NEW YORK – State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, who was the subject this week of news reports that alleged he is under investigation by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, fired back on January 30.

NBC Channel 4 story ran a story the night before that “Bharara is looking into Mr. Skelos’s outside income and into his ties to the real estate industry. The Long Island Republican blasted the story, and claimed he has not been in touch with anyone from the Justice Department,” according to the New York Observer.

Skelos is the highest-ranking Republican in New York state government. Last week Bharara brought corruption charges against Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who was arrested. He formally resigned at noon on January 30.

Skellos’ spokesperson Kelly Cummings said of news report that, ”Last night’s thinly-sourced report by WNBC is irresponsible, and does not meet the standards of serious journalism…As such, we won’t be commenting further.”

“Ms. Cummings, however, did not confirm or deny the story’s contention that Mr. Skelos—who, along with Mr. Silver and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, is one of the ‘three men in a room’ who steer state government—has come under scrutiny,” the Observer wrote.

Skelos serves as a counsel for the law firm Ruskin Moscou Faltischek in Uniondale. He reported being paid between $150,000 and $250,000 by the firm in 2013

An Albany insider told the New York Post, “People over the years have raised the question, ‘What does Dean do for that firm?’ People are nervous.”