Sheldon Silver, the speaker of the New York State Assembly, was arrested on federal corruption charges on Thursday for alleged payments he received from a real estate law firm.
According to the New York Times, the speaker allegedly failed to disclose payments he received from Goldberg & Iryami, which represents interests in the New York property business. The firm seeks tax reductions for commercial and residential properties in the city. Goldberg & Iryami is said to have paid Silver money over the course of about a decade, according to the Times.
As he was led into 26 Federal Plaza by federal agents, Silver said, “I hope I’ll be vindicated,” the newspaper reported.
The investigation into Silver, aged 70, began after Governor Andrew Cuomo shut down the Moreland Commission, a panel that investigated corruption in public office. Cuomo created the commission in 2013.
Silver, a Lower East Side Democrat, has served as speaker of the Assembly for more than two decades. [NYT] — Claire Moses