{"id":4310,"date":"2014-07-01T21:08:16","date_gmt":"2014-07-02T04:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=4310"},"modified":"2014-07-01T21:08:17","modified_gmt":"2014-07-02T04:08:17","slug":"senator-indicted-allegedly-lying-federal-grand-jury-investigating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=4310","title":{"rendered":"Senator Indicted for Allegedly Lying to the FBI About Payments to a Lobbying Firm"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Thomas<\/a>
NY State Sen. Thomas Libous<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A federal grand jury indicted New York State Senator Thomas W. Libous for making false statements to the FBI in connection with an investigation about payments he allegedly had a Albany lobbying firm funnel to his son, officials announced Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Libous’s son, Matthew Libous, an attorney, was also separately charged with tax crimes, including his failure to identify the source of payments he received from the lobbying firm, officials said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs alleged, rather than serve the public he took an oath to serve, Senator Libous used his political position to garner favorable treatment for himself and his son. Lying to FBI Agents is a serious offense and his alleged criminal conduct is an injustice to the community he represents,” Assistant FBI Director George Venizelos said. “The investigation and indictment of Senator Libous demonstrates the FBI\u2019s ongoing commitment to weed out public corruption at all levels of government and bring to justice those who betray the public\u2019s trust.\u201d<\/p>\n

In remarks to reporters after his arraignment in White Plains, the New York Times<\/a> reported that Thomas Libous said he had done nothing wrong and questioned whether the prosecution had been timed with his bid for re-election in November.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am innocent from all these charges,\u201d Mr. Libous said. \u201cIt\u2019s very disappointing and we are going to fight them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked about his son, he said, \u201cI love my son, and he, too, is innocent and will fight these charges.<\/p>\n

According to the allegations in the indictment:<\/p>\n

A federal grand jury in White Plains was investigating allegations that Thomas Libous, a Republican, had obtained a job for a family member at a Westchester law firm in exchange for a promise to refer business to the firm and had arranged for an Albany lobbying firm that regularly lobbied him to secretly pay the law firm $50,000 per year to defray the cost of Libous\u2019s son\u2019s salary and lease of a Range Rover.<\/p>\n

The lobbying firm specialized in transportation issues and Thomas Libous served as the chairman of the Senate’s Transportation Committee at the time. The indictment further alleges that Thomas Libous told a partner of the Westchester law firm that the firm would have to “build a new wing” to accommodate the business he would refer to it if it hired his son.<\/p>\n

The \u00a0FBI interviewed Thomas Libous \u00a0on June 24, 2010, as part of the grand jury’s investigation.<\/p>\n

According to the Indictment, Thomas Libous made the following false statements to the agents during the interview:<\/p>\n