The defense lawyer for former Adelphia Communications Corp. assistant treasurer Michael Mulcahey accused the MSO’s employees of focusing on taking down the Rigas family, rather than righting the troubled company, AP reported.
Mark Mahoney Wednesday urged jurors to acquit Mulcahey, who is on trial along with former Adelphia chairman John Rigas and his sons -- former chief financial officer Timothy Rigas and former executive vice president of operations Michael Rigas -- for 24 counts of conspiracy, wire fraud, bank fraud and securities fraud. All four men have pleaded not guilty.
Former VP of finance Jim Brown pleaded guilty to conspiracy, securities fraud and wire fraud in November 2002.
“It wasn't regicide,” Mahoney said, “it was Rigas-cide. And one of the household staff was Michael Mulcahey, who refused to join the mob and point the fingers.”
Mahoney also suggested that two key prosecution witnesses -- Brown and former Adelphia director of investor relations Karen Chrosniak -- told the government what it wanted to hear in exchange for leniency, according to AP.
