It’s all over but the sentencing. Former Erie County Democratic Chairman Steve Pigeon has pled guilty to a bribery charge in State Supreme Court and to a charge of an illegal campaign donation to Governor Cuomo in federal court. State sentencing is scheduled for December. Federal sentencing will occur in January. The two guilty pleas each carry sentences of approximately one year. How those sentences will be coordinated and finally resolved remains to be seen.   I speculated in a previous post about where Pigeon might prefer to serve his time, if he has any say in the question.

Steve Pigeon and his minions for many years routinely violated the Election Law while claiming that their transgressions were simply errors in the documentation. No one who knew how Pigeon operated ever believed that. He worked hard to destroy the candidacies of various mostly Democratic candidates using questionable and often illegal means. He also damaged and disrupted the lives of many Democratic operatives who dared to cross him.

I ran against Pigeon for Democratic chairman in 2002, along with Len Lenihan and the late Jim Keane. Our efforts weren’t coordinated, but nonetheless we collectively removed Pigeon from the chairmanship; Lenihan was elected.

For a trip down Pigeon’s paths of destruction, which continued for many years after 2002, you can read some past posts here and here. In July 2015 I published an outline of Pigeon’s “WNY Progressive Caucus” and the manner in which he and his followers operated. That committee’s work was the primary genesis of the charges and guilty pleas that followed.

I offered some personal observations about Pigeon following the filing of the first state charges against him in July 2016.

Steve Pigeon brought this damage upon himself. The way politics operates, don’t be surprised if some day he tries to re-emerge from his time in prison to try to resurrect a career that was his whole life. But the damage is done, and it will never be the same. It’s about time.

Campaign financials

Candidates on the November ballot were required to file campaign financial reports on October 5^th for receipts and expenses through October 1. Here is a quick rundown of the balances in the accounts of major party statewide and local candidates, plus the minor party candidates for governor:

Governor

Democrat – Andrew Cuomo   $9,203,674

Republican – Marc Molinaro   $210,835

Green – Howie Hawkins   $31,218

Serve America Movement – Stephanie Miner   $55,082

Attorney General

Democrat –Letitia James   $383,768

Republican – Keith Wofford   $400,978

State Comptroller

Thomas DiNapoli   $2,691,991

Jonathan Trichter   $153,393

State Supreme Court – Cross endorsements

Paula Feroleto   No report filed as of October 12th pm

John Curran   $58,382

State Senate – 59^th District

Democrat – no candidate

Republican – Pat Gallivan   $80,208

State Senate – 60^th District

Democrat – Carima El-Behairy   $19,160

Republican – Chris Jacobs   $484,274

State Senate – 61^st District

Democrat – Joan Seamans   $31,778

Republican – Michael Ranzenhofer   $991,967

State Senate – 62^nd District

Democrat – no candidate

Republican – Robert Ortt   $182,646

State Senate – 63^rd District

Democrat – Tim Kennedy   $427,088

Republican – Thomas Gaglione   No report filed as of October 12th pm

State Assembly – 140^th District

Democrat – Robin Schimminger   $410,632

Republican – Adam Ohar   No report filed as of October 12th pm

State Assembly – 141^st District

Democrat – Crystal Peoples-Stokes   No report filed as of October 12th pm

Republican – Ross Kostecky   No report filed as of October 12th pm

State Assembly — 142^nd District

Democrat – Patrick Burke   $32,743

Republican – Eric Bohen   $21,889

State Assembly – 143^rd District

Democrat – Monica Wallace     $70,872

Republican – Daniel Centinello Sr.    $500

State Assembly – 144^th District

Democrat – Joseph DiPasquale   $1,643

Republican – Michael Norris   $88,558

State Assembly – 145^th District

Democrat – no candidate

Republican – Angelo Morinello   $80,498

State Assembly – 146^th District

Democrat – Karen McMahon   $30,722

Republican – Ray Walter   $73,229

State Assembly – 147^th District

Democrat – Luke Wochensky   $24,890

Republican – David DiPietro   $58,967

State Assembly – 149^th District

Democrat – Sean Ryan   $223,869

Republican – Joseph Totaro     No report filed as of October 12th pm

Erie County Court Judge

Suzanne Maxwell Barnes  $1,158

Erie County Family Court

Lisa B. Rodwin   $18,730

Erie County Clerk

Democrat – Angela Marinucci   $44,893

Republican – Michael Kearns   $64,002