Sheldon Silver
Cuomo says JCOPE was the best he could do
"Could you have gotten anything else passed" Cuomo asked rhetorically, during a press conference in Albany. "The answer is no." More
(1)Thompson explains the success of the Board of Education
There was a time when Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he did not want to take questions from reporters about whatever it is that the candidates running to replace him said or did on the campaign trail. More
(1)Defending Silver, Cuomo says sexual harassment is a societal problem
Governor Andrew Cuomo said this morning that sexual harassment is not a problem that's unusually endemic to the New York State Assembly, disgraced member Vito Lopez notwithstanding. More
(1)What Vito Lopez did to the Silver-Cuomo equation
Assemblyman Vito Lopez is quitting before his colleagues can throw him out. More
Facing expulsion, Vito Lopez moves up his resignation date
In a letter to Speaker Sheldon Silver today, Vito Lopez announced that he will resign his seat in the Assembly, effective Monday morning at 9 a.m. More
(1)As Quinn challenges rivals to oppose Vito Lopez, Thompson makes preparations
A spokesman for Reynso told me today Thompson's camp has reached out to Reynoso to arrange a meeting. More
Silver will proceed with expulsion vote, despite Vito Lopez's planned resignation
"Nevertheless, because the citizens of my district voted me back into office last November by an overwhelming majority, I feel obligated to serve out this session of theAssembly. I therefore announce that as of June 20, 2013, the last day of the session, I resign my position." More
Andrew Cuomo has no Lopez-related thoughts about Sheldon Silver
Governor Andrew today declined to comment on Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's reported mishandling of sexual harassment claims against one of his members. More
Cuomo suggests expulsion for Vito Lopez, and Silver agrees
In response to those reports, Silver released a statement calling on Lopez to voluntarily resign. Governor Andrew Cuomo went further, urging the Assembly to expel Lopez. Then, after all that, Silver released a statement saying he would call for that expulsion vote Monday. Politically, the move is meant to expel Lopez as much as it is to inoculate Silver from further criticism. More
(1)Quinn is 'nauseated' by Vito Lopez, leaves it to the Assembly to judge Sheldon Silver
Council Speaker Christine Quinn this afternoon called the details of the Assemblyman Vito Lopez's sexual harassment case "nauseating," but declined to do question Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's role in the scandal. More
(1)Sheldon Silver and the Vito Lopez test
There are no criminal charges after an investigation of Assemblyman Vito Lopez, but plenty of lurid details of questionable behavior. More
A report on wrongdoing in Albany, checked by lawmakers
Amid what feels like a sudden overload of information about rotten dealing in Albany, there's one notable information shortage. More
Why the most popular anti-corruption measure isn't on Albany's radar
Establishing term limits for state legislators is the most popular solution to fighting corruption in the New York State legislature. Term limits also has absolutely zero chance of becoming law. More
An Assembly plan to finance elections, minus the Seabrook provision
The campaign finance reform bill unveiled by Assembly Democrats this afternoon mirrors in many ways the matching-funds system already in place in New York City. More
On Cuomo not ever controlling the legislature or Simcha Felder's rabbis
Governor Andrew Cuomo has always said in public that he doesn't get involved in legislative leadership struggles, which is a convenient position, if not a completely accurate one. More
