New York City Assemblyman Eric Stevenson, a Democrat who represents the Bronx, arrived in federal court yesterday after being accused of pocketing over $20,000 in bribes. Stevenson pleaded not guilty and told the judge he didn’t have enough money to defend himself against the charges, according to the New York Post. He then left the court and hopped into a Mercedes-Benz sedan, though it is unclear if the car belonged to him.
Stevenson denies taking the bribes, but investigators say they have video footage of Stevenson accepting envelopes stuffed with cash. He is charged with taking cash from adult day care center developers and scheming to pass legislation protecting the centers from competition. He was reading the Bible when agents came to arrest him, according to the New York Daily News.
