Bongiovanni eager to get back in race

Kim Smith

Tuesday, May 21, 2002 | 10:05 a.m.

When former District Judge Gerard Bongiovanni was acquitted on bribery and wire fraud counts nearly four years ago, he vowed he would never run for office again.

On Monday he changed his mind.

The former judge threw his hat into the ring for the newly created District Court Department 21. He will be running against Chief Deputy District Attorney Valerie Adair and private attorneys Eva Guo and Ron Israel.

"Somehow I feel the need to run to restore respect to my name," Bongiovanni said. "I'm doing it for my name and my family. I feel they deserve it."

Bongiovanni was tried on the bribery and wire fraud case in December 1997 and November 1998 in U.S. District Court. The first trial ended in a mistrial and a jury acquitted him at the second trial.

While investigating Paul Dottore and Terry Salem in 1993 for alleged bank fraud, federal authorities came to suspect Bongiovanni was accepting bribes. FBI agents testified they had Salem offer Bongiovanni a bribe through Dottore using marked bills. In exchange for their help, Salem and Dottore received lighter sentences on the bank fraud charges.

Bongiovanni was arrested in October 1995 shortly after Dottore left his home and authorities found $500 in marked bills in the judge's pocket.

The judge testified that the money was for repayment of a loan that had been made to Dottore. Dottore later admitted to owing the judge $500.

Bongiovanni ran for re-election in the midst of his legal battle, but lost in the September 1996 primary.