Albany, NY – After wielding power for decades as one of the state’s most influential politicians, former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was sentenced Tuesday to 12 years in prison after being convicted of using his office to trade favors for millions of dollars in kickbacks. The Manhattan Democrat joined a long and growing list of state lawmakers who have been sentenced for crimes including bribery, conspiracy, tax evasion, fraud and racketeering. More than 30 lawmakers have left office since 2000 facing criminal or ethical allegations.
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Here are some of them, and their sentences. All are no longer in the legislature.
—SEN. MALCOLM SMITH, 7 years
Smith, a former Democratic Senate leader, was accused of authorizing $200,000 in bribes to scheme his way onto the New York City mayoral ballot line as a Republican to avoid a crowded Democratic primary. Smith was convicted in 2015 of conspiracy, bribery and other charges.
—REP. WILLIAM SCARBOROUGH, 13 months
The Democrat from Queens admitted submitting at least $40,000 in false expense vouchers for days he wasn’t in Albany. The 69-year-old Scarborough was also convicted of using $38,000 in campaign funds for personal use.
—SEN. THOMAS LIBOUS, 6-month house arrest
The terminally ill former deputy majority leader was convicted in 2015 of lying to the FBI about arranging a $150,000 law firm job for his son. Prosecutors did not seek prison time for the Binghamton Republican because he has cancer.
—REP. WILLIAM BOYLAND JR., 14 years
A former Democratic assemblyman from Brooklyn, Boyland was sentenced in September after being convicted in a sting of taking bribes from a carnival promoter and two undercover FBI agents posing as real estate investors.
—REP. ERIC STEVENSON, 3 years
The former Democratic state assemblyman from the Bronx was sentenced in 2014 after being convicted of accepting $22,000 in bribes from businessmen.
—SEN. SHIRLEY HUNTLEY, 1 year
The Queens Democrat admitted embezzling nearly $88,000 from a state-funded nonprofit she controlled and was sentenced in 2013. Government officials revealed that Huntley had been working with them to expose corruption, secretly recording nine people in her home.
—SEN. PEDRO ESPADA, 5 years
The Bronx Democrat and one-time Senate majority leader pleaded guilty to tax fraud charges and was sentenced in 2013. He had been accused of looting taxpayer-subsidized clinics to pay for children’s pony rides and other extravagances. Espada operated the clinics in the South Bronx for three decades.
—SEN. CARL KRUGER, 7 years
The Brooklyn Democrat pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges after he was accused of pocketing more than $1 million in what prosecutors said was “a broad-based bribery racket.”
—SEN. NICHOLAS SPANO, 1 year and a day
The Yonkers Republican admitted in 2012 that he underpaid his income taxes by $53,000.
—SEN. HIRAM MONSERRATE, 2 years
The Queens Democrat pleaded guilty to fraud charges in 2012. Prosecutors said Monserrate secretly funneled about $100,000 meant for community programs to a failed 2006 state Senate primary bid; the former New York Police Department officer was ultimately elected to the Senate in 2008. He was expelled two years later following a misdemeanor conviction on charges of assaulting his girlfriend.
—SEN. VINCENT LEIBELL, 21 months
The Putnam County Republican and 28-year legislative veteran admitted evading taxes and trying to influence a grand jury. He was sentenced in 2011. He said he failed to report $43,000 in kickbacks from attorneys who did business with a not-for-profit organization he founded.
—SEN. EFRAIN GONZALEZ, 7 years
The Bronx Democrat admitted that he siphoned $600,000 from charity groups that received state grants from the Legislature. He was sentenced in 2010.
—REP. ANTHONY SEMINERIO, 6 years
The Queens Democrat pleaded guilty in 2009 to defrauding his constituents of honest services and collecting $1 million in consulting fees by leveraging his legislative job. He died in federal prison at age 75.
—REP. BRIAN MCLAUGHLIN, 6 years
The Queens Democrat pleaded guilty to racketeering charges alleging he skimmed $2.2 million from a campaign committee, union accounts meant to provide benefits for members and even contributions to a Little League baseball program. He was sentenced in 2009.
Wow! These lawmakers should have practiced in Israel where ALL their lawmakers and judges are the most clean, upright people on earth. None of them were ever found to be corrupted nor taking bribe, ever, ever, ever. Tzaddikim gemurim!
Looking mighty smug there. 12 years will pass quickly and it’s a nice prison.
wow, so much corruption in NYC. so sad, too.
His wife and kids are probably glad he’s out of their life. Surrendering the money probably bothers them more than his prison time.
What did he do different than any other politician?
He just asked the judge to send him to a “nice” prison in Otisville. That takes chutzpah since his family won’t visit him. He still things people should bow down to him.