A controversial figure in contemporary Western New York politics, Pigeon was Erie County Democratic Chairman from 1996 to 2002, parlaying his clout to become an advisor to State Senator Pedro Espada Jr., Tom Golisano, and Clare Bronfman of NXIVM.
[16] Pigeon first worked for a campaign in 1972, stuffing envelopes for Vincent Graber, Member of the New York State Assembly representing West Seneca and the Buffalo suburbs.
The loss was viewed as a blow to the power of incumbent political boss, Erie County Democratic Committee Chairman Joseph F.
[17] Aged only 24, Pigeon managed Gary Hart's 1984 Democratic Party presidential primary campaign in upstate New York.
In 1985, Pigeon ran as an "independent Democrat" for the Erie County Legislature's 9th District, challenging the incumbent Republican minority leader Robert Meier.
"[18] Pigeon won a special election to the Erie County Legislature seat for West Seneca in 1988 and then a full (two-year) term in 1989.
He served on the Clinton transition team and was appointed special assistant to Secretary Donna Shalala at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
[23] Later that year Pigeon ran for State Assembly to replace his old patron Vincent Graber, in a rematch with Sandra Lee Wirth.
[26] Gorski himself lost his seat in 1999 to Joel Giambra, and Republicans won a number of county and judicial offices during this period.
At the same time, Pigeon became known for supporting billionaire Tom Golisano, who had run as a third-party candidate (i.e. not a Democrat) in statewide elections.
[27] Based in Clifton Park, New York, a suburb of Albany, NXIVM purported to be a multi-level marketing company that offered personal and professional development seminars through its "Executive Success Programs" of large-group awareness training.
Their heavy involvement in the company led their father Edgar Bronfman Sr. to comment in an October 2003 Forbes Magazine article that NXIVM was "a cult.".
[33] In 2018, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York arrested and indicted several members of NXIVM, including leader Keith Raniere and Clare Bronfman.
This activity included delivery of $1 million from Tom Golisano on the eve of Obama's nomination, as well as the formation of a political action committee named Responsible New York.
[40] Roger Stone, Republican strategist and political infighter may have been involved in the discussions, and according to Pigeon, knew about the plan in advance.
[44] Espada spent the remainder of his time in office under the cloud of negative press and investigations by law enforcement.
The Buffalo News reported the deal as changing the legislature to the liking of Byron Brown, the Erie County Executive Chris Collins, and Tom Golisano.
Mr. Pigeon's name has been mentioned in connection with an election scandal in 2007 of the county executive campaign of former West Seneca Supervisor Paul T.
[48] Assistant Erie County District Attorney Mark Sacha published a complete statement accusing his boss, Frank A. Sedita III, of refusing to prosecute Steve Pigeon for election law violations.
[49] Sam Hoyt's campaign spokesman Jeremy C. Toth filed a complaint[50] against Pigeon and Responsible New York, which he sent to the district attorneys of Erie, Monroe, and Albany counties.
Toth hopes that the circumstantial case he makes that Responsible New York staff coordinated its activities with the Barbra Kavanaugh campaign—a felony—will compel the DAs to take a closer look at Pigeon and company.
[53] In April 2010, Pigeon was linked to a federal probe involving Espada and accusations and tax fraud and money laundering.
News reports linked Pigeon to the investigation based on payments made to an Espada-controlled company by a Buffalo-area firm.
[59] In September 2018, Pigeon pled guilty to state charges of third-degree bribery in connection to his interactions with former New York Supreme Court Justice John Michalek.
[61] In the federal case, Pigeon pled guilty to a Superseding Information as part of a plea agreement on October 9, 2018, accepting responsibility for participation in a conspiracy to defraud the United States, in connection to soliciting an illegal $25,000 campaign donation from a foreign national and then disguising the transaction.
[62][63] In November 2018, the Grievance Committee of the Eighth Judicial District struck Pigeon from the rolls of attorneys licensed to practice in the state of New York.
[64] On December 1, 2021, the Buffalo News reported that the Erie County District Attorney investigated Pigeon for allegedly molesting a child.
[11] The following day, Pigeon surrendered at a New York State Police barracks, and his arraignment was held in Erie County Supreme Court.
Speaking with press after the arraignment, Erie County District Attorney's Erie County District Attorney John Flynn opined that remand was justified due to the violent nature of Pigeon's alleged crimes, Pigeon's lack of a permanent home in the Buffalo area, as well as his attempts to contact the family of his accuser.