Former New York Assembly speaker sentenced to 12 years in prison in a public corruption case can wait until late August to report to prison, a federal judge said Wednesday.
U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni signed an order permitting Sheldon Silver, a Democrat, to remain free until Aug. 31 so the Supreme Court can rule in a case that could affect his conviction. He was supposed to report to prison July 1 for pocketing $5 million illegally.
A judge earlier this week issued an order letting former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, a Republican, remain free on bail through the summer so the judge can consider the effect of the same Supreme Court ruling. Skelos was sentenced to five years in prison in his public corruption case.
Attorneys for Silver and Skelos are awaiting the Supreme Court ruling in a corruption case involving former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. At issue is the definition of an “official act,” which must be done in return for benefits to trigger corruption laws.
Justices have expressed concern about federal corruption laws that could criminalize what they variously called “routine” or “everyday” actions that politicians perform for campaign contributors or supporters.
The McDonnell case stems from more than $175,000 in loans and gifts that the governor and his family received from a Richmond businessman who wanted state universities to perform important clinical tests on a dietary supplement the company had developed.
The gifts were not illegal under Virginia law. But federal prosecutors said they were part of a quid pro quo arrangement.
