Dean Skelos Convicted Of Corruption In Retrial

NEW YORK, NY — Dean Skelos, the former state Senate majority leader, was convicted of federal corruption charges Tuesday in a retrial alongside his son, the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office confirmed. A jury found the once powerful Long Island Republican and his son, Adam Skelos, guilty of bribery, extortion and conspiracy charges on the third day of deliberations, reports say.

Dean Skelos was accused of using his high-ranking Albany position to help out three companies — including major New York City real estate developer Glenwood Management — that made more than $300,000 in payments to Adam Skelos.

"Yet again, a New York jury heard a sordid tale of bribery, extortion, and the abuse of power by a powerful public official of this State," Deputy U.S. Attorney Robert Khuzami said in a statement. "And yet again, a jury responded with a unanimous verdict of guilt, in this case of Dean Skelos and his son Adam — sending the resounding message that political corruption will not be tolerated."

The pair was first convicted in 2015, but an appeals court overturned the conviction in September after the 2016 Supreme Court ruling in the corruption case of Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell narrowed the definition of bribery of government officials.

Prosecutors accused Dean Skelos of using his influence over state legislation to help Glenwood Management, which has more than two dozen ritzy apartment properties in the city, in exchange for the company arranging for thousands of dollars to be paid to his son.

The case also involved a Long Island insurance firm and an Arizona-based environmental technology company.

Dean Skelos reportedly took the stand in his own defense in the retrial, but his testimony didn't shift the outcome.

The Skeloses' second conviction follows the conviction in May of former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. The longtime Lower East Side lawmaker was found guilty in a retrial after his initial conviction was overturned by an appeals court last year.

(Lead image: Dean Skelos leaves federal court after his conviction in a retrial of federal corruption charges. Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)