Federal Prosecutor Files Charges Against Buffalo-Area Political Operative

The Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York announced yesterday that he has filed a complaint against Western New York political consultant Steve Pigeon for unlawfully soliciting a campaign contribution from a foreign national.

The complaint alleges that Pigeon “orchestrated a $25,000 donation from the founder and CEO of the Canadian online gambling company to the reelection campaign of a public official,” reportedly Gov. Cuomo’s 2014 re-election campaign. (Federal law prohibits foreign nationals from contributing to any federal, state or local political campaigns.)  After the campaign rejected the contribution twice, the campaign contribution was ultimately funneled to the campaign through an individual from Florida.

Last month, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman brought charges against Mr. Pigeon and two others alleging “illegal campaign coordination.” (Read my blog post on these charges here.) In addition, he also faces charges that he bribed a judge in exchange for favorable decisions in cases before the judge.

Read news coverage of this story from the Buffalo News, the Times Union, and the State of Politics blog.