Ex-Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano and his wife, Linda, began their retrial Tuesday on corruption charges at Central Islip federal court.
Their first case ended in a mistrial last year following nine days of jury deliberations and a three-month-long trial in which their codefendant, former Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto, a fellow Republican, was acquitted of charges he improperly backed a private company’s loans with taxpayer money. Although cleared in federal court, Venditto is still facing corruption charges in Nassau County court.
Prosecutors had alleged that Mangano awarded government contracts to Mangano’s former restaurateur friend, Harendra Singh in exchange for giving Magano’s wife a no-show job and other favors.
Singh is not expected to play as central of a role in the retrial.
After being indicted, Mangano declined to seek a third term and was replaced by Democrat Laura Curran, a former county legislator. Republican Joe Saladino, a former New York State Assemblyman, replaced Venditto.
