Sheldon Silver's Corruption Conviction Has Been Overturned

Updated 5:25 p.m.

The corruption conviction of former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has been overturned.

After a recent Supreme Court decision narrowed the definition of what type of official behavior can be considered corrupt, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Manhattan ruled Thursday morning that the behavior leading to Silver's conviction did not meet the new criteria.

Silver, a Democrat who represented the Lower East Side in the assembly for nearly four decades, was convicted on seven counts of bribery and corruption last May. 

Silver was originally sentenced to 12 years in prison, but was able to remain free pending his appeal.

Susan Lerner, the executive director of Common Cause of New York, says Thursday's ruling doesn't change the facts in the case.

"Mr. Silver used his position in government to direct state resources into a scheme that paid out $4 million into his pocket," Lerner said in a statement. "At the trial, Mr. Silver's defense attorneys argued that this obvious corruption was simply business as usual in Albany, which the Supreme Court [has now] confirmed—defying the common sense of two New York juries and honest people everywhere."

The evidence was strong. The Supreme Court changed the law. I expect Sheldon Silver to be retried and re-convicted.

— Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) July 13, 2017

Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said in a statement that his office looks forward to retrying the case.