Skelos Out as New York Senate Majority Leader

Matthew Cavanaugh/Getty Images [file][/caption]Amid growing pressure, Republican New York State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos of Long Island is retaining his senate seat but relinquishes his leadership role.

Skelos is accused of corruption, allegedly using his power in state government to extort payments to his son, Adam from an environmental technology company and a real estate firm.

While both Skelos and his son, who is also facing charges, have maintained their innocence, the elder Skelos has bowed to pressure from his own party as well as Democrats and the governor to step down as Senate leader.

The new leader of the Senate is Republican John Flanagan of Suffolk County.

Skelos joins a growing list of New York State politicians accused of corruption, including Assembly Speaker, Democrat, Sheldon Silver, who also resigned his leadership role and State Senator Thomas Libous of Binghamton, who is due in court in July to face a federal charge alleging he lied to the FBI about using his position as Deputy Senate Leader to get his son a job with a Westchester County law firm.