Vincent Leibell

Leibell was born in New York City. His grandfather and namesake was a federal judge, Vincent L. Leibell.

Leibell worked as an Assistant District Attorney in the Westchester County District Attorney's office. He was a Captain in the United States Navy and a Rear Admiral in the New York Naval Militia.

He is married, with three children. He received his BA and JD from Saint John's University, as well as an MPA from New York University. Because he was convicted of two felony counts of corruption in 2010, Leibell was forced to forfeit his law license.[http://www.lohud.com/article/20101202/NEWS04/12020426/Leibell-will-not-take-office-as-Putnam-county-exec "Leibell will not take office as Putnam County Executive"]. Journal News. (Dec 2, 2010) According to the Daily News, Leibell pleaded guilty to two charges to end a Federal investigation of him.[http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2010/12/leibell-wont-take-office.html "Sources: Leibell to plead guilty to corruption"]

Leibell entered politics as a Republican. He was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1983 to 1994, sitting in the 185th, 186th, 187th, 188th, 189th, 190th. In November 1994, he was elected to the State Senate, defeating Ex-Lieutenant Governor Alfred DelBello.

Leibell was a member of the New York State Senate from 1995 to 2010, sitting in the 191st, 192nd, 193rd, 194th, 195th, 196th, 197th and 198th New York State Legislatures. In November 2010, he was elected Putnam County Executive.[http://yonkerstribune.typepad.com/yonkers_tribune/2010/12/breaking-news-exclusive-senator-leibell-steps-down-as-new-york-state-senator-by-hezi-aris.html BREAKING NEWS EXCLUSIVE: Senator Leibell Steps Down as New York State Senator by Hezi Aris, Yonkers Tribune.] Yonkerstribune.typepad.com (2010-12-02). Retrieved on 2011-01-11.[http://www.lohud.com/article/20101202/NEWS04/12020426/Leibell-will-not-take-office-as-Putnam-county-exec Leibell will not take office as Putnam county exec, Bondi may stay on|LoHud.com|The Journal News]. LoHud.com. Retrieved on 2011-01-11. Over the years, he attracted controversy for his reputation for patronage and as a political kingmaker in Putnam County - the local newspaper cited the rumor that his preferred method of handling political opposition was to "kill them in the cradle."[http://exposeleibell.com/unclevinny/?p=3#/?p=3 ‘Uncle Vinnie’ brings home the bacon for his district]. LoHud.Com. (2005-01-23)

Although he had a twenty-eight year career in the State Legislature, Leibell was not particularly known for his legislative accomplishments and passed no significant legislation with his name attached to it, yet Leibell's largesse with so-called pork barrel spending and ability to "bring home the bacon" earned him the moniker "Uncle Vinnie".[https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/09/nyregion/09towns.html "Another Politician Falls, and Earth Barely Shakes"]. New York Times. Retrieved on 2011-01-11

Even after being convicted of two felonies, Leibell attracted further scandal when it was revealed he used campaign funds to spend $931 on new tires and $267 in Barnes and Nobles visits days after pleading guilty on Federal corruption charges.[http://www.lohud.com/article/20110208/OPINION/102080311/Bending-the-rules-on-campaign-funds Bending the rules on campaign funds|LoHud.com|The Journal News]. LoHud.com. Retrieved on 2011-02-15 The government watchdog group Citizens Union called Leibell's actions part of a "legislative crime wave" in New York State, and named Leibell one of 17 legislators who lost their seat due to criminal issues from 2004 to 2010.[https://online.wsj.com/article/AP4e2f1c90a6004dba9cae1c024c61ff0c.html "New York lawmakers increasingly dogged by scandal"]. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved on 2011-01-11

On June 26, 2010, the Journal News reported that FBI subpoenaed records for the home that Leibell built in Patterson, New York.[http://www.lohud.com/article/20100626/NEWS04/6260339/FBI-subpoenas-records-on-Sen-Vincent-Leibell-s-home Lohud.com "FBI subpoenas records on Sen. Leibell's home" (June 26, 2010)] On December 6, 2010, Leibell pleaded guilty to felony bribery, tax evasion, and obstruction of justice charges related to $43,000 in cash kickbacks he took from 2003 to 2006. Leibell had resigned from the State Senate on December 2, 2010, just prior to being arrested, which controversially due to a loophole in the New York State pension system allows him to keep a $71,000 pension despite his conviction.[https://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/nyregion/01nyc.html?_r=1 "Retiring Nicely After Betraying Public's Trust"]. New York Times. January 31, 2011

