George Maziarz

Maziarz is a native of North Tonawanda, New York, where he was educated in local schools, first at Ascension Academy and then at North Tonawanda High School, graduating in 1972. Four years later, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Niagara University. He was appointed City Clerk in his hometown of North Tonawanda in 1978 at the age of 25 and he became Niagara County, New York Clerk in 1989. He is also a past officer and long-time member of Live Hose Co. #4, member of the Niagara County Volunteer Firemen’s Association, Knights of Columbus Council 2535, S.C.O.P.E. and the Niagara University Booster Club. ==New York State Senate==

Maziarz was first elected to the New York State Senate in 1995 and was a "power-broker" in Western New York Republican circles during his term in office. In January 1997, Maziarz was named Chairman of the Senate Aging Committee, a post which he held through the 2001-2002 session. In 2011, Maziarz voted against a similar bill allowing same-sex marriage in New York, the Marriage Equality Act, which narrowly passed the Senate in a close 33-29 vote. In July 2014, "amid reports that his office [was] under investigation by a federal prosecutor," Maziarz announced that he would not seek re-election to the Senate that fall. ==Corruption charges and guilty plea==

In 2014, a team of investigators of the Moreland Commission to Investigate Public Corruption issued subpoenas that showed that "Maziarz's campaign had failed to disclose $147,000 in contributions and $325,000 in spending." A review of Maziarz's bank records showed "personal, nonpolitical expenditures" made from campaign accounts; from 2007 through 2013, investigators found that credit and debit cards associated with Maziarz's campaign funds were used to pay "$28,000 at stores like Pier 1 and Michaels; $7,500 at Shutterfly, the photo-printing site; and $7,850 for reading material, including a stop at a Borders store at Kennedy Airport." Maziarz pleaded not guilty. == References ==