Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez has pleaded not guilty to trying to extort money from a real estate developer.
Perez turned himself in earlier this month are accused of engaging in a scheme to extort money from a person who wanted to develop adjoining properties at 1161 and 1143 Main Street in Hartford, according to the warrants.
This is the second time Perez was arrested since January, when he was arrested and accused of unrelated bribery charges involving Peter Costa, a city contractor who renovated Perez's home and was also awarded millions of dollars in city contracts.
Perez was in court last week, looking for a judge to dismiss corruption charges filed against him. After an hour-long hearing, the judge decided not to toss out the charges.
Prosecutors asked Judge Julia DiCocco Dewey to combine the case with corruption charges that are scheduled to go to trial next spring. Dewey did not immediately rule.
Perez’s attorneys argued that prosecutors deliberately filed the second set of charges to generate publicity and derail the mayor's upcoming trial. Prosecutors said that's not the case.
Perez has denied all the charges and has vowed to complete his term. There will be another hearing in October.
