N.Y. State Assembly Speaker Silver to temporarily relinquish duties: NYT
New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver agreed on Sunday to relinquish his duties on a temporary basis as he fights federal corruption charges, the New York Times reported, citing people briefed on the matter.
Silver’s decision came amid mounting pressure
from his fellow Democrats in the Assembly, who worried that the
criminal charges would impair his ability to carry out the duties of one
of the most powerful positions in New York’s government, the newspaper
reported.
Last week, Silver, a Democrat who has served
as the highest-ranking state assemblyman since 1994, was charged with
pocketing $4 million from bribery and kickback schemes.