A former Democratic Party chairman from upstate New York admits arranging for a Canadian citizen to make an illegal $25,000 donation to a New York official's re-election campaign.
G. Steven Pigeon of Buffalo pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge Tuesday. It was the second guilty plea in two weeks from the former Erie County party chairman. He pleaded guilty in county court Sept. 28 to bribing a judge.
In Tuesday's case, prosecutors say Pigeon admits that while working as a political consultant, he solicited the donation from a Canadian business executive, knowing that foreign donations to state campaigns are illegal.
When the unidentified state official rejected the donation, Pigeon and the executive arranged for it to come, in name only, from a U.S. resident.
Pigeon faces sentencing Jan. 25.
