Sheldon Silver, who held a seat in the state Legislature for almost 40 years, was found guilty Nov. 30 on seven corruption charges following a three-week trial in federal court.
After spending more than two days deliberating, a 12-person jury in U.S. District Court in Manhattan found the former Assembly speaker, who served more than 20 years in the role, guilty of seven charges including honest services fraud, extortion and money laundering.
Silver has lost his seat in the Legislature and could face up to 20 years in prison for the conviction, but his attorneys have said they will appeal.
The case, which was championed by the office of U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, hinged on proving that Silver, a Democrat who represented parts of Manhattan, earned about $4 million in kickbacks. Over several years, prosecutors said Silver made money in referral fees from two law firms, Weitz & Luxenberg PC and Goldberg & Iryami PC, after using his government position to award state money and tax breaks to companies that employed or directed business to the law firms.
Silver was arrested about a year ago in January and was forced out as speaker shortly after. He was replaced as Assembly speaker by Carl E. Heastie, a Democrat from the Bronx.
In a statement released yesterday, Bharara said, “Today, Sheldon Silver got justice, and at long last, so did the people of New York.”
The office of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo also released a statement about the verdict. In part, it said: “Corruption was discovered, investigated, and prosecuted, and the jury has spoken. With the allegations proven, it is time for the Legislature to take seriously the need for reform.”
Concurrently, the trial of former state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, a Republican from Long Island, has entered its third week in federal court. Skelos and his son, Adam Skelos, are the faces of a separate corruption case ”“ also brought on by Bharara ”“ in which the senior Skelos has been accused of using his role in the Legislature to arrange employment and payouts to the younger Skelos.
John J. Flanagan, also a Republican from Long Island, was chosen to replace the senior Skelos as the Senate majority leader in May.
