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Date: 10-09-2018
Case Style:
United States of America v. G. Steven Pigeon
Case Number: 1:17-cr-00190-RJA-MJR
Judge: Richard J. Arcara
Court: United States District Court for the Western District of New York (Erie County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: John Keller and Paul E. Bonanno
Defendant's Attorney: Paul Cambria and Justin Ginter
Description:
Buffalo, NY - Former Erie County Democratic Party Chair Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy To Cause Foreign Campaign Donation
A former Erie County, New York Democratic party chair pleaded guilty to conspiring to illegally cause a $25,000 campaign donation from a foreign source to a New York state official running for reelection.
G. Steven Pigeon, 58, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to an information charging him with conspiracy to cause a foreign donation in a state election in violation of federal law. Sentencing was set for January 25, 2019, at 1:00 p.m.
As part of his plea, Pigeon admitted that while working as a political consultant and lobbyist in Buffalo, he represented a foreign client, Company A. At the time, the CEO of Company A was Person A, a Canadian citizen. In early 2014, despite knowing that it was illegal to make a foreign donation to a state political campaign, Pigeon solicited Person A to make a $25,000 donation to the reelection campaign of a New York state elected official, Public Official A. The campaign rejected the donation from Person A because Person A was not a citizen or permanent legal resident of the United States. Pigeon and Person A then agreed to cause the donation from Person A to be made through Person B, a permanent legal resident of the United States and an employee of Company A. On or about February 24, 2014, as directed by Person A, Person B made a $25,000 donation to Public Official A’s campaign. Pigeon and Person A knew that Person A would pay for, or reimburse, the donation. As a result of the $25,000 donation, Pigeon and Person A were granted entry to a fundraising event for Public Official A in New York City on February 26, 2014.
“Steven Pigeon undermined the transparency and integrity of the electoral process by funneling foreign money into a campaign,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “The Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners are committed to protecting our electoral process and we will aggressively pursue those who seek to circumvent our campaign finance laws.”
“Transparency in political activity, including the disclosure of the sources of political contributions, is a necessary check on the power of money and a necessary ingredient for a healthy democracy,” said U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “Schemes such as this, which introduce obfuscation and secrecy into the political process, threaten our very democracy by endeavoring to use anonymity as a means of eliminating accountability.”
The plea is the result of an investigation by the FBI Buffalo Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gary Loeffert; the New York State Attorney General’s Office, under the direction of Barbara Underwood; and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Edward Kennedy.
Charge:
18:371.F CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD THE UNITED STATES
(1)
18:371.F CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD THE UNITED STATES
(1s)
18:1343.F and 18:1346 and 18:2 FRAUD BY WIRE, RADIO, OR TELEVISION
(2-4)
18:666A.F and 18:2 CONVERTS TO OWN USE PROPERTY OF ANOTHER
(5)
18:1952-7400.F and 18:2 RACKETEERING - TRANSPORTING IN AID OF
(6-8)
Outcome: Defendant pleaded guilty.
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments: