Stewart betrayed by friend’s testimony

ONE of Martha Stewart’s closest friends has dealt a harsh blow to her longtime pal by testifying that the trendsetter told her she sold ImClone Systems Inc shares after learning the biotech company’s founder was dumping his stock.

Mariana Pasternak, who was on vacation with Stewart in Mexico in December 2001, told a hushed courtroom that the conversation occurred when the two were seated on the terrace of a hotel discussing friends’ plans for the end of the year.

She said they began to talk about Sam Waksal, one of their friends and the founder of ImClone.