Bribe-taking judge will get annual $120,000 pension

By pleading guilty to bribery-related felonies days ago, John A. Michalek did nothing to jeopardize his six-figure state pension as a former State Supreme Court Justice.

He will be paid approximately $120,500 annually through his golden years, The Buffalo News determined through payroll records and a years-of-service figure provided by the State Comptroller’s Office, which manages the state’s pension funds.

The payments could change slightly based on subtle variables that will be considered before the payments begin later this year, a spokeswoman for the comptroller’s office said after being told of The News’s calculation.

Michalek’s pension is safe, even though New York lawmakers and good-government groups have long argued that public officials should lose all or some portion of their pensions if convicted of a crime related to their official duties. The talk grew louder in recent months with the convictions of major state political figures such as former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos.

Read more: http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/police-courts/bribe-taking-judge-will-get-annual-120000-pension-20160710