Former state Sen. Malcolm Smith was found guilty of federal bribery charges.
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Former state Sen. Malcolm Smith, and former Queens County GOP Vice Chairman Vince Tabone on Thursday were convicted in a White Plains federal court on bribery charges stemming from a scheme to rig the 2013 New York City mayoral election.
The jury deliberated for a little over two hours, according to the New York Post, before convicting Tabone and the once-powerful Democrat Smith in a failed $200,000 pay-to-play plan in which Smith tried to buy his way onto the Republican line with the help of Tabone and several other players, including former City Councilman Dan Halloran, who was convicted last July of accepting bribes.
“As the jury unanimously found, the give-and-take of the political process should not be the giving and taking of bribes, which is what Malcolm Smith and Vincent Tabone tried to make it,” said Preet Bharara, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. “Smith gave, and Tabone took, a $25,000 cash bribe to permit Smith to run for New York City mayor as a Republican. Smith and Tabone were not alone in this scheme—Smith also bribed Daniel Halloran, another Republican Party official. And sadly, this was just one of many pockets of corruption this office has uncovered in New York, which has become the ‘show me the money’ state. It should not be asking too much to expect public officials at least to obey the law. This office will continue the vigorous prosecution of political corruption until every public official understands that violating the public trust will likely land you in prison.”
Smith faces up to 45 years in prison, while Tabone could get up to 25 years.
By Michael V. Cusenza
