Edgetho
Platinum Member
- Mar 27, 2012
- 15,797
- 7,041
I could fill the Board every day with nothing but criminal dimocraps. Because that's what they are. They're not a political party, they're a criminal organization. Always have been, always will be
N.Y. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver accused of $4 million bribery and kickback scheme, Dems continue to support him
Silver, who has been one of the most powerful lawmakers in Albany for more than two decades, surrendered to authorities Thursday morning. A five-count federal complaint accuses him of accepting millions from firms seeking his influence in Albany.
BY KENNETH LOVETT , JOHN MARZULLI , GREG B. SMITH
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Published: Thursday, January 22, 2015, 1:55 AM
Updated: Thursday, January 22, 2015, 4:01 PM
Sheldon Silver mobbed by reporters and photographers outside Manhattan Federal Court at 500 Pearl St. Thursday.
JOE MARINO/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver declared his innocence Thursday after facing bombshell federal corruption charges of soliciting $4 million in dirty money over the last 15 years.
“I am confident that after a full hearing and due process, I will be vindicated of these charges,” a relaxed Silver announced after his release on $200,000 bond following a Manhattan Federal Court hearing.
Silver, spied earlier taking an uncomfortable ride to the courthouse alongside an FBI agent, made his brief appearance after U.S. Attorney Preet Bhahara blasted him as the epitome of a corrupt politician.
EDITORIAL: Speaker Silver has been laid bare as a polite extortionist
“For many years, New Yorkers have asked the question, ‘How could Speaker Silver, one of the most powerful men in New York, earn millions of dollars in outside income without deeply compromising his ability to honestly serve his constituents?’” said Bharara.
“Today we provide the answer: He didn’t.”
JOE MARINO/NEW YORK DAILY NEWSSheldon Silver surrendered to authorities Thursday after a federal investigation produced a five-count criminal complaint against him.
The stunning five-count criminal complaint accused the Manhattan Democrat, an Albany power broker for decades, with pocketing millions in bribes and kickbacks in return for wielding his massive influence.
“Speaker Silver lied and misled the public about his outside incomes,” U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara told a news conference hours after Silver turned himself in.
“These charges go to the very core of what ails Albany — a lack of transparency, lack of accountability and a lack of principle joined with an overabundance of greed, cronyism and self-dealing.”
Bharara’s office received court warrants to seize $3.4 million from eight of Silver’s accounts at a half-dozen banks.
Each of the counts against Silver carries a maximum 20-year jail term — five years longer than the length of time that prosecutors claim the speaker was collecting his crooked cash.
The federal prosecutor said Silver’s approach to his illegal income was simple: “He did nothing. As alleged, Speaker Silver never did any legal work. He just sat back and collected millions of dollars.”
Silver was accused of pressuring two real estate companies doing business with the state to hire a law firm that was regularly paying him bribes, the 35-page complaint charged.
The beneficiary of the increased business was Jay Arthur Goldberg, 75, who once worked as Silver’s lawyer in the Assembly, sources indicated.
Goldberg, of the Manhattan law firm Goldberg & Iryami, was also once employed by the city Tax Commission during the Koch administrations.
The majority of the $4 million came after Silver steered $500,000 in taxpayer funds to a doctor who in turn referred asbestos cases to Weitz & Luxenberg, a personal injury firm affiliated with the speaker for decades.
Lawmakers on both sides of aisle call on Sheldon Silver to quit
The state money was provided to Dr. Robert Taub for research by the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation — with some of the additional funds going for unspecified “additional benefits” to the doctor’s family, the court papers charges.
TODD MAISEL/NEW YORK DAILY NEWSAssembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has been accused of accepting $6 million in bribes and kickbacks.
Taub, who is affiliated with Columbia University, is cooperating with the FBI, court papers revealed. Silver sponsored a May 2011 “official resolution” by the assembly honoring Taub.
Silver collected more than $3.2 million in referral fees from the law firm after directing more than 100 clients to Weitz & Luxenberg for asbestos litigation, according to the complaint.
But not a single one of the firm's clients ever contacted Silver or spoke with the politician about their cases, even as the law firm kept paying the fees.
Silver had long insisted publicly that he sent “plain, ordinary, simple people” with legitimate personal injury cases to the law firm, the court documents note.
