Former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver found guilty on all corruption charges

“Today’s conviction of Sheldon Silver on all counts is justice for all New Yorkers”, Malliotakis said in a statement.

The government had argued that the trial testimony of 25 witnesses and lots of documents proved Silver traded his office for riches: $4 million in kickbacks from a cancer researcher and real estate developers.

Silver stepped down from the leadership post after his January arrest, though he has remained an assemblyman.

“I am deeply saddened by the events that have taken place this year, culminating with today’s conviction of former Speaker Sheldon Silver”.

He faces a maximum prison term of 130 years. The powerful position meant Mr. Silver was one of Albany’s “three men in a room”-along with the governor and the senate leader-who set the state budget and hammer out deals behind closed doors”.

“I think some his own members were shocked at how much money he was making”, said Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb (R-Canandaigua).

In one, he allegedly provided $500,000 in state research grants for mesothelioma research to Dr. Robert Taub, a prominent Columbia University asbestos-disease doctor, who in return referred cases to a Silver law firm, Weitz & Luxenberg, which gave Silver a split. That firm secretly paid Silver $700,000 in referral fees.

During the trial, two sides of Silver, 71, were presented.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and new Speaker Carl Heastie, both Democrats, say it’s time to consider strong ethics rules in Albany.

Neither Silver nor his attorneys could immediately be reached for comment on the verdict. “Gov. Cuomo must now call a special session devoted to ethics reform”.

The prosecution was a marquee case in Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s quest to clean up what he has called Albany’s “cauldron of corruption”.

Disgraced Democrat Sheldon Silver has reportedly been found guilty on all counts. Mr. Goldberg then shared the resulting fees with Mr. Silver, even though the politician was not an employee of his firm. Former Senate Majority Deputy Leader Tom Libous was convicted of lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in July.

Silver had previously said that he would be vindicated. During the same period, Silver worked behind the scenes to deliver tax-abatement and rent-control legislation that favored developers – part of a pattern of corruption that netted the lawmaker $5 million in illicit income during his reign as speaker, prosecutors say.