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ALBANY WATCH

Skelos out, Flanagan in as N.Y. Senate leader

Jon Campbell
jcampbell1@gannett.com
New York Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, R-Rockville Centre, arrives to his office at the Capitol on Monday, May 11, 2015, in Albany. Skelos could face a vote seeking his ouster if he refuses to step aside following his arrest last week on federal corruption charges. Skelos has so far rejected calls to resign from Democrats and a growing number of members from his own Republican Party. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

ALBANY - Embattled Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos stepped down from his powerful post Monday, clearing the way for a fellow Long Island lawmaker to succeed him.

Sen. John Flanagan, R-Suffolk County, became the state Senate's new leader Monday afternoon, locking up support among his Republican colleagues in a closed-door meeting after Skelos decided to resign. He was formally voted in by the Senate later in the afternoon.

The move came one week after Skelos, R-Nassau County, was arrested by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, who filed a six-count criminal complaint accusing Skelos of using his political influence to personally enrich his 32-year-old son.

Flanagan, 54, spent much of the weekend quietly jockeying for the position with Sen. John DeFrancisco, a 68-year-old Syracuse Republican who had won the support of many upstate political leaders. After a private meeting Monday afternoon, the Senate's slim Republican majority emerged around 3 p.m. to say it had decided on Flanagan before heading to the Senate floor to formally install him.

"I know that we have some very vexing issues to deal with before the end of the session," Flanagan said shortly after being elected. "I believe we have people of good spirit, of good will and faith who are willing to compromise so we can come to accord on a lot of things that are very important to people of every community in this state."

The state Legislature's 2015 session is scheduled to run through June 17.

Flanagan is a seven-term senator who was first elected to the Senate in 2002. Prior to that, he was elected to the state Assembly at the age of 25 in 1986.

He takes control of the Legislature's upper chamber with Albany in a time of turmoil.

With his resignation, Skelos became the second legislative leader to relinquish his title in the past four months. In January, then-Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, was forced to resign by his Democratic colleagues after he was arrested on fraud charges.

Like Silver, Skelos, 67, had initially tried to remain in his influential position, which has a seat at state budget negotiations and holds immense power over major legislation.

But after Senate Republicans initially stuck by him following his May 4 arrest, Skelos' support quickly began to erode. As of Monday morning, 10 of the chamber's Republicans had called on him to step down.

In a statement, Skelos said the media scrutiny of him and his family ultimately was too much to take. His son, Adam, was also charged by Bharara.

"This scrutiny was more real and more eye-opening than I could have ever imagined when I asked the members of our conference to stand by me last week," Skelos said in his statement. "With that in mind, I have decided to step down as temporary president and majority leader of the New York State Senate."

Skelos and his son have maintained their innocence and have not yet been indicted. Skelos will remain a senator, and he cast his vote in favor of Flanagan.

Thirty-two of the Senate's 63 lawmakers voted for Flanagan once it was brought to the floor, including 31 Republicans and Sen. Simcha Felder, a Brooklyn Democrat who caucuses with the GOP.

Senate Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, offered her congratulations to Flanagan. But she called on Republicans to support reforms to the state government, which has seen nearly 40 lawmakers face legal or ethical charges over the past 15 years.

"Unfortunately, today is not a day for celebrations," Stewart-Cousins said in a statement. "It is simply another reminder of the culture of corruption that has plagued Albany for too long and must be addressed."

Flanagan's financial disclosure forms show he earned between $100,000 and $150,000 in income in 2013 from the Long Island law firm of Forchelli, Curto, Deegan, Schwartz, Mineo & Terrana.

Speaking to reporters after his election Monday, Flanagan said he tendered his resignation to the firm last week.

Flanagan also told reporters he would continue to have Sen. Thomas Libous, R-Binghamton, serve as deputy majority leader. Libous, who is battling cancer and missed the floor vote Monday as he recovered from a post-surgery back infection, is awaiting trial in July on a charge of lying to the FBI.

"Senator Libous is the deputy leader, and I don't envision that changing," Flanagan said. "First of all, his length of experience, his service, his guidance. And you know, Tom Libous may be in Florida, but he's no shrinking violet. He's on the phone all the time."

Sen. Rich Funke, R-Penfield, Monroe County, said the vote between DeFrancisco and Flanagan was close when Republicans were polled behind closed doors. The senators had been divided between upstate and downstate loyalties, and upstate leaders were pressing senators to support DeFrancisco.

Funke had supported DeFrancisco, but said it's important for the GOP to unify behind Flanagan now that he's been elected.

"Everybody is going to rally around John Flanagan," Funke said. "The most important thing we can do is to unify as a party. My guy didn't win. John Flanagan won, and we're all going to support him."

JCAMPBELL1@gannett.com

Twitter.com/JonCampbellGAN