Corruption Trial Underway For Former Hallandale Beach Mayor Joy Cooper
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – Free on bond since her arrest on public corruption charges in 2018, former Hallandale Beach Mayor Joy Cooper is standing trial in Fort Lauderdale.
In her opening statement, Assistant State Attorney Catherine Maus told the jury, "This case is about the six times the defendant spoke to an undercover agent about illegal campaign contributions as well as the $5,000 she accepted from an undercover FBI agent."
The jury watched Cooper on undercover video meeting with what she thought were developers. They were really undercover FBI agents.
Prosecutors said Cooper promised them favorable votes on their projects in exchange for campaign money she badly needed for a contentious 2012 election.
Cooper supporters packed the courtroom Tuesday for the start of her trial.
She said she's innocent and puts the blame on former attorney and lobbyist Alan Koslow.
Undercover FBI agents first solicited Koslow, and he eventually worked with them as a cooperating witness.
"The allegations begin and end with Koslow. It was Koslow's scheme to take the cash from what she thought were developers," said Defense Attorney Larry Davis. "This case is nothing more than a consolation prize for six wasted years of a federal investigation."