No one else was charged with Silver — although one alleged co-conspirator was mentioned.
Asked if more charges were coming, Bharara replied, “Stay tuned.”
N.Y. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver accused of $4 million bribery and kickback scheme, Dems continue to support him
Silver, who has been one of the most powerful lawmakers in Albany for more than two decades, surrendered to authorities Thursday morning. A five-count federal complaint accuses him of accepting millions from firms seeking his influence in Albany.
BY KENNETH LOVETT , JOHN MARZULLI , GREG B. SMITH
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Published: Thursday, January 22, 2015, 1:55 AM
Updated: Thursday, January 22, 2015, 4:01 PM
Sheldon Silver mobbed by reporters and photographers outside Manhattan Federal Court at 500 Pearl St. Thursday.
JOE MARINO/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver declared his innocence Thursday after facing bombshell federal corruption charges of soliciting $4 million in dirty money over the last 15 years.
“I am confident that after a full hearing and due process, I will be vindicated of these charges,” a relaxed Silver announced after his release on $200,000 bond following a Manhattan Federal Court hearing.
Silver, spied earlier taking an uncomfortable ride to the courthouse alongside an FBI agent, made his brief appearance after U.S. Attorney Preet Bhahara blasted him as the epitome of a corrupt politician.
EDITORIAL: Speaker Silver has been laid bare as a polite extortionist
“For many years, New Yorkers have asked the question, ‘How could Speaker Silver, one of the most powerful men in New York, earn millions of dollars in outside income without deeply compromising his ability to honestly serve his constituents?’” said Bharara.
“Today we provide the answer: He didn’t.”
The stunning five-count criminal complaint accused the Manhattan Democrat, an Albany power broker for decades, with pocketing millions in bribes and kickbacks in return for wielding his massive influence.
“Speaker Silver lied and misled the public about his outside incomes,” U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara told a news conference hours after Silver turned himself in.
“These charges go to the very core of what ails Albany — a lack of transparency, lack of accountability and a lack of principle joined with an overabundance of greed, cronyism and self-dealing.”
Bharara’s office received court warrants to seize $3.4 million from eight of Silver’s accounts at a half-dozen banks.
Each of the counts against Silver carries a maximum 20-year jail term — five years longer than the length of time that prosecutors claim the speaker was collecting his crooked cash.
The federal prosecutor said Silver’s approach to his illegal income was simple: “He did nothing. As alleged, Speaker Silver never did any legal work. He just sat back and collected millions of dollars.”
Silver was accused of pressuring two real estate companies doing business with the state to hire a law firm that was regularly paying him bribes, the 35-page complaint charged.
The beneficiary of the increased business was Jay Arthur Goldberg, 75, who once worked as Silver’s lawyer in the Assembly, sources indicated.
Goldberg, of the Manhattan law firm Goldberg & Iryami, was also once employed by the city Tax Commission during the Koch administrations.
The majority of the $4 million came after Silver steered $500,000 in taxpayer funds to a doctor who in turn referred asbestos cases to Weitz & Luxenberg, a personal injury firm affiliated with the speaker for decades.
Lawmakers on both sides of aisle call on Sheldon Silver to quit
The state money was provided to Dr. Robert Taub for research by the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation — with some of the additional funds going for unspecified “additional benefits” to the doctor’s family, the court papers charges.
TODD MAISEL/NEW YORK DAILY NEWSAssembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has been accused of accepting $6 million in bribes and kickbacks.
Taub, who is affiliated with Columbia University, is cooperating with the FBI, court papers revealed. Silver sponsored a May 2011 “official resolution” by the assembly honoring Taub.
Silver collected more than $3.2 million in referral fees from the law firm after directing more than 100 clients to Weitz & Luxenberg for asbestos litigation, according to the complaint.
But not a single one of the firm's clients ever contacted Silver or spoke with the politician about their cases, even as the law firm kept paying the fees.
Silver had long insisted publicly that he sent “plain, ordinary, simple people” with legitimate personal injury cases to the law firm, the court documents note.
No one else was charged with Silver — although one alleged co-conspirator was mentioned.
Asked if more charges were coming, Bharara replied, “Stay tuned.”
