A federal judge on Wednesday compared the corrupt clowns running rampant in Albany to a “boil” that needs to be lanced, adding that the bribery scheme that brought down former Bronx Assemblyman Eric Stevenson is a “sad” microcosm of affairs there.
“It really is a sad commentary on the current state of the New York State Assembly,” said Manhattan Judge William Pauley III during the sentencing of two Bronx businessmen who pleaded guilty to bribing Stevenson in exchange for assistance in opening borough adult day-care centers and blocking their competition.
“Ultimately this court is confident that fair-minded prosecutors will work hard to lance that boil and rid the government of those who use their office for their own personal gain,” he added.
Pauley sentenced Igor Belyansky, 42, to 20 months in prison and fellow businessman David Binman, 53, to nine months in prison.
Two weeks earlier, Pauley sentenced two other Bronx businessmen in the bribery scheme.