A TRIAL COULD PUT AN UNFLATTERING SPOTLIGHT ON BRIDGEPORT'S MAYOR

After his name appeared unexpectedly in legal papers related to a
major drug-trafficking investigation, Mayor John Fabrizi of
Bridgeport, Conn., appeared to weather the ensuing uproar by coming
clean with voters about his battles with drugs and redoubling his
efforts to run the city.

But the coming trial of the man who federal agents say told an
admitted drug trafficker that Mr. Fabrizi was "coming over" and
"needed a hit" has the potential to drag the mayor and his conduct
back into the spotlight. Prosecutors filed a list of questions in
Federal District Court in Bridgeport yesterday that they propose to
ask prospective jurors tomorrow, when jury selection in the trial of
the man, Shawn Fardy, is to begin. The questionnaire includes the
names of 41 people that jurors may hear during the trial, most of them
potential witnesses.

Prosecutors routinely disclose the names of people who may figure in
trials, to avoid selecting jurors with conflicts of interest.
Prosecutors are expected to include all foreseeable witnesses on such
lists, out of fairness to the defense. No. 18 on the list is John
Michael Fabrizi.

Mr. Fardy, 36, a construction worker, was a member of Bridgeport's
Democratic Town Committee until soon after his indictment last spring
on charges that included conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Many other
defendants have pleaded guilty as part of the drug investigation and
are cooperating with prosecutors. Mr. Fardy pleaded not guilty.

Mr. Fabrizi, a fellow Democrat, first denied that he knew Mr. Fardy
personally, but after revelations that he had officiated at Mr.
Fardy's wedding and cellphone records indicated that they were in
contact, the mayor said he had misspoken.

In an interview yesterday, Mr. Fardy's lawyer, Francis L. O'Reilly,
said he did not believe that the government had decided yet whether to
call Mr. Fabrizi as a witness. But if it does, he said, he will seek
information about the mayor's drug use that Mr. Fabrizi provided to
federal authorities in the spring of 2005. He also said that if the
government decides not to call Mr. Fabrizi to testify, he may. "Mr.
Fardy maintains his innocence, and it is our position that the reason
he's being prosecuted is because of his alleged relationship with the
mayor," Mr. O'Reilly said.

A spokesman for the United States attorney's office in New Haven
declined to comment on the case.

Frederick D. Paoletti Jr., a lawyer who represents the drug
trafficker, Victor Marrero, whose name also appears on the
government's list, said that the mayor's appearance at the trial or
additional disclosures about his drug use could reopen old wounds.
"There's no question that from his perspective, he'd obviously hope it
would all go away," said Mr. Paoletti.

Caryn S. Kaufman, a spokeswoman for the mayor, said: "The mayor has
said from Day 1 that he will cooperate with authorities whenever
asked. My sense is if he's called, he'll do whatever is required."