more-inHarendra Singh, a leading Indian-American restaurateur and a major donor to New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, secretly pleaded guilty to trying to bribe Mr. de Blasio to get a sweetheart lease deal for his eatery, according to court documents. Mr. Singh made the admission in sealed federal courtroom proceedings in October 2016, pleading guilty to bribery and wire fraud, New York Post reported, citing the court records. The city and Mr. Singh were close to completing a deal when he was arrested as part of a corruption investigation on Long Island, where he also subsequently pleaded guilty to bribing officials, the report said. Mr. de Blasio was never charged and a federal investigation into his fundraising ended with no criminal charges. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Source: The Hindu January 25, 2018 16:30 UTC