Trial underway for Skelos and son

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The trial of Sen. Dean Skelos and his son, Adam, kicked off last week, and has been continuing with prosecutor’s arguments since.

The trial began on Nov. 16 with jury selection, which continued into the next day. After the jury was picked, opening statements began late on Tuesday, Nov. 17.

Skelos, 67, and Adam, 33, are both charged with bribery, conspiracy and extortion in connection with securing jobs and payments for Adam that netted him about $300,000. They have both plead not guilty.

So far, nothing new has come out of the proceedings. Much of what has happened has put names to people who were anonymously referred to in the paperwork previously filed by the U.S. Attorney.

Many of the witnesses that the prosecution has called up have spoken about giving Adam Skelos work and money in exchange for what they hoped was access and favor with Dean Skelos.

On Monday, Thomas Dwyer, a former North Hempstead Councilman, testified that he gave Adam Skelos a check for $20,000 in 2013 from his title company so that the payment wouldn’t be linked to Glenwood Management, a New Hyde Park development company.

The owner of Glenwood Management, Leonard Litwin, was heavily involved with the title company, American Land Abstract. The prosecution also said that he helped Adam get a job at the Arizona-based AbTech, which later won a $12 million contract with Nassau County for storm water management. The U.S. Attorney’s office alleges that Skelos pressured Nassau County into the deal in exchange for his son getting the job.