Government reform groups say the conviction of New York state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver on Monday on federal corruption cagres makes clear the need for immediate action in Albany, and are calling on the governor to call a special session in December to clean up state government.
Blair Horner, with the New York Public Interest Research Group, calls the verdict a “political earthquake.”
"This is a stinging rebuke of the Alabny business as usual defense, and we hope it'll be a clarion call to clean up Albany," Horner said.
He says among other changes, politician’s outside income, which is now unlimited, needs to be curbed. Silver’s former counterpart in the legislature, former Senate Leader Dean Skelos, is also on trial on federal corruption charges, accused of using his influence to gain no-show jobs for his son.
