New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is scheduled to return to the Capitol Monday to preside over legislative session, for the first time since being arrested and charged with running illegal kickback and bribery schemes that earned him $6 million.
Despite his grave legal troubles, Silver will have the solid support of most of his 100 or more Democratic Assembly members. His top lieutenant, Assembly Majority Leader Joe Morelle, made that clear as he stood with a couple of dozen veteran Democrats.
“I’m continuing to support the Speaker,” said Morelle, who said the rest of the members “overwhelmingly” also back Silver.
Richard Brodsky is a former Assembly member who had a reputation as a reformer, and is now a senior fellow at the Democrats' think-tank. He says he’s stunned by the charges.
“If proven, they are terrible, “ Brodksky said “Just terrible.”
But Brodsky says there are practical reasons why it makes sense for Assembly Democrats to stand with Silver for now, even though it may look strange to the public.
The state budget is due in two months, and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has proposed a wide range of items that Democrats like and dislike, including an increase in the minimum wage, which they favor, and an expansion of charter schools, and tougher teacher evaluations, which they do not.
There’s also a budget surplus that will be divvied up in part into key economic development programs. Brodsky says Democrats are worried that Governor Cuomo and the Republicans who rule the State Senate may try to take advantage of any perceived weakness in the Assembly to get their way on those and many other issues.
“However artfully or in artfully expressed it was, there’s something going on that matters to the members beyond loyalty to Shelly, and that’s the ability to function in the budget process,” Brodsky said.
He admits though, that “there’s no good way to do this.”
Speaker Silver is known as a master negotiator who delivers for his members.
Blair Horner, with the New York Public Interest Research Group, says at the very least, the serious charges the Speaker is facing will be a distraction as the budget talks commence.
“Clearly, to have the U.S. Attorney’s office breathing down the Speaker’s neck means he has to pay attention to that legal battle,” said Horner. “It means he cannot devote the same sort of mental energy to keeping his conference together and negotiating with the governor. It’s going to hurt.”
Two decades ago, Assembly Speaker Mel Miller was indicted on criminal charges that stemmed from his private legal practice. They had nothing to do with the then-Speaker’s role as leader of the Assembly. Miller did not resign from the Assembly until he was convicted. He was later acquitted on appeal, and afterward worked as a lobbyist.
Former Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno endured two lengthy trails brought by federal prosecutors, and was ultimately exonerated. Long time Assemblyman and Ways and Means Chair Denny Farrell says he’s keeping an open mind, for now.
“There are a whole bunch of guys, you look back in the history, who were indicted, found guilty, and then thrown out of court,” Farrell said.
There are a number of former legislative leaders who did go to prison for corruption, including former Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada, who is serving a five-year prison term. Former Senate leaders Malcolm Smith and John Sampson face trials this year. Sampson, like Silver, remains in the legislature.
