So Long Shelly

So Long Shelly

Which Bx. Pol may profit from Silver’s Demise?

#SheldonSilver #Politics #NYS

100 PERCENT

By Robert Press

BRONX, NEW YORK, JANUARY 28- It looks like the end of the road for current New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who was taken into custody by the FBI last week. He was arrested and charged with using his position to gain over $4 million in bribes and kickbacks by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. The U,S, Attorney took over the investigation of the Moorland Commission which was set up by Governor Andrew Cuomo to root out corruption in Albany. Cuomo disbanded the Mooreland Commission over 18 months ago when the U.S. Attorney's office got hold of the information collected by the Mooreland Commission.

There are five charges pending against Speaker Silver dating back to 2000. Charges include Silver's association with the law firm of Weitz and Luxenberg, and another unnamed real estate firm. If found guilty Silver could face up to 20 years on each of the five counts in the complaint. You can go to my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com archive on the lower left to the January 22nd listing titled New York State Assembly Speaker arrested to read more on these charges. Speaker Silver's court date is February 23rd, and he can continue to remain as speaker and an assemblyman until he is convicted.

As always with most powerful political leaders such as Silver has been, almost all of his colleagues in the assembly are standing with him, as is NYC Mayor Bill deBlasio. I spoke to several Bronx assembly members who all spoke off the record, but when it came to a new speaker only one mentioned the name of the current Bronx Democratic County Leader Assemblyman Carl Heastie, and it was not the first name.

There are now questions of why governor Cuomo shut down the Mooreland Commission. Was the commission getting too close to what the U. S. Attorney has found, because it was legislatures like Speaker Silver who were balking at the inquires of the commission? Could it have been that Governor Cuomo when he ended the Mooreland Commission in mid 2013 did not want any bad publicity or even worse arrests, such as has happened to Speaker Silver and whomever might be next including the governor himself possibly? Or was it that Governor Cuomo shut the Mooreland Commission down because he had an arraignment with the U.S. Attorney's office to continue what the governor did not want to do, that being arrest his fellow colleagues in Albany?

State Senator Jeff Klein, Assemblyman Mike Benedetto, Councilman Jimmy Vacca, Several Community Board 10 members, and local Ferry Point community residents last Friday protested the use of the closed Capri Motel located at 555 Hutchinson River Parkway (just before the Whitestone Bridge) to house two known level 2 and 3 sexual predators in with the 200 people and children at the city shelter. All said that they were not against the shelter, which the city did not communicate with the community on, but the lack of screening that has allowed the at least 2 sexual predators to live in the 94-unit former motel with children. You can go to my blog to read more and see photos of the elected official, and the old Capri Motel in the background that is now a homeless shelter.

Finally, with the primary for the 15th Congressional seat a little over a year away, former Harlem Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell (and previous candidate) has announced that he will be going for the soon to be vacated seat by current Congressman Charles Rangel, which Adam's father held before Congressman Rangel. Take this for what it is, as we don't believe this will be the last term for Congressman Rangel, especially with the possibility of the speaker's position opening up in the state assembly. Manhattan Assemblyman Keith Wright was a front runner for Rangel's seat, but he is also a front runner to replace current Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver should Silver have to leave office from his charges of corruption by the U.S. Attorney's office. I believe should Assemblyman Wright become the speaker of the assembly that Congressman Rangel will run for at least one more term.

If you have any political information that you want to share or have checked out, any comments about this column, or would like to have an event listed or covered in this column or on my blog you can e-mail us at 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com or call 718-644-4199 Mr. Robert Press.