The Nation - News from Feb. 25, 1988

A House vote on the expulsion of Rep. Mario Biaggi (D-N.Y.) for influence peddling will be delayed until after his trial on other charges, the House Ethics Committee said. Biaggi is one of several defendants scheduled to go on trial next week in New York on racketeering charges in connection with Wedtech, a bankrupt Bronx defense contractor that is the focus of a criminal probe. Biaggi was convicted in a New York federal court on Sept. 22 of accepting an illegal gratuity and obstructing justice. His sentence, 2 1/2 years in prison and a $500,000 fine, was stayed pending an appeal. The convictions stemmed from Biaggi’s acceptance of vacations paid for by former Brooklyn Democratic leader Meade H. Esposito, who had sought Biaggi’s help in keeping a Brooklyn ship-repair firm in business.