SAN FRANCISCO Building official's bribery trial starts

The San Francisco Chronicle reports:

Jurors heard parts of secretly recorded conversations Monday that prosecutors say reveal a former supervisor at San Francisco's Department of Building Inspection discussing favors he had provided for a local construction contractor.

In return for his help, Augustine Fallay was given regular $200 cash payments, a highly favorable $50,000 loan and free meals at restaurants, according to Assistant District Attorney Marc Katz.

"Bribery, lies and public corruption -- that's what this trial is about," Katz told the jury on the opening day of Fallay's criminal trial.

Fallay, 48, has pleaded not guilty to 33 counts of bribery, insurance fraud and perjury, all allegedly committed during his 11 years of employment with the city. If convicted on all counts, he could face a maximum of about 23 years in prison.

Time to separate economy from state.