New York – New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who has been one of the most powerful men in Albany for more than two decades, was arrested Thursday.
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FBI spokesman Peter Donald confirmed the 70-year-old Silver was taken into custody around 8 a.m. at FBI headquarters in New York City, but he declined to discuss the charges. Silver was expected to make a court appearance later Thursday, and the U.S. attorney’s office was expected to hold a news conference to discuss the case.
Silver’s spokesman Michael Whyland declined to comment before the arrest.
The NY Daily News reports, that Silver was being held Thursday at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan, law enforcement sources said. He was afforded the right of self-surrender, as opposed to a public “perp” walk, owing to his status as a veteran state lawmaker.
The arrest sent shock waves through New York’s Capitol as a new legislative session has begun, and it came just a day after Silver shared the stage with Gov. Andrew Cuomo during his State of the State address.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara took over the files of New York’s Moreland anti-corruption commission after Cuomo closed it in April. He said in October that investigations into Albany’s pay-to-play politics are continuing.
The commission and Bharara were looking into lawmakers’ earnings outside their state salaries. Silver’s outside income has long been a subject of discussion and controversy. Last year, he reported making up to $750,000 for legal work, mostly with the trial firm of Weitz & Luxenberg.
As speaker of the Democrat-controlled Assembly, Silver is one of the most influential people in New York state government. Along with the Senate majority leader and the governor, he plays a major role in creating state budgets, laws and policies in a system long-criticized in Albany as “three men in a room.”
Silver has gone toe-to-toe with five New York governors _ from the late Mario Cuomo to his son Andrew Cuomo _ since early 1994, when he was selected Assembly speaker to replace the ailing Saul Welprin.
Silver was first elected to the Assembly in 1976, representing a district on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, where he was born and still lives with his wife, Rosa.
A graduate of Brooklyn Law School and a practicing attorney, Silver has championed liberal causes in the Legislature, where he has used his position as a powerbroker to support teachers, trial lawyers and civil service unions.
But he has also seen more than his share of corruption and scandal in his chamber. Several Assembly members have been hit in recent years with criminal charges ranging from taking bribes to using campaign funds for personal expenses.
In 2003, Silver’s then-counsel, Michael Boxley, was convicted of sexual misconduct. Nine years later, Silver handled a confidential settlement of $103,000 in public funds for two women who said they were sexually harassed by their boss, then-Assemblyman Vito Lopez of Brooklyn. After the details of the settlement went public, the Assembly speaker was criticized for his role. Silver later said the case should have been handled by the ethics committee.
This is exciting news and I will be following the story with interest.
Finally. Payback for an ambulance chaser. Kein yirbu.
This news is not good for the Jewish People. I pray that it stays quiet.
The bigger chillul hashem is Shelly Silver promoting gay marriage. The Catholic church could not believe it either that Mr Silver would promote gay marriage as an Orthodox Jew if not for him gay marriage in New York would be illegal this might be a sign from G-d that don’t do things contrary to your belief
The problem with American Jews across the board holy and unholy ones is that you never experienced real persecution but you are working on it. I survived 7 years of Hitler of which 3 1/2 years in a concentration camp. I arrived in this country and finally worked in a professional for uncle Sam. Kept my nose clean , raised children and married a wonderful young lady. My goal was to sit Friday night and sing Zmiros without the SS knocking on the door. Here a premier full of hubris lectures Merkel about antisemitism and shlepps as much he can from Germany while survivors were cheated from the Wiedergutmachung and will make a gala appearance in the U.S. Congress and lecture again . Now Mr. Silver had a powerful position and probably arrested on “false” charged, rampant anti-Semitism. Fools you will create a calamity on all Jews and then we must do teshuva. Keep your noses clean , have a low profile and be grateful you live in this country and don’t know and don’t want to know what Birkenau and Treblinka are
Those of you that assume that he is guilty should be ashamed of yourselves. Who are you to pass judgment? Do you know anything about him or the charges or the law or what he did for the law firm? (Rhetorical question. Implicit answer- “No.”) You are all over on every issur of bein adam lechaveiro with every word you write. Dan lekaf zechus, lashon hara, chesed, ve’ahavta,….. Shame on you, you are like modern Madam DeFarge knitting at the guillotine.
Some how I fell like we’re supposed to be sad about this, but he was a left wing American liberal before he was a jew, so what the halacha?
I am outraged at my “brothers and sisters” who are so quick to judge. Leave it up to the Bais Din Shel Maala. It is not our place to determine guilt or innocence, and like it or not, it is incumbent upon us to help him if we are able. Chas Vshalom should this incite sinas chinam.
“This” has not incited sinas chinam. Silver has by his behaviour.