State Senator Tom Libous is being indicted for allegedly making false claims to the FBI. An ongoing federal investigation is looking into whether Libous used his influence to obtain a job for his son at a law firm in Westchester County. His son, Matthew, is also being charged with six counts, including impeding or obstructing the IRS and filing false tax returns. Back in April of 2012, then-Binghamton Mayor Matt Ryan filed a complaint to the state’s ethics board after an attorney testified in an unrelated trial that Libous had not only pushed for his son to be hired, but also given a raise at the law firm. According to the indictment, an investigation by the FBI and IRS looked into allegations that Libous had secured his son the job at a law firm in White Plains, New York in exchange for a promise of steering business toward the firm. The indictment also says that a lobbying firm allegedly paid $50,000 to the law firm to cover the cost of Libous’ son inflated salary and the lease of a Range Rover for his son. During the course of the investigation, Libous was interviewed on June 24, 2010, and that’s when the FBI alleges that Libous made false statements. Among the alleged false statements were that Libous could not recall how his son began work at the firm, no deals were made with the firm, and he never promised to refer work, among other claims. Both Libous and his son are set to be arraigned today.
