Ex-New York Senate Leader and Son Convicted of Bribery, Extortion

Former New York state Senate leader Dean Skelos and his son were convicted on Tuesday of extortion and bribery charges. They were accused of pressuring wealthy businessesmen to give Skelos's son, Adam, no-show jobs or else risk losing the Republican leader's political support for legislation favored by the businesses.

A jury in Manhattan federal court deliberated over the course of four days before reaching the verdict in a case that cast a harsh light on corruption in Albany.

Prosecutors had told jurors that the father and son were "partners in crime" who showed such blatant disregard for conflicts of interest that they broke the law. They accused the pair of extorting roughly $300,000 in payments from wealthy business executives who were dependent on the Long Island senator's backing on legislation benefiting their financial interests.

The companies felt "constant pressure from Dean Skelos - the fear he would punish them by using his official power if they didn't pay up," Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas McKay said in closing arguments. "They were the targets of the Skelos family shakedown."

The evidence included a wiretap recording of a phone call in 2014 in which Skelos boasted to his son that in his position as Senate leader he would "control everything," including which bills would come to the floor for a vote.

"Everybody's going to know who calls the shots, Adam," he said. "Believe me."

The defense sought to portray the elder Skelos as a doting father who was merely trying to look out for a son struggling to find employment and pay for a $675,000 home. His lawyers argued there was no evidence that the ex-senator took any official action for any of the businessmen.

Skelos, 70, testified in his own defense, claiming there was never a quid-pro-quo expected when he reached out on behalf of Adam.

"I didn't see a problem with it," he said. "I asked a lot of people to help my son."