Former Erie County Democratic Party chair indicted in bribery scheme

Former Erie County Democratic Party chair G. Steven Pigeon has been charged in an eight-count indictment accusing him of bribing a state Supreme Court justice.

Pigeon, 56, of Buffalo, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and honest services wire fraud, three counts of honest services wire fraud, one count of federal programs bribery and three counts of violation of the Travel Act, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Between February 2012 and April 2013, Pigeon allegedly bribed state Supreme Court Justice John A. Michalek with a job for a member of his family in exchange for official actions.

Specifically, Pigeon promised a member of Michalek’s immediate family with a job in the 2012 campaign to re-elect President Barack Obama, offered to help the same person get a job in the U.S. Department of State, and agreed to support Michalek’s application for appointment to the Appellate Division of state Supreme Court, all in exchange for favorable judicial decisions and to control who Michalek would appoint to a paid court receivership, prosecutors claim.

Pigeon was arraigned Friday morning and remains free.

Michalek, who resigned in June 2016 from his position in the Eighth Judicial District, pleaded guilty to third-degree bribe receiving, and first-degree offering a false instrument for filing. He admitted to filing a false document with the New York State Office of Court Administration when he appointed a receiver who had been suggested by Pigeon.

In May, Pigeon was charged with unlawfully soliciting a campaign contribution from a foreign national and conspiracy to commit such an offense.

Between 2010 and 2015, while working as a political consultant and lobbyist, Pigeon was paid $388,000 for lobbying efforts aimed at the legalization of internet gambling by an online gaming company based in Montreal, according to federal prosecutors. Pigeon allegedly orchestrated a $25,000 donation from the founder and CEO of the Canadian company to the re-election campaign of a public official. After the donation was twice rejected, the campaign contribution was ultimately funneled through someone from Florida, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.