Dean Skelos

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Dean Skelos
President pro tempore of the New York Senate
In office
January 1, 2011 – May 11, 2015
Preceded by Malcolm Smith
Succeeded by John J. Flanagan
In office
June 24, 2008 – December 31, 2008
Preceded by Joseph Bruno
Succeeded by Malcolm Smith
Majority Leader of the New York Senate
In office
January 1, 2011 – May 11, 2015
Preceded by John L. Sampson
Succeeded by John J. Flanagan
In office
June 8, 2009 – July 9, 2009
Preceded by Malcolm Smith
Succeeded by Pedro Espada Jr.
In office
June 24, 2008 – December 31, 2008
Preceded by Joseph Bruno
Succeeded by Malcolm Smith
Lieutenant Governor of New York
Acting
In office
June 24, 2008 – December 31, 2008
Governor David Paterson
Preceded by Joseph Bruno
Succeeded by Malcolm Smith
Member of the New York Senate
from the 9th district
In office
January 1985 – December 11, 2015
Preceded by Carol Berman
Succeeded by Todd Kaminsky
Personal details
Born Dean George Skelos
(1948-02-16) February 16, 1948 (age 68)
Rockville Centre, New York, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Gail Skelos
Children Adam Skelos
Alma mater Washington College
Fordham University

Dean George Skelos (born February 16, 1948)[1] is a former Republican politician and the former Majority Leader of the New York State Senate. On May 12, 2016, he was sentenced to five years in prison for corruption, though he remained free as his legal appeals were continuing as of August 2016. Prior to his conviction on federal corruption charges, Skelos represented District 9 in the State Senate, comprising the southwest region of Nassau County, from 1985 through 2015.[2]

Skelos was the second Long Islander to hold the position of Majority Leader, following Ralph J. Marino.

Early life[edit]

Skelos graduated from Washington College with a B.A. in History in 1970, and earned a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law in 1975.[citation needed]

Political career[edit]

New York State Assembly[edit]

In 1980, the seat for the 19th District in the New York State Assembly, representing parts Nassau County, became open when incumbent Assemblyman Raymond J. McGrath decided to run for the United States House of Representatives seat that was opened by the retirement of nine-term incumbent John W. Wydler. Running on the Republican, Conservative, and Right-to-Life party lines, Skelos won the general election on November 4, 1980, by defeating Democratic and Liberal party candidate Peter S. Kilcommons, Jr. by a 64% to 36% margin (30,749 to 17,371 votes).

New York State Senate[edit]

After one term, Skelos gave up his Assembly seat to challenge incumbent Democratic-Liberal New York State Senator Carol Berman in 1982. The reapportionment earlier that year changed the boundaries of the 9th Senate District, which previously included parts of Nassau and Queens County. The new district, drawn by Senate Republicans, was entirely within Nassau County and favored Republicans. Skelos was endorsed by the Republican and Conservative parties. Berman, running on the Democratic and Liberal party lines won the race by 6,108 votes (55,504 to 49,396). Matthew Doyle, the Right-to-Life party candidate, received 2,520 votes in the three-way race.[3]

In 1984, Skelos challenged Berman in a rematch. This time, Skelos, who had President Ronald Reagan visit the district and campaign for him, narrowly defeated Berman in a two-way race, winning by 50.7% to 49.3% (67,834 to 65,875 votes).[4]

In 1986, Berman challenged Skelos in their third consecutive state senate contest. Skelos, running on the Republican and Conservative party lines, defeated the Berman, the Democratic and Liberal parties' candidate, in a three-way race, winning 53% of the vote (49,761) to 43.7% (41,005). Right-to-Life party candidate Joan McDermott received 3.2% (2,967) of the vote.[5]

In 1989, Senator Skelos was appointed co-chairman of the Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Apportionment, a position that required him and his colleagues to redraw the boundaries of Assembly, Senate, and congressional districts within New York State.[citation needed] In 1993, Senator Skelos was appointed as chairman of the Task Force on Economic Recovery and Job Development.[citation needed] From 1995 to 2008, he was Deputy Majority Leader of the New York State Senate.[6] In 1998, he was appointed by Governor George Pataki to sit on the four-member Metropolitan Transportation Authority Capital Program Review Board.[citation needed]

