New York News

Prosecution: NY State Senator Repeatedly Lied To The FBI

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Dave Lucas

Published July 14, 2015 at 6:00 PM EDT

A federal prosecutor says a prominent New York state lawmaker lied repeatedly to the FBI about arranging a lucrative job for his son.

Jurors heard opening statements Tuesday at the trial of state Sen. Thomas Libous of Binghamton, the deputy majority leader.

The prosecutor said Libous lied when he denied any involvement or knowledge of his son's $150,000-a-year job with a law firm.

The defense noted that Libous is not charged with kickbacks, bribes or wrongfully using his political power.

Attorney Paul DerOhannesian also called the prosecution's key witness corrupt and "morally bankrupt."

He said Libous has lived a life of service and integrity.

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Dave Lucas

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.

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