Once a kingmaker of Western New York politicians with ties to the Clintons, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and billionaire Tom Golisano, G. Steven Pigeon appeared before a federal judge Wednesday and was sentenced to four months in prison followed by one year of supervised release for making an illegal political donation.
He is expected to be sentenced next in state court for bribing a state judge.
The sentencing on Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara came seven years after the FBI, State Police and agents of the New York attorney general raided Pigeon’s downtown home seizing documents and computers – and nearly four years after he pleaded guilty in the two cases.
Pigeon’s sentencing dates have been delayed repeatedly and sources close to the case confirmed for The Buffalo News that Pigeon had been providing information to federal agents and prosecutors who have been looking into allegations of political corruption in Western New York.
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But in the end, it doesn’t appear that whatever Pigeon was providing bore much fruit for investigators – at least at this point.
Arcara was going to allow him to voluntarily surrender at a later time, but defense lawyer Paul Cambria said Pigeon wanted to volunteer to surrender Wednesday.
“He will surrender today,” Cambria said.
Pigeon gave a short statement apologizing for his actions. “I do accept responsibility for my actions. I’m very sorry for them.” He thanked the judge for his consideration.
Arcara spoke at length about the difficulty of his decision. After an initial hour-and-a-half delay in starting the hearing, Arcara took about a 10-minute break and then rendered his decision.
Investigation of G. Steven Pigeon, Steven M. Casey and Christopher M. Grant appears focused around political committee WNY New York Progressive Caucus. Official says probe includes ‘potential election law violations … fraud and possible
Last year, a media production company owned by Steve Casey, former deputy mayor to Mayor Byron Brown and protege of Pigeon, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with former Erie County Legislator Charles M. Swanick’s unsuccessful run in a four-way bid for a State Senate seat in 2012. Casey’s home was searched in 2015 on the same day as the raids involving Pigeon.
In 2017, Pigeon was arrested and charged in both state and federal court on allegations that he bribed former State Supreme Court Justice John Michalek. But that case ended up solely in state court, and Pigeon pleaded guilty to a felony charge of third-degree bribery. He is expected to be sentenced on the state charges Thursday before State Supreme Court Justice Donald F. Cerio Jr.
Then in October 2018, Pigeon acknowledged in federal court that he conspired to arrange an illegal political donation to Cuomo’s 2014 re-election campaign on behalf of the Canadian founder of an online gambling business. Neither the governor nor his campaign were ever implicated in the case.
That was the case he was sentenced for before Arcara Wednesday.
G. Steven Pigeon – once a powerful figure in Western New York politics who flaunted his close ties to Andrew Cuomo and Bill and Hillary Clinton and also advised billionaire Tom Golisano – now wears orange jail garb behind bars as an accused child rapist.
In the meantime, Michalek resigned from the bench in 2017 and pleaded guilty in state court to receiving bribes from Pigeon. He also agreed to cooperate with investigators.
Separately, Pigeon has also been charged with allegedly sexually assaulting a child. Late last year, Pigeon was indicted by an Erie County grand jury on two counts of predatory sexual assault against a child, a class A felony – the most serious level – as well as first-degree rape, first-degree criminal sexual act, first-degree sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. If convicted of the most serious charges, Pigeon could face life in prison. Pigeon told The News he believed he was being set up by someone.
