Dean Skelos, New York Senate Leader, and Son Are Arrested on Corruption Charges

[brooklynite]

Source: New York Times

Dean G. Skelos, the leader of the New York State Senate, and his son were arrested on Monday morning by federal authorities on corruption charges, officials said.

Mr. Skelos, 67, and his son, Adam B. Skelos, 32, surrendered at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York office in Lower Manhattan.

The charges against them were detailed in a six-count criminal complaint filed in United States District Court in Manhattan and include conspiracy, extortion under the color of official right, honest services wire fraud and bribe solicitation. The accusations stem from a federal investigation focused on the younger man’s business dealings, some of which were reported last month by The New York Times, including payments to Adam Skelos by an Arizona environmental company, AbTech Industries.

The senator was accused of taking official actions to benefit AbTech and a prominent Long Island real estate firm, Glenwood Management, a politically influential developer that had financial ties to AbTech. Senator Skelos agreed to do so, according to the complaint, as long as the companies paid his son. Neither company was named in the complaint.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/05/nyregion/dean-skelos-new-york-senate-leader-and-son-are-arrested-on-corruption-charges.html?_r=1

[hrmjustin]

1. Leadership in NY is dropping like flies.

Several of the gop leadership are under federal investigation including my state senator Marty Golden.

[iandhr]

2. Two down...

… one to go for the three men in a room trifecta.

[DLnyc]

6. Precisely my thought.

If someone is so often sitting in a room negotiating subjects of very wide significance with two powerful men, is it reasonable to expect that that someone might catch on, over the years, that each of them is profoundly corrupt?

So the only ideas I can come up with right now are that someone is either oblivious, doesn't care about honesty or is in on the game.

[SoapBox]

3. So these guys are GOPers?

I didn't see it in the OP...assuming so because if they were Dems, the article would be screaming DEMOCRAT!

[SoapBox]

4. I can answer my own question...yes, REPUBLIcons.

In the NYT article it finally says Republican, almost at the end of the article.

I still think if they were Dem, it would have said that in the title of the story.

[donnasgirl]

5. I am from Ny

And I will say Sheldon Silver the Manhattan Democrat, who is the second-most powerful Democrat in the state, was hit with five felony charges involving fraud, extortion and conspiracy that each carry up to 20 years behind bars. I will also say I believe in my heart they are all dirty, and will say that in my opinion it is high time the voters demand a hell of a lot better from their leaders.

[Plucketeer]

7. It STILL..... all gets back to money.

What's the compensation for a successful CEO these days? And just HOW MUCH (or how little) are our elected <ahem!> "representatives" paid for their service? Yet we expect our reps to deal - objectively, mind you - with CEOs and their lackeys as if they are BLIND to the potential of working - er, "representing" us - to these folks favor?

[donnasgirl]

8. http://lohud.nydatabases.com/database/troubled-ny-lawmakers

I stand by my original post that they are all dirty in some way shape or form.

[Plucketeer]

11. And I still AFFIRM

your previous post. It's money - indirectly or not - that inspires the bad guys.

[donnasgirl]

12. I agree Plucketer

[brooklynite]

10. Yes...they nailed the Democrat earlier this year...

[Historic NY]

9. This has taken decades.......

to knock out the power brokers.... Albany has become a wanton wasteland of greed and corruption. I just saw my feeble REP. Sen. he is only there so they remain in control.