County Executive Bellone responds to bombshell dropped at ex-DA's trial
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone responded Friday to the bombshell testimony dropped at the obstruction of justice trial of former Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota and his top aide Christopher McPartland.
Retired detective Anthony Leto testified that former police chief James Burke ordered members of the Criminal Intelligence Unit to spy on Bellone in 2012 while providing him with security. One of those officers, Kenneth Bombace, even ran the New York City Marathon alongside Bellone in 2014.
"It doesn't surprise me this kind of surveillance activity was occurring, as disturbing as it is," says Bellone. "They used their trust in law enforcement officers to be able to engage in their corrupt activities."
Both Spota and McPartland are accused of covering up Burke's 2012 beating of suspect Christopher Loeb.
The jury this week also heard testimony and saw pictures of pornography, sex toys, police beatings and learned about a contractor with the DA's office who followed Burke's orders and put a GPS tracking device on a deputy police commissioner's car.
Spota and McPartland maintain their innocence and say they did not know Burke had assaulted Loeb. Burke previously pleaded guilty and served federal time.
There will only be two days of testimony next week before the jury goes on break for Thanksgiving.
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