In 1998, Senator Skelos became a member of the board of directors of the State Legislative Leaders Foundation, as well as a member of the National Conference of State Legislators and National Conference of Insurance Legislators.[citation needed] In 2008, he became the Majority Leader of the New York State Senate, after Joseph Bruno resigned.[7]

In 2011, Skelos voted against the Marriage Equality Act, which the Senate passed 33-29.[8] In a statement he said, "this is a very difficult issue and it will be a vote of conscience for every member of the Senate."[9]

In 2013, as Senate Leader, Skelos was responsible for suspending Senate rules and bringing the NY SAFE Act to the floor. He later voted for the SAFE Act and advocated its passage.[10][11]

He also served as the Chairman of the Senate Aging Committee[when?] before stepping down from that post after ten years. While serving as chairman, Skelos was credited with authoring the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage Program (EPIC), which assists senior citizens in defraying the cost of prescription drugs.[citation needed]

Skelos was also instrumental in the passage of the Sex Offender Registration Act, also known as Megan's Law, which mandated that convicted sex offenders register with local law enforcement authorities and that local communities be apprised of the presence of all known sex offenders.[citation needed]

As Co-Chairman of the Joint Committee on Breast Cancer and Pesticides,[when?] Skelos helped to draft the Health Research Science Law, which established a Pesticide Registry within New York State.[citation needed]

He was also credited with creating the Nassau Interim Finance Authority.[when?][citation needed]

Law practice[edit]

In addition to his service in the New York State Senate, Skelos was Of counsel to Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, P.C., from 1994 through 2015.[12][13]

Federal prosecution and conviction[edit]

Skelos and his son, Adam Skelos, were arrested and charged with six counts of corruption by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in May 2015. The criminal complaint included extortion, fraud, and bribe solicitation charges. Skelos was accused of taking official actions to benefit a small Arizona environmental company, AbTech Industries, and a large New York developer, Glenwood Management, that had financial ties to AbTech. According to the complaint, Senator Skelos agreed to do so as long as the companies paid his son.[14] On May 28, 2015, Skelos and his son were indicted by a federal grand jury on six counts of bribery, extortion, wire fraud, and conspiracy. The indictment was largely the same as the six-count criminal complaint, but it also accused the elder Skelos of securing over $100,000 in payments and health benefits from an unnamed medical malpractice insurer.[15]

After his arrest, Skelos said, "I know that I will be found not only not guilty but innocent. I have absolute confidence and respect for our judicial system here in the United States of America, and utmost respect for our judges and our juries. And that’s why I will be found innocent and my son will too."[14] He stepped down from his majority leader post in the Senate a week after his arrest; he had already begun a leave of absence from the law firm of Ruskin Moscou Faltischek. "The criminal complaint against him said he had earned $2.6 million there since 1994, despite apparently doing no actual legal work; he was paid instead for referring clients, some of whom had business before the state."[15]

In July 2015, in an expanded indictment, federal prosecutors added two new charges of soliciting bribes from a Long Island company in return for favorable legislation.[16] The new indictment charged that Skelos procured a position for his son at a medical malpractice insurance company with business before the state:

…the CEO agreed to hire him, "in part because the CEO understood from Dean Skelos's repeated requests relating to the court-reporting service that Dean Skelos wanted the CEO to assist Adam Skelos financially." The CEO offered the younger Mr. Skelos a job in sales that paid $78,000 a year, even though he wasn't licensed to sell insurance… A week after he was hired,… Adam Skelos' supervisor called him to set up a meeting about his schedule, "given that Adam Skelos had not reported for work for more than one hour during the previous four days." … "Adam Skelos called back Supervisor-1 and threatened to 'smash in' Supervisor-1's head, and told Supervisor-1 that Supervisor-1 would 'never amount to anything' and that 'guys like' Supervisor-1 'couldn’t shine Adam Skelos's shoes.'"… The younger Mr. Skelos went on to say he didn't need to show up to work because his father was the Majority Leader of the State Senate, according to the indictment.[17]

On December 11, 2015, a unanimous jury convicted Dean and Adam Skelos of all eight counts of bribery, extortion, and corruption. Dean Skelos was convicted of using his position in the Senate to benefit three companies—a real estate developer, an environmental technology company, and a medical malpractice insurer—in exchange for the companies' agreement to give work to his son. Prosecutors said that the three businesses provided Adam Skelos with about $300,000 and other benefits. The trial verdict automatically terminated Dean Skelos from the state legislature.[18][19]

