It's turning into the long goodbye for Shelly Silver.
The former State Assembly Speaker is being arraigned today on federal corruption charges. Just last month, he was being heralded by the governor as one of the Three Amigos who runs the state. Now he's hoping not to spend his golden years in prison.
Following his indictment, Silver tried to figure out a way to hold on to his power, floating a quickly-popped trial balloon that would have allowed him to keep his title while others shared his job as he fought for his reputation in court. While it would have been positively Shakespearian, Silver's unwieldy plan was shot down and his fellow Democrats finally pushed him aside in favor of Carl Heastie of The Bronx.
Silver is now relegated to a desk in the back of the Assembly chambers, like a freshman Democrat in a new class of lawmakers. Silver remains a living object lesson to his colleagues about flying too close to a sun – if the sun was made of a big ball of money.
While he has every legal right to hold on to his seat, Silver is doing his district no favors by staying in office as he understandably focuses on his court case. There are plenty of people interested in running for the Assembly seat that Silver has held for 38 years. And with Rep. Michael Grimm and Assembly Karim Camara both resigning, it would have been an opportune time for Silver to have stepped down in time for a May 5th special election.
But don't count on it. Prosecutors say that Silver was interested in lining his own pockets at the expense of his constituents. So why should today be any different?
Bob Hardt