Once one of Albany’s most powerful men, former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for corruption. “Here’s the thing about corruption: It makes the public very cynical”, she said.
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While Bharara’s anti-corruption investigations remain active, with ongoing probes targeting aides to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio’s fundraising, Bharara and others have been critical of the lack of legislation in Albany to tighten up ethics laws.
Assemblywoman Jane Corwin called for reform of legislative rules following the sentencing Tuesday of former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.
Cuomo referred to them as the “three amigos” as recently as his State of the State address past year.
Last month, prosecutors, in a written submission to the judge, offered what they said was additional evidence of the ways Silver had abused his office “for personal benefit”, by helping two women with whom he had conducted extramarital affairs. Outside the courthouse today, Silver was asked about an appeal and said, “I believe in the justice system, and we will pursue all remedies that are available”. The disgraced lawmaker must report to prison by noon on July 1st.
Silver’s lawyers argued at trial that prosecutors had overreached by criminalizing the type of political dealmaking that often occurs in Albany.
In court filings, prosecutors had asked that Silver (D) face a term “substantially in excess” of 10 years.
Assemblymember Jane Corwin (R-Clarence) also weighed in on the Silver sentencing.
She also imposed a $1.75 million fine and a $5.3 million forfeiture.
Moments before Silver was sentenced, his successor in the Assembly, Alice Cancel, who won a special election last month, was seated for the first time.
Dick Dadey, with the reform group Citizens Union, who waited outside the courtroom to hear the sentence, said it’s a fair punishment.
The sentencing caps a stunning fall from power for Silver, a Democrat who represented Manhattan’s Lower East Side and served as speaker of the state Assembly from 1994 to 2015.
Minutes later, he appeared to have no reaction when Caproni announced the sentence.
Silver was accused of receiving $700,000 in payments from one law firm in exchange for using his official position to obtain recurring tax certiorari legal claims of two real estate developer clients with business before the New York State Legislature.
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Silver, who was convicted of fraud and extortion, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison Tuesday.
