The trial of a New York City Councilman reached a pause on Friday when the jury could not reach a verdict on the first of 12 counts involving political corruption, as The New York Times reports.
Larry B. Seabrook, who represents neighborhoods including Williamsbridge, Wakefield and Olinville, told the press he felt optimistic after the impasse. Each count adds up to the accusation that the politician accepted $1,00,000 through illegal means and used nonprofit charities he held control over to distribute most of that money to friends and family.
The first count involves a possibly illegal payment made to Seabrook by a Bronx businessman who he helped obtain a boiler contract for the recently created Yankee Stadium. In response to a letter from the jury asking for advice, the judge recommended it move on to the other charges.