ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York taxpayers may have to pay more than $700,000 to cover the legal expenses of a state lawmaker whose conviction on charges of lying to the FBI was vacated after his death.
Former Republican Sen. Thomas Libous (LIH’-buhs), of Binghamton, was convicted in 2015 of lying about what prosecutors said was a scheme to funnel money from a lobbyist to his son.
Libous died of cancer in 2016 before he completed his appeal. The conviction was later overturned by an appeals court, which also ordered $50,000 in fines be returned to his estate.
The Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin reports (https://press.sn/2yilBJB) that under New York law the state is required to pay the legal bills of government workers or lawmakers who beat criminal charges related to their official duties.
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Information from: Press & Sun-Bulletin, https://www.pressconnects.com
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