U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s Arrest of NYS Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s Just the Beginning Calling Albany a “Cauldron of Corruption”!

Dear Commons Community,

Last week the New York State capitol was rocked with the arrest of long-serving Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver on bribes and kickback charges.  U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara led the investigation and said on Thursday that more charges and arrests were looming for NY state political leaders.  According to the New York Daily News:

“U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s warning to “stay tuned” for more corruption arrests after he bagged Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has sent a big chill through the state Capitol.

“I think everyone is waiting for the next shoe to drop,” said one legislative official.

Added former Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, a Westchester Democrat: “When a prosecutor says stay tuned, I think he means it.”

The big fish reportedly being looked at is Gov. Cuomo.

Bharara has been probing whether the governor and his top aides improperly interfered with the Moreland anti-corruption commission Cuomo established…

He is also probing the circumstances behind Cuomo’s decision to abruptly end the commission after the Legislature agreed to some ethics reforms.”

If Bharara makes good on his comments, it will verify in many people’s minds that the New York State political leadership at best, turned its head to corruption, or at worst, were part of it.

Tony