Lower East Side, NY – Former state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver faces arraignment on bribery charges that spurred his resignation from his role as one of New York’s foremost political powerbrokers.
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The Democrat was due in a Manhattan federal court Tuesday in a case that has rocked the statehouse power structure. Accused of illegally profiting off his outsize influence, Silver has said he’s confident he will be cleared.
“Our client is not guilty. We can now begin to fight for his total vindication,” lawyers Joel Cohen and Steve Molo said when Silver was indicted last week on honest service fraud and extortion charges. The attorneys declined to comment further Monday ahead of Silver’s arraignment.
Silver resigned as speaker after his January arrest, but he retains the lower Manhattan assembly seat he has held for nearly 40 years.
During 21 years as Assembly speaker, Silver played a major part in creating state budgets and policies and was known as a backroom master who could single-handedly decide the fate of legislation.
His arrest roiled Albany, where 28 legislators have stepped down because of criminal or ethical issues during the past 15 years. Four others, including Silver, remain in office while fighting charges.
The case centers on law firm “referral fees” that U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara says were actually kickbacks to Silver, 70, who is an attorney. Prosecutors say he did no legal work for the firms but instead did such favors as lining up state grants that helped a firm’s business.
Silver has said he did work on cases.
“Our client is not guilty” reminds me of I did not have —- with that woman, Silver is as guilty as they come as well as his chief of staff whose husband stole a couple of million dollars from a “charity”.
If he don’t do it why is he going to jail?
How the mighty are fallen. He looks terrible.
Nebech, nebech, so sad to see this once great leader reduced to this. Greed is a terrible thing.
This “once great leader” was never great, just a goniff, in for himself. If you had a business whose interests he was against, he would stack the political deck and kill your prospects. That’s not greatness, that’s just greed. Feh. He may never spend a day in jail due to his “pull”, like goniff Bruno, but at least his reputation has been damaged in the court of public opinion.
New York State Senator and Senate Speaker Joseph Bruno was indicted and found guilty. However, and that’s a big HOWEVER, Bruno was vindicated on appeal. So also the Assembly Majority Speaker right before Silver – Mel Miller – who was found guilty but had his conviction reversed on appeal !!!
Just looking at the numbers, Sheldon Silver has a better than 67% probability that he will either be acquited or that he will be found not-guilty on appleal.
For 21 years, he served as Speaker and performed magnificantly. At the very least, he deserves the benefit of doubt, especially if he is, by law, innocent until found guilt.
Oh, by-the-way, hot shot US Attorney Preet Bharara has had 90% of his cases in the recent insider-trading witch-hunt campaign reversed. Remember this email prediction: Sheldon Silver will prevail and he will be vindicated !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Magnificantly? And where is that email with prediction? If you are one of the more articulate defenders of that man, he is doomed!
According to my sources it’s a weak case and he will be vindicated. Anyway, under our system of law he is innocent until proven guilty. I’m surprised that people post such negative commenys against a fellow Yid.
I am not a family member, nor do I know Sheldon Silver personally. I am looking at the whole picture and made my comment (#6) accordingly. Further, as a member of the frum community, I am embarrased that my fellow Orthodox Jews who frequent Vos Iz Neias would make such ugly comments about another Orthodox Jew. What ever happened to “Don L’Kaf Zechus,” or innocent until proven guilty?
I am having trouble on being don l’kaf zechus YOU. HaShem Yishmireinu.