BUFFALO, NY-- Long-time political power broker Steve Pigeon plead guilty to conspiring to illegally cause a $25,000 campaign donation from a foreign source to a New York state official running for reelection.
Investigators say Pigeon assisted one of his clients, a Canadian CEO, in making a campaign donation of $25,000 to a "public official" running for re-election to a statewide office in 2014. That donation was rejected by the campaign because the donor was not a US citizen. Pigeon then had another party, a US citizen and an employee for the Canadian CEO, make the donation. That employee was expected to reimbursed by the CEO. That donation allowed Pigeon and the CEO be granted access to a political fundraising party in New York City.
“Steven Pigeon undermined the transparency and integrity of the electoral process by funneling foreign money into a campaign,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski in a release. “The Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners are committed to protecting our electoral process and we will aggressively pursue those who seek to circumvent our campaign finance laws.”
The guilty plea in federal court comes nearly two weeks after Pigeon pled guilty in State Supreme Court.
Pigeon and former State Supreme Court Judge John Michalek were allegedly engaged in favor-swapping. Michalek, who pleaded guilty to state charges, sought Pigeon's help getting jobs for family members. Emails obtained by investigators also indicated the judge wanted Pigeon to put in a good word with Governor Andrew Cuomo about a nomination to be an Appellate Court judge.
Pigeon will be sentenced in January on federal charges.