Once Powerful Brooklyn State Senator Indicted On New Corruption Charges
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - New federal charges have been brought against Brooklyn State Sen. John Sampson, who's already facing corruption charges.
As WCBS 880's Irene Cornell reported, Sampson is accused of lying to the FBI about getting a staff member to take action that would benefit a local liquor store.
Sampson was a secret partner in the Brooklyn liquor store, according to prosecutors.
The once-powerful state senator wanted the liquor store's state tax obligations reduced and told a staffer to use his own cell phone on his own time so it couldn't be traced back to his office, prosecutors said.
At the time, Sampson was the State Senate Minority Leader and Chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee, Cornell reported.
Sampson was first indicted last spring on charges that he stole nearly $500,000 from New Yorkers facing home foreclosures.
WEB EXTRA: Read Superseding Indictment (pdf)
He was a court-appointed referee in foreclosure proceedings at the time, giving him access to escrow accounts.
He was kicked out of the Democratic conference following the initial corruption charges.
Sampson is scheduled to be arraigned on the new charges in federal court on Tuesday.
You May Also Be Interested In These Stories