[UPDATE BELOW] A prominent state Senator is the latest local politician caught in a Federal investigation into Albany corruption. Democratic Senator John Sampson, whose district includes Canarsie and East New York, will surrender to prosecutors today, according to reports in the New York Times and NY Post. The charges stem from wiretap recordings made by another disgraced politician, former state Senator Shirley L. Huntley of Queens, who pleaded guilty to siphoning more than $87,000 in taxpayer money from a nonprofit called Parents Information Network and using the loot for lavish shopping trips.
Sampson is expected to be charged with obstruction of justice. Prosecutors say that last year Sampson approached Huntley on behalf of a cargo company at JFK Airport that wanted to lease more space. In exchange for a $1,000 bribe, Huntley arranged a meeting between the company's reps and Port Authority officials. Sources tell the Daily News that investigators are also looking into a $100,000 “loan” to Sampson from one of his legal clients, Queens businessman Edul Ahmad, who faces mortgage fraud charges.
Sampson, who was first elected to the Senate in 1996, was selected as the Democrats' "conference leader" during the great Albany coup of '09. In 2010, Sampson was among those named by the state Inspector General for orchestrating a corrupt bidding process for the right to install slot machines at the Queens Aqueduct—according to the IG, the "bidding process [was] rife with inside dealing, secret lobbying and more than $100,000 in campaign donations from the bidders." Sampson, echoing Nixon, later admitted, "Mistakes were made."
Update 12:00 p.m.: Sampson turned himself in earlier this morning and was charged with embezzlement, obstruction of justice and witness tampering. According to the indictment, there was a mole in the U.S. Attorney’s office who was talking with Sampson about the federal investigation into his conduct! Prosecutors say Sampson begged the mole to give him names of cooperating witnesses and that Sampson said he intended to "take them out."
While serving as a court-appointed foreclosure referee, Sampson is accused of embezzling an estimated $440,000 derived from the sale of foreclosed properties that he kept for himself instead of returning to court officials. When confronted by federal agents about the alleged embezzlement, Sampson said he didn't recall the specifics. Later, when investigators confronted him with lying to federal agents, Sampson stated, “Not everything I told you was false.”
At a press conference today, FBI Assistant Director George Venizelos told reporters, “We share what may well be the concern of many New Yorkers that ‘incumbent’ and ‘defendant’ cannot be accepted as interchangeable. Elected officials are referred to as 'public servants,' and that should not be confused with 'self-serving.' The people of New York have a right to demand, at a bare minimum, that their elected representatives obey the law."
Here's the indictment, via Capitol Confidential:
