Sheldon Silver won’t have to go to jail for at least another year after a judge granted him bail pending appeal, according to a report.
The former speaker of the State Assembly had been sentenced to 12 years in prison for corruption in May, and initially faced a surrender date of Aug. 31. Silver will still have to start paying $7 million in fines and forfeitures in monthly payments of $5,846 starting Sept. 1.
Silver is appealing his conviction over fraud, extortion and money laundering charges based on a recent Supreme Court ruling that defined corruption more narrowly than before.
Prosecutors found that Silver received at least $4 million in illegal payments. One scheme involved Glenwood Management and Steve Witkoff, who referred business to a law firm that secretly paid fees to Silver.
Soon after Silver’s conviction, State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his son Adam were also found guilty of corruption. [NYP] – Konrad Putzier