The Frank Raia trial continues as jurors enter the second day of deliberations Tuesday, June 25.
Raia is allegedly at the center of a vote-by-mail bribery scheme in which he allegedly directed campaign workers to pay residents $50 for voting for his council slate and for a referendum that would have weakened rent-control laws in the 2013 municipal election.
Raia is one of five people indicted for his or her alleged involvement in the scheme, three of whom have already pleaded guilty.
Over the four-day trial, which began last week, the jurors heard testimony from witnesses and voters who were allegedly paid for their votes, as well as those who allegedly worked for Raia during the election and allegedly helped him with the scheme including Matthew Calicchio who in May pleaded guilty in Newark federal court to using mail to promote voter bribery in the 2013 and 2015 municipal elections. He also signed a cooperation agreement with the government.
Calicchio said he worked at Raia’s direction in 2013 and testified that Raia allegedly targeted low-income residents and as part of the scheme, the vote- by-mail ballots allegedly had to be unsealed when they were dropped off at Raia’s office at 520 Jefferson St. or the voters would not be paid.
Raia is charged with conspiracy to use the mails to promote a voter bribery scheme, a felony charge which could result in a prison term of up to five years and a $250,000 fine.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Farrell and Rahul Agarwal. Raia is represented by Alan Zegas.
For more information on the case check out our past articles at hudsonreporter.com.Â
