ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A top New York politician has been convicted on corruption charges for the second time in two weeks, prompting calls for tougher ethics rules and threatening to further undermine public trust.
A federal jury found ex-Senate Leader Dean Skelos and his son Adam guilty of extortion on Friday. The Long Island Republican was convicted of trying to use his power to strong-arm payments and no-show jobs for his son. He plans to appeal.
Manhattan Democrat and former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver last week was convicted of accepting $4 million in kickbacks.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo once touted his relationship with Silver and Skelos. He said the convictions should be a “wake-up call” for lawmakers.
Good-government groups say Cuomo and lawmakers must act decisively to stem corruption or risk losing public support.
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