On May 12, 2016, U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood sentenced Dean Skelos to five years in prison, and Adam Skelos to six-and-a-half years in prison.[20] As of August 2016, they remained free on bail, pending an appeal based on the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in McDonnell v. United States that reversed the corruption conviction of a former Virginia Governor.[21]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Sen. Dean Skelos (R-NY 9th District) biography". New York Library Association. 
  2. ^ "District 9". nysenate.gov. 
  3. ^ "Voting in New York State for 61 Seats in the Senate". New York Times. November 4, 1982. Retrieved June 28, 2016. 
  4. ^ "The Returns Across New York in Campaigns for Seats in State Legislature; The Results of the Balloting for New York State Senate". New York Times. November 8, 1984. Retrieved June 28, 2016. 
  5. ^ "The Elections: Facts and Figures; Balloting for State Senate: New York's 61 Districts". New York Times. November 6, 1986. Retrieved June 28, 2016. 
  6. ^ Confessore, Nicholas; Peters, Jeremy Wl (July 6, 2008). "Long Island Senator Emerges on Top After Many Years of Working the Room". New York Times. p. A21. Retrieved 28 August 2016. 
  7. ^ Hakim, Danny; Peters, Jeremy W. (June 25, 2008). "New Day in Albany Opens as the Senate Selects Bruno's Successor". New York Times. p. B1. Retrieved 28 August 2016. 
  8. ^ "Roll call". nysenate.gov. 2011. 
  9. ^ "Same sex marriage legislation: Skelos' Statement". nysenate.gov. 
  10. ^ "Rally held in Rockville Centre to protest Sen. Dean Skelos' recent vote for the NY SAFE Act". February 16, 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2013. 
  11. ^ "Skelos On Gun Control: 'Perhaps We Did Act In Haste'". Capital Tonight. 6 February 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2013. 
  12. ^ "Senator Dean G. Skelos, Of Counsel". Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, P.C. Archived from the original on April 25, 2015. Retrieved April 25, 2015. 
  13. ^ Saul, Josh (November 6, 2015). "Dean Skelos, son, made thousands for 'no-show jobs': feds". New York Post. 
  14. ^ a b Craig, Susanne (May 4, 2015). "New York Senate Leader and Son Are Arrested on Corruption Charges". New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2016. 
  15. ^ a b Rashbaum, William K. (May 28, 2015). "Grand Jury Indicts Dean Skelos, Ex-New York Senate Leader, and Son in Corruption Case". New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2016. 
  16. ^ Orden, Erica (July 21, 2015). "Sen. Dean Skelos, Son Face New Charges in Extortion Case". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 28, 2016. (subscription or log-in required)
  17. ^ Jorgensen, Jillian (July 21, 2015). "New Charges for Dean Skelos and Son Allege No-Show Malpractice Jobs". Observer. Retrieved June 28, 2016. 
  18. ^ Rashbaum, William K.; Craig, Susanne (December 11, 2015). "Dean Skelos, Ex-New York Senate Leader, and His Son Are Convicted of Corruption". New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2016. 
  19. ^ Ross, Barbara; Bekiempis, Victoria; Gregorian, Dareh (December 11, 2015). "Dean Skelos guilty in corruption case; former state Senate Majority Leader and son now face up to 130 years in prison". New York Daily News. Retrieved June 28, 2016. 
  20. ^ Zapotosky, Matt (May 12, 2016). "Former New York State Senate majority leader sentenced to five years in federal prison". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 28, 2016. 
  21. ^ Chokshi, Niraj (August 5, 2016). "Judge Lets Dean Skelos and Son Remain Free While Appealing Convictions". New York Times. 

External links[edit]

New York Assembly
Preceded by
Raymond J. McGrath		 New York State Assembly
19th district
1981–1983		 Succeeded by
Armand D'Amato
New York State Senate
Preceded by
Carol Berman		 New York Senate
9th district
1985–2015		 Succeeded by
Todd Kaminsky
Political offices
Preceded by
Joseph Bruno		 Temporary President of the New York State Senate
2008		 Succeeded by
Malcolm Smith
Preceded by
Malcolm Smith		 Temporary President of the New York State Senate
2011–2015		 Succeeded by
John J. Flanagan
Preceded by
Joseph Bruno
Acting		 Lieutenant Governor of New York
Acting
2008		 Succeeded by
Malcolm Smith
Acting
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