Bronx Democratic Party Boss Accused of Bribery

The corruption scandal that has shaken the administration of Mayor Edward I. Koch claimed an important politician Thursday, the boss of the Bronx Democratic Party, who was indicted on charges of bribing city officials to win a $22-million contract for hand-held computers.

“The crime perpetrated here was a fancy version of the kind of confidence swindle indulged in by a common thief,” charged Manhattan Dist. Atty. Robert M. Morgenthau in announcing the indictment of Bronx Democratic leader Stanley M. Friedman and five business associates.

“What our investigation revealed is that a group of unscrupulous businessmen bought the services of a political leader and power broker and two corrupt public officials to dupe the city into buying a non-existent product and con the public into purchasing stock in a worthless company,” Morgenthau charged.

‘A Contrived Indictment’

Friedman replied that public opinion, fanned by the news media, “has forced a contrived indictment.” He told reporters: “We have broken no laws. We have done no wrong.”

The latest indictments bring to 11 those charged in the scandal.

Another powerful politician who was under investigation, former Queens Borough president and Democratic leader Donald Manes, killed himself on March 13 with a knife thrust in his heart.

The indictment Thursday charged that Friedman bribed officials to get New York’s Parking Violations Bureau to buy a contract for hand-held computers from Citisource, a firm in which the Bronx Democratic leader was a director. The grand jury alleged that Friedman gave Manes and Geoffrey Lindenauer, the Parking Violation Bureau’s deputy director, stock worth about $500,000 to push the contract through.

Morgenthau said Friedman was given 167,500 shares of Citisource stock to help obtain the contract. The district attorney said the defendants then agreed that Friedman would use one-third of the stock to bribe Manes and an additional third to bribe Lindenauer, who has pleaded guilty to federal charges and is cooperating with prosecutors.

Role of Lindenauer

According to the indictment, Manes then persuaded Lindenauer, a political protege, to push the contract’s acceptance. The Queens Borough president, who resigned when the scandal first became known, also allegedly pushed the contract though New York City’s Board of Estimate.

Public awareness of the scandal began in January, 10 days after Manes was found in his car by police, incoherent and bleeding from cuts, which he later admitted were self-inflicted. At first Koch came to Manes’ defense, but as the Queens politician’s business dealings became known, the mayor became a vigorous critic, calling him a “crook” and demanding his resignation. Manes succeeded in committing suicide in a second attempt.

The hand-held computers Friedman is accused of promoting, in theory, would have issued computerized summonses immediately. But they were not delivered to the city, which canceled its contract with Citisource after the extent of Friedman’s involvement with the company became known.