ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - A former upstate New York mayor who admitted to stealing campaign contributions avoided prison time Wednesday when a federal judge sentenced him to probation.
Ex-Cohoes mayor Shawn Morse, who pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud last year, was sentenced in federal court to two years of probation, 200 hours of community service and a $3,000 fine.
Morse last year admitted to receiving more than $12,000 in political contributions from at least 10 people to pay for personal expenses, including hotel and restaurant bills.
According to the plea agreement, Morse deposited a $500 campaign contribution into his personal checking account in 2015. Instead of using the money for his mayoral campaign, Morse used the funds to pay for “an outstanding invoice for improvements to his personal residence,” according to the document.
In arguing for leniency, the attorney for the ex-mayor, William J. Dreyer, noted that his client spent 26 years with Cohoes’ fire department and served as a member of the Albany County Legislature. Dreyer also wrote that Morse would dress up as Santa and deliver toys to struggling families on Christmas Eve.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Hanlon acknowledged Morse’s public service background in court Wednesday but urged the judge to impose prison time and described his behavior as reprehensible. He argued Morse betrayed the public’s trust.
The campaign theft, he said, was a “one-two punch” for the ex-mayor’s supporters who gave their money to advance his political career.
Morse, standing before a federal judge, apologized for his actions, emphasized his love for his hometown and said that he is a good man.
Outside a federal courthouse in downtown Albany, Morse said he was happy the judge “recognized all of my hard work.”
“I’m going to rise again a thousand times. My life is going to be extraordinary. I’m going to continue to do extraordinary things to help people,” he said.
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Ryan Tarinelli is a corps member for Report for America, a nonprofit organization that supports local news coverage in a partnership with The Associated Press for New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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