HARTFORD, Conn., Sept. 11 (UPI) -- The mayor of Hartford, Conn., pleaded not guilty Friday to two corruption charges.
Eddie Perez is charged with trying to extort money from a developer to help a political ally, Abraham Giles, The Hartford Courant reported. Perez also allegedly got discounted home-improvement work in return for political favors.
He was arrested on one charge in January and the second last week.
Prosecutors asked Superior Court Judge Julia Dewey for a single trial on both charges. The judge scheduled a hearing on the motion for October.
Perez was one of the targets of an 18-month state investigation into corruption in Hartford municipal government. City Councilwoman Veronica Airey-Wilson; Giles, who formerly represented Hartford in the state Assembly; and Farmington businessman Carlos Lopez were also arrested last week on corruption charges.
