Ex-New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has been indicted on three charges after being arrested in a federal bribery case last month.
Silver was indicted on Thursday by a grand jury in Manhattan federal court. The charges are honest services mail fraud, honest services wire fraud and extortion under the color of his official duties.
Lawyers Joel Cohen and Steven Molo say they will “fight for his total vindication.” Silver has said he is confident it will come.
Silver had led the Assembly for over 20 years when he was arrested. Prosecutors said he had collected nearly $4 million in bribes and kickbacks since 2002 and disguised the proceeds as legitimate income.
He has since resigned as speaker but has said he intends to keep his Assembly seat.
(AP)
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4 Responses
They never would have arrested him if it wasn’t a slam dunk, at the very least for an indictment.
The “honest servies” fraud is a controversial doctrine that has not been doing well in appeals court. Unlike like being accused of accepting bribes and kickbacks, and doing something in return for the money, its means he’s accused of letting otherwise legal payments influence how he does his job and not giving the voters the full value of his “honest services.” Its a questionable legal theory that might not survive the trial.
I guess for once I agree with akuperma. The honest services charge , is very sketchy. If I recall correctly, I think a senator in Alaska or somewhere on the west coast , had such a conviction overturned. However, I think that they have enough other goods on Silver to convict him of some felony, and when things become clearer, he will take a plea bargain. I dont believe that he will walk away scott free from this.
“never seen a grand jury that couldnt indict a ham sandwich” they are all one sided and the prosecutor says whatever he wants and nobody talks up for the accused. in most jurisdictions it’s a rubber stamping process