and “prejudice” a jury against Grant.

So Grant wants to be tried separately from Reichberg, according to court papers filed by his lawyer John Meringolo.

Reichberg’s lawyer, Susan Neche- les, declined to comment.

Of concern are statements by Reichberg’s former pal, de Blasio donor and admitted briber Jona Rechnitz, who recently told a Manhattan federal jury that he and Reichberg were part of a “powerful group” that banded together to buy City Hall in 2013.

“We had the police going for us and now it was time to get into poli- tics,” Rechnitz, a government cooperator, testified about his and Reichberg’s plans to buy government officials, including de Blasio and outgoing Westcheste­r County Executive Rob Astorino.

Reichberg is charged with bribing cops, including Grant and veteran NYPD Officer Michael Harrington. The three men are scheduled to go on trial in April.

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