The state attorney general's office yesterday began its bribery prosecution of a state legislator, a Democratic ward leader and four party officials accused of trying to buy votes in a 1998 ward election.
The six defense attorneys on the case, however, are putting Philadelphia's political system on trial instead.And they want that back-door, who-you-know, street-money-funded machine to be found not guilty.
“You've heard the phrase, 'business as usual,'” defense attorney Fortunato Perri Jr. told the Common Pleas jury in his opening statement. “In this case you're going to hear Philadelphia politics as usual.”
This case, Perri said, is not about a crime, but about the inner workings of ward politics.
“It's not pleasant, but it's a fact of life in Philadelphia,” he said.
On trial on bribery and conspiracy charges are state Rep. Angel Cruz, ward leader Carlos Matos, former ward leader Sandy Acosta, committeeman Eluterio Lopez, committeeman Otilio Rodriguez and election judge Maria Isabel Carrasquillo.
They are accused of trying to pay off committee people in North Philadelphia's 7th Ward to elect Cruz ward leader.
In his opening statement yesterday, Deputy Attorney General Pat Blessington gave jurors a primer on city politics.
“The voters elect the committee people. The committee people get together and elect the ward leader. The ward leaders become members of the [city] committee. The [city] committee votes to endorse candidates,” Blessington explained.
“That is what is at stake here: buying votes to ensure one defendant elected to that position,” he said.
The charges stem from a political battle between two factions of the Democratic Party vying to control a ward in Kensington and Hunting Park.
The attorney general's office charges that the defendants bribed committee people to vote for Cruz instead of then-state Rep. Ben Ramos for ward leader.
The defendants allegedly conspired to offer money – as little as $100 and as much as $600 – for promises to vote for Cruz. They also paid to buy the official certificates needed by committee people to enter the ward leader elections, Blessington said.
He said he has video and audio tapes of the defendants allegedly bribing Saro Rodriguez and his wife, Luz Santiago, party committee members and Ramos supporters.
Cruz won the election for ward leader, then went on to unseat Ramos as state representative in the 180th District.
To the defense, it was all “business as usual.”
“The evidence will show that Angel Cruz did not commit a crime. He won the election, fair and square,” said Cruz's attorney Anthony Cianfrani.
Cianfrani told the jury that the only time Cruz is captured on tape at the Rodriguez-Santiago home, the recording mechanisms malfunctioned.
Instead of hearing and seeing Cruz try to bribe the couple, defense attorneys said, you hear TV home repair expert Bob Villa describe how to remodel a Victorian house. The trial, which is expected to last two weeks, continues today. *