Silver’s counterpart in the Senate until recently, former Majority Leader Dean Skelos, and his son, Adam, are enduring their own federal trial in Manhattan.
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With the conviction, Silver is automatically removed from the Assembly. A jury found him guilty. Others declined to comment. After their arrests, both resigned from their posts but retained their seats. Cuomo on Monday said it is time for the legislature to take corruption seriously.
“The bell could not be ringing louder for real reform in Albany than it is right now”, said Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky, a former corruption prosecutor now in his first term.
Add Sheldon Silver’s name to the list of those convicted of wrongdoing while serving the people of NY. Bharara had announced charges against Silver, who served the Lower East Side, in January.
Others could challenge the victor of the special election in a September primary, but the party’s candidate would have an edge. So has a former state comptroller.
The verdict against Silver, a Democrat who was the speaker of the Assembly prior to the indictment against him, came in the fifth week of the trial, the New York Times reported.
The decorated doctor testified that he gave Silver leads on his patients who were suffering from the deadly effects of asbestos exposure.
And while lawmakers and good government groups are looking ahead, Bruce Roter says a lot can be learned from the past.
Heastie said he was “deeply saddened” by the news but vowed to work to clean up Albany.
“This year, the Assembly Republican Conference will once again be introducing reforms aimed at ridding the Capitol of corruption in government and limit the accumulation and abuse of power that was so prevalent in this case”, Kolb, R-Canandaigua, said.
Together with the governor and the state Senate majority leader, he was one of the so-called “three men in a room” who control virtually all legislation under New York’s governance system.
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That’s why one could probably be forgiven for thinking that there’s nothing particularly unusual or noteworthy about Silver’s conduct – for seeing Silver as just another cog in a machine much bigger and older than himself. In exchange, Silver steered $500,000 in taxpayer funds to Taub’s research projects and helped his son and daughter get a job and an internship, the prosecutor said.
