ALBANY – Western New York political operative G. Steve Pigeon was indicted by federal prosecutors in Buffalo Oct. 6 on charges of conspiracy, wire fraud and bribery.

Acting assistant attorney general of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, Kenneth Blanco, and Acting U.S. attorney for the Western District of New York, James Kennedy Jr., unsealed an eight-count indictment against Pigeon alleging that he bribed a state Supreme Court justice. New York state Supreme Court Justice John Michalek pleaded guilty in state Supreme Court to a felony count in June 2016 of receiving a bribe and admitted to filing a public document with false information.

Pigeon, the former chairman of the Erie County Democratic Party with heavy ties to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, pleaded not guilty to one federal count of conspiracy to commit bribery and honest services wire fraud, three counts of honest services wire fraud, one count of federal programs bribery and three counts of violation of the Travel Act. Pigeon is also facing state charges in connection with the alleged scheme.