Moments ago, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s office announced yet another New York State elected official, Bronx Assemblyman Eric Stevenson, has been arrested and accused of taking bribes. Earlier this week, New York’s political world was rocked when corruption charges were leveled against State Senator Malcolm Smith and Councilman Dan Halloran. Mr. Stevenson’s charges will be formally unsealed at noon today.
“Stevenson is accused of taking bribes in exchange for official acts, which included drafting, proposing, and agreeing to enact legislation that would benefit the co-defendants’ businesses,” the release announcing the press conference declared. “Two of the other defendants are also charged in connection with their payment of a bribe to another Assemblyman, who was actually cooperating with the Government at the time. The charges include conspiracy to deprive New York State and its citizens of Eric Stevenson’s honest services, federal programs and Travel Act bribery conspiracy, federal programs bribery, and Travel Act bribery conspiracy.”
But the State Legislature’s woes don’t stop with Mr. Stevenson. The other assemblyman, currently unnamed, cooperated with the investigation and will have to resign from office now that the allegations against Mr. Stevenson are revealed.
“ASSEMBLYMAN-1 has been cooperating in this investigation since prior to January 2012. In exchange for that cooperation,” the complaint reads. “ASSEMBLYMAN 1 has agreed, among other things, to continue to cooperate with the USAO and the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office and to resign his office with the New York State Assembly following the arrests of the defendants in this complaint.”
Few identifying details are provided, but the unnamed assemblyman is said to represent an adult day care center on Jerome Avenue, which is mostly represented by female legislators. Assemblyman Nelson Castro represents a district that could match the complaint, so we reached out to his office. Mr. Castro’s chief of staff said they would have an announcement “by the end of the day” but declined to elaborate.
Update (1:25 p.m.): The New York Daily News confirmed Mr. Castro is the unnamed assemblyman.
View the complaint below:
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