Post by Logan on Jul 3, 2016 3:35:38 GMT -6
Buffalo Supreme Court justice pleads guilty to bribery, Steve Pigeon headed to court
In what’s likely to be the first of two very large shoes to drop this week, state Supreme Court Justice John Michalek pleaded guilty Wednesday to accepting a bribe and filing a false instrument in a case related to the activities of Western New York attorney and political fixer supreme Steve Pigeon, who in recent years has worked in bipartisan fashion: He played a key role in the Senate Republicans’ 2009 coup attempt and has served as Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s primary operative in the briar patch that is WNY politics.
The Buffalo News reported Michalek, who has resigned from the bench, pleaded guilty to several of the charges against him in court, and read from a prepared statement. His sentencing is set for Sept. 21.
A source familiar with the case said Pigeon is expected to appear in court on Thursday morning to answer his own set of charges.
“Today’s proceedings expose a corrupt, multiyear scheme to use political favors to buy off a sitting state judge,” said state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in a brief statement. “We will continue to root out public corruption wherever we find it. Our public corruption investigation is ongoing.”
Read more: blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/264825/buffalo-supreme-court-justice-pleads-guilty-to-bribery-steve-pigeon-headed-to-court/
In what’s likely to be the first of two very large shoes to drop this week, state Supreme Court Justice John Michalek pleaded guilty Wednesday to accepting a bribe and filing a false instrument in a case related to the activities of Western New York attorney and political fixer supreme Steve Pigeon, who in recent years has worked in bipartisan fashion: He played a key role in the Senate Republicans’ 2009 coup attempt and has served as Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s primary operative in the briar patch that is WNY politics.
The Buffalo News reported Michalek, who has resigned from the bench, pleaded guilty to several of the charges against him in court, and read from a prepared statement. His sentencing is set for Sept. 21.
A source familiar with the case said Pigeon is expected to appear in court on Thursday morning to answer his own set of charges.
“Today’s proceedings expose a corrupt, multiyear scheme to use political favors to buy off a sitting state judge,” said state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in a brief statement. “We will continue to root out public corruption wherever we find it. Our public corruption investigation is ongoing.”
Read more: blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/264825/buffalo-supreme-court-justice-pleads-guilty-to-bribery-steve-pigeon-headed-to-court/