2 sides trade salvos as Chris Wright trial opens

There are two versions of City Councilman Jack Kelly's former chief of staff, Chris Wright, on trial for federal corruption charges with three of Kelly's political allies: Greedy and needy.

Prosecutors say Wright was greedy, taking a $1,000 check, a rent-free apartment and parking spot near Rittenhouse Square, free legal advice and a promise of future wealth in real-estate deals from developers Hardeep and Ravinder Chawla and their attorney, Andrew Teitelman.

Defense attorneys say that Wright was needy, an alcoholic who relapsed after rehab during a difficult divorce. Helping the Chawla brothers and Teitelman deal with city agencies and officials was part of his job, they add.

Lisa Mathewson, Wright's attorney, told a jury during opening arguments yesterday that Teitelman confronted Wright about his drinking. She described the apartment as a "crash pad" near City Hall so that Wright would not drink and drive home to Northeast Philly.

"Ask yourself: Is that what you do when you're trying to bribe someone? You tell them their drinking is out of control and help them get into rehab?" she asked. "No. That is friendship."

Teitelman was Kelly's campaign treasurer. The Chawlas gave Kelly tens of thousands of dollars in contributions.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Williams told the jury that Wright, who worked a side job as a real-estate agent, was "seduced" by money, gifts and future wealth.

"He eagerly linked arms with his co-defendants because he wanted all they were offering him, and more," Williams said. "He was at their beck and call. And they did call. Often. All while paying Wright valuable benefits. That is a crime."

Kelly, who may be called to testify as early as today, secretly recorded conversations in June 2007 with Wright and Ravinder Chawla for federal investigators.

Bill DeStefano, Teitelman's attorney, told the jurors that Kelly entered the case when four FBI agents barged into his house at 6:30 a.m. one morning and accused him of "all kinds of wrongdoing . . . campaign irregularities, whatever have you."

FBI reports obtained by the Daily News show that Joe Mammana, a self-styled crime fighter now awaiting sentencing on unrelated federal charges of tax evasion and possession of a gun by a felon, told investigators in March and May of 2007 that he had given Kelly thousands of dollars in cash and tickets to sporting events in 2003.

Kelly, in his taped conversation with Ravinder Chawla, said that Mammana might implicate him to "work out a deal" with prosecutors, according to a transcript obtained by the Daily News.

Kelly has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

Much of yesterday's testimony focused on the free apartment, at 20th and Delancey streets, in one of nine buildings Ravinder Chawla had a contract to buy in 2006.

Defense attorneys claimed that the apartment was "a dump" with no heat and a rodent problem.

Prosecutors called it a "very livable apartment in a premiere neighborhood" of the city. *