State Senator Efrain Gonzalez’s bid to have his indictment dismissed has been denied by U.S. District Court Judge William H. Pauley III. Gonzalez’s co-defendant, Neil Berger, also failed in his effort to have his trial separated from that of Gonzalez and two other co-defendants, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. The trial will proceed as scheduled on Oct. 6. Gonzalez is charged with using $420,000 in government funds for his own personal expenses and the other co-defendants are charged with helping him. Gonzalez’s lawyers unsuccessfully argued that the feds didn’t have jurisdiction over the matter.