The charges stated Leibell doled out $6.5 million in taxpayer funded "member items" to nonprofit groups he controlled from 2005 to 2010, according to records maintained by the Empire Center for New York State Policy and the Albany Project.[https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/07/nyregion/07leibell.html "Sidewalk Meeting for State Senator and Lawyer Leads to Guilty Plea"]. New York Times. Retrieved on 2011-01-11 He was sentenced to twenty one months in Federal Prison, after a Federal Judge rejected a plea by Leibell's lawyer to have the former Senator sent overseas to do "nation building work" in the Middle East instead of jailtime, a suggestion which outraged the media and local residents whom Leibell had betrayed by his actions.[http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/2011/05/13/ball-leibell-disconnected-from-reality-and-justice/ Ball: Leibell disconnected from “reality and justice"].[https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/14/nyregion/ex-senator-vincent-l-leibell-iii-sentenced-to-prison.html Ex-Senator Gets 21-Month Prison Term in Tax Evasion Case].{{Cite web|url=http://www.theexaminernews.com/leibell-sentenced-to-21-months-in-prison/|title=LEIBELL SENTENCED TO 21 MONTHS IN PRISON | the Examiner News|date=13 May 2011}}

The Leibell property in Patterson, New York formerly belonged to the late actress Elizabeth Montgomery, who employed Leibell's law firm to attend to certain legal matters. Leibell later purchased a portion of the property after the settlement of the Montgomery estate.[http://www.capitaltonight.com/2010/12/leibell-in-hot-water "Leibell In Hot Water"]. Capitol Tonight. Retrieved 1-11-2011. Through use of Leibell's Senate position, the rest of the land became Wonder Lake State Park, which, from its founding in 1998 until 2006, had no discernible public access points.[http://www.putnamcountycourier.com/news/2010-07-01/Front_Page/Leibell_Blames_Ball.html "Senator says assemblyman spurred FBI subpoena relating to his home"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100704172611/http://www.putnamcountycourier.com/news/2010-07-01/Front_Page/Leibell_Blames_Ball.html |date=2010-07-04 }}. Putnam County Courier. Retrieved February 15, 2011

Critics called Wonder Lake a personal park for the Senator, but Lebeill tried to assert it was used by hikers, though the park was shuttered nonetheless by the State amidst the 2010 New York State budget crisis.[http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Report-Feds-study-home-562364.php Report: Feds study home]. Times Union. Retrieved January 1, 2011. Leibell also used $230,000 in taxpayer dollars to construct a wooden footbridge on Route 311 in Patterson which critics derided as a "bridge to nowhere."[http://www.putnamcountycourier.com/news/2010-12-16/Front_Page/Nonprofits_Undergo_Scrutiny.html "Nonprofits Undergo Scrutiny"]. Putnam Courier. Retrieved 2-14-11[http://www.putnamcountycourier.com/news/2010-12-23/Enterprise/Political_Nonprofits_Building_Community_or_Aiding_.html "Political Nonprofits: Building Community or Aiding Corruption?"]. Putnam Courier. Retrieved 2-14-11 Ironically, Leibell had moved to the home from Tammany Hall Road, named after the corrupt political machine run by Boss Tweed in mid-19th century New York.[http://www.putnamcountycourier.com/news/2010-12-09/Front_Page/Culture_of_Corruption.html "Culture of Corruption".] Putnam County Courier. Retrieved 2-14-11

"Leibell has only himself to blame for the fact that, after 28 years in public office, this conviction will be the capstone to that career," said Preet Bharara, the United States attorney for Manhattan who announced Leibell's guilty plea.[http://putnam.our-hometown.com/news/2010-12-22/Local_Government_News/Leibells_Nonprofits_Fall_Under_Scrutiny.html "Leibell's Nonprofits Fall Under Scrutiny"]. LoHud.com. Retrieved on 2011-01-11 Bharara explained that the FBI recorded Leibell threatening not to pay invoices sent to Leibell's 501(c)(3) nonprofit by an unnamed attorney unless the attorney paid half of the invoice amount back to Leibell in cash.[http://www.pcnr.com/news/2010-12-08/Front_Page/Leibell_Guilty_of_Corruption.html "Leibell Guilty of Corruption"]. Putnam News & Recorder. 12-8-2010

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90th District | before = Gordon W. Burrows | after = Sandy Galef | years = 1983–1992}}

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91st District | before = George E. Pataki | after = Willis Stephens | years = 1993–1994}}

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37th District | before = George E. Pataki | after = Suzi Oppenheimer | years = 1995–2002}}

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40th District | before = John Bonacic | years = 2003–2010 | after = Greg Ball}}

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Category:1946 births

Category:Living people

Category:Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service alumni

Category:People from Putnam County, New York

Category:Politicians from New York City

Category:Republican Party New York (state) state senators

Category:Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly

Category:American people convicted of tax crimes

Category:Prisoners and detainees of the United States federal government

Category:American politicians convicted of fraud

Category:New York (state) politicians convicted of corruption

Category:New York (state) politicians convicted of crimes

Category:21st-century members of the New York State Legislature

Category:20th-century members of the New York State Legislature