NYC mayor to take stand in ex-operative's trial

On trial is John Haggerty, a political operative who worked on the mayor's re-election campaigns and is now accused of convincing the mayor and his staff to pay for a $1.1 million poll-monitoring operation that never materialized, then using most of the cash to buy himself a house.

But much of the questioning so far has revolved around Bloomberg, as Haggerty's lawyers have sought to turn the jury's focus to the billionaire mayor, painting a picture of a high-rolling candidate surrounded by privileged insiders who skirted ethics rules, threw money at problems and didn't hesitate to bend the law.

Prosecutors do not accuse the mayor of any wrongdoing, and Bloomberg's representatives have said his campaign broke no laws and followed standard practices.

The cross-examination of the mayor Monday promises to be tense. Defense lawyers used their opening statements to flatly accuse him of "campaign fraud." Bloomberg's spokesman says the tactics are a sign of desperation.