Accused of Acting as 'De Facto G-Man,' Lawyer Says Ex-Client Is in Dreamland
Attorney David Blythewood was supposed to be defending Nassau County Legislator Roger Corbin in a criminal tax evasion case.
But “Mr. Bythewood’s representation of Roger Corbin throughout the entirety of this case has been so far beneath the standard of effective assistance of counsel as to render Mr. Bythewood a de facto G-man,” his new lawyer, Thomas Liotti, contends in a federal filing.
At one point, as the feds interviewed Corbin in Blythewood’s presence in April 2009, the lawmaker expressed concern about saying something that might incriminate himself, Liotti recounts, relying on an FBI memorandum about the conversation. Replied Blythewood: “It’s a little late for that,” reports Newsday.
Yesterday, Liotti filed a state court malpractice complaint against Blythewood and a private investigator, on behalf of the Democratic lawmaker. It seeks $10 million in damages.
Contacted by the newspaper, Blythewood says he did nothing wrong. “My representation was realistic, not the dreamland he is dealing with now,” he says of the claims being made by his former client.
