Dean Skelos

==Federal prosecution and conviction==

==Federal prosecution and conviction==

Skelos and his son, Adam Skelos, were arrested and charged with six counts of [[corruption]] by U.S. Attorney [[Preet Bharara]] on May 4, 2015. The criminal complaint included [[extortion]], [[fraud]], and [[Bribery|bribe]] solicitation charges. Skelos was accused of taking official actions to benefit a small Arizona environmental company, AbTech Industries, and a large New York developer, [[Glenwood Management Corp.|Glenwood Management]], that had financial ties to AbTech. According to the complaint, Senator Skelos agreed to do so as long as the companies paid his son.<ref name=”Craig”>{{cite news |last=Craig |first=Susanne |date=May 4, 2015 |title=New York Senate Leader and Son Are Arrested on Corruption Charges |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/05/nyregion/dean-skelos-new-york-senate-leader-and-son-are-arrested-on-corruption-charges.html |newspaper=New York Times |access-date=June 28, 2016}}</ref> On May 28, 2015, Skelos and his son were indicted by a federal grand jury on six counts of bribery, extortion, [[Mail and wire fraud|wire fraud]], and conspiracy.<ref name=”Rashbaum”>{{cite news |last=Rashbaum |first=William K. |date=May 28, 2015 |title=Grand Jury Indicts Dean Skelos, Ex-New York Senate Leader, and Son in Corruption Case |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/29/nyregion/dean-skelos-ex-senate-leader-and-son-are-indicted-in-corruption-case.html |newspaper=New York Times |access-date=June 28, 2016}}</ref>

Skelos and his son, Adam Skelos, were arrested and charged with six counts of [[corruption]] by U.S. Attorney [[Preet Bharara]] on May 4, 2015. The criminal complaint included [[extortion]], [[fraud]], and [[Bribery|bribe]] solicitation charges. Skelos was accused of taking official actions to benefit a small Arizona environmental company, AbTech Industries, and a large New York developer, [[Glenwood Management Corp.|Glenwood Management]], that had financial ties to AbTech. According to the complaint, Senator Skelos agreed to do so as long as the companies paid his son.<ref name=”Craig”>{{cite news |last=Craig |first=Susanne |date=May 4, 2015 |title=New York Senate Leader and Son Are Arrested on Corruption Charges |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/05/nyregion/dean-skelos-new-york-senate-leader-and-son-are-arrested-on-corruption-charges.html |newspaper=New York Times |access-date=June 28, 2016}}</ref>

On May 28, 2015, Skelos and his son were indicted by a federal grand jury on six counts of bribery, extortion, [[Mail and wire fraud|wire fraud]], and conspiracy.<ref name=”Rashbaum”>{{cite news |last=Rashbaum |first=William K. |date=May 28, 2015 |title=Grand Jury Indicts Dean Skelos, Ex-New York Senate Leader, and Son in Corruption Case |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/29/nyregion/dean-skelos-ex-senate-leader-and-son-are-indicted-in-corruption-case.html |newspaper=New York Times |access-date=June 28, 2016}}</ref>

After his arrest, Skelos asserted that he and his son were innocent.<ref name=”Craig” /> He stepped down from his majority leader post in the Senate on May 11, 2015; he had already begun a leave of absence from the law firm of Ruskin Moscou Faltischek. “The criminal complaint against him said he had earned $2.6 million there since 1994, despite apparently doing no actual legal work; he was paid instead for referring clients, some of whom had business before the state.”<ref name=”Rashbaum” />

After his arrest, Skelos asserted that he and his son were innocent.<ref name=”Craig” /> He stepped down from his majority leader post in the Senate on May 11, 2015; he had already begun a leave of absence from the law firm of Ruskin Moscou Faltischek. “The criminal complaint against him said he had earned $2.6 million there since 1994, despite apparently doing no actual legal work; he was paid instead for referring clients, some of whom had business before the state.”<ref name=”Rashbaum” />