Jury selection is scheduled to begin in federal court in Manhattan in the corruption case of Skelos, a 67-year-old Republican, and his 33-year-old son, Adam.
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Sen. Dean Skelos or his son Adam asked to enter into plea discussions ahead of their trial on corruption charges, but the talks went nowhere, a prosecutor disclosed before jury selection began in the trial Monday. He’s also accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars from developers in exchange for political favors, CBS2 reported.
Skelos stepped down from his leadership post following his arrest, but continues to serve in the Senate.
The arrests came four months after the arrest of former NY Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver on corruption charges. The trial of the once-powerful Democrat started two weeks ago.
“This is a prosecution that should never have been brought in the first place”, Dean Skelos told reporters after a court hearing Friday.
The indictment also said Skelos used his power for Adam’s financial gain.
Skelos has insisted he did nothing illegal. They have both pleaded not guilty.
The government called it “another obvious reference to Dean Skelos’ official position”.
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If convicted, father and son could each face decades in prison.
