Ex-N.Y. Assembly Speaker Silver Pleads Not Guilty to Fraud
This article is for subscribers only.
Former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver pleaded not guilty to corruption charges as his lawyer accused Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor of undermining the Democrat’s right to a fair trial by whipping up a “media firestorm.”
Silver, 71, a lawyer and one of the most powerful politicians in New York for more than two decades, stepped down as speaker following his Jan. 22 arrest. The U.S. alleges Silver reaped almost $4 million in kickbacks and illegal fees tied to two separate frauds and by extortion. He faces as long as 20 years in prison if convicted.