Cozen O’Connor Partner Charged with Taking Fees for Favors

The co-head of the government relations practice at Cozen O’Connor has been charged with accepting more than $800,000 in sham fees for doing political favors for New York’s former comptroller Alan Hevesi.

Raymond Harding, the former chairman of the Liberal Party, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment yesterday, the New York Law Journal reports. He is on paid leave from Cozen O’Connor.

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo claims Harding collected the illegal fees from pension funds seeking state business as a reward for political favors and helped arrange a vacancy in the state assembly to allow Hevesi’s son, Andrew, to win the election, the Washington Post reports. Andrew Hevesi was not aware of Harding’s actions, Cuomo said in a conference call.

Harding is accused of helping open up the assembly seat by arranging a private-sector job for the incumbent, according to the Post and the New York Times.

Harding also faces civil charges filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the stories say.

One of Harding’s lawyers, Gary Naftalis, says his client “looks forward to defending himself against these baseless accusations,” according to the Times account. Naftalis told the Post that Harding was paid by the investment firms but the fees were legal.

Cozen O’Connor said in a statement the charges stem from activities before Harding joined the firm in 2005, according to the New York Law Journal story.