Testifying Against Union Chief, Witness Spills Beans About the Mayor

The government's star witness in a sprawling federal corruption case spent another full day on the stand and revealed more about his relationship with the mayor and top police officials.

In 2014, Mayor Bill de Blasio wanted the powerful head of the correction officers union, Norman Seabrook, to stop loudly criticizing the mayor's new jails commissioner.

So de Blasio turned to a man he knew to be close to Seabrook — Jona Rechnitz.

That's according to Rechnitz who testified that he talked to Seabrook as a favor for the mayor and that the union boss backed off.

Rechnitz already pleaded guilty for his role in various corruption schemes, including a kickback scheme involving Seabrook. Seabrook allegedly invested union pension funds in a hedge fund in exchange for cash.

In hours of testimony, Rechnitz talked about a close relationship with top NYPD officials including the former Chief of Department Philip Banks. Rechnitz took police officials on trips and alleges to have paid for prostitutes for some.

Rechnitz also testified that he frequently spoke to de Blasio and once donated more than $100,000 at the mayor's request. In exchange, he says he got access and had problems taken care of.

Swarmed by reporters in Brooklyn, the mayor refused to answer questions about the testimony.