PROVIDENCE / 11:20 a.m. -- The jury in the federal corruption trial of
City Hall officials this morning viewed a surveillance videotape of the
city's former director of administration accepting a cash-filled
envelope from a businessman working under cover for the FBI.
The showing of the tape, long heralded but never before made officially
public, was approved over defense objections by Chief U.S. District
Court Judge Ernest C. Torres, acting on a request by the prosecution
late yesterday.
The prosecution sought to show the tape to rebut the defense's attempt
to undercut testimony by city School Department business manager Mark V.
Dunham earlier in the trial. The 9-minute tape is also the source of
clips leaked to and broadcast by local TV station Channel 10 last year.
The tape captures a meeting between businessman Antonio Freitas, who was
working under cover for the FBI, and Frank E. Corrente in Corrente's
City Hall office. The two are shown discussing Freitas's interest in
leasing a building to the Marriott Corp. in connection with a city
school lunch contract held by Marriott.
Corrente's phone rings several times. During one call, Freitas places an
envelope filled with cash on Corrente's desk, where it sits for a short
while until Corrente picks it up and places it in a desk drawer.
When Corrente gets off the phone, the two resume talking about the
possible Marriott lease.
Corrente says he'll call Dunham about getting Marriott to lease
Freitas's building. He does so, telling Dunham he thinks it's a good
idea.
After Corrente hangs up with Dunham, he tells Freitas that Dunham had no
problem with the suggestion. Corrente says, "He's the key, Mark Dunham."
After the tape was over, Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence Donnelly asked
Dunham -- who was on the stand while it was being shown -- how he felt
when he saw the tape.
"I thought Mr. Corrente was in trouble, and I was very upset," Dunham
said, adding that he was upset that he and his staff would be used in
such a scheme.
The defense has implied that Dunham, who had been shown the tape earlier
by the FBI as part of its Operation Plunder Dome probe into corruption
at City Hall, was motivated to testify against Corrente under the threat
of his own prosecution. Dunham also admitted in court that he had
initially lied to the FBI about Corrente's involvement in another
building lease, to fellow defendant Edward E. Voccola.
The fear of prosecution, the defense argued, taints Dunham's testimony.
The prosecution aimed to rebut that by capturing Dunham's reaction to
the tape before the jury.
Today, Donnelly asked Dunham if he had felt threatened by the FBI agent,
W. Dennis Aiken. Dunham said no.
Late this morning, after a stint on the stand that started Monday,
Dunham's testimony was concluded, but not before repeated questioning by
lawyers.
"You are finally excused," Torres told the school administrator after
Corrente's lawyer, C. Leonard O'Brien, ended his third cross-examination
of Dunham.
Corrente is charged along with Voccola, Mayor Vincent A. Cianci Jr. and
Richard Autiello in the federal corruption trial. The indictment alleges
that Corrente was involved in bribery schemes involving city tow-truck
operators, property tax breaks, School Department leases and the hiring
of a city police recruit.
Corrente retired in the summer of 1999, shortly after the FBI's
Operation Plunder Dome probe into City Hall became public.
