Newell calls Silver's excuses on needing a second job "ridiculous"

For Immediate Release - August 15, 2008 -

New York, NY - Responding to Speaker Sheldon Silver's recent comments to the Downtown Express that he needs to keep his second job at New York's largest personal injury law firm "to not be dependent on paying next month's or next year's rent," Democratic Challenger Paul Newell said Silver should stop defending his blatant profiteering with implausible and insulting excuses.  "The notion that the speaker feels job insecurity after 11 unchallenged terms would be funny if the peddling of his position's influence weren't so disturbing", said Newell, Silver's first primary challenger since 1986.  "As it is, Sheldon Silver's excuses sound ridiculous."

Newell also noted that as Silver owns both his apartment and a second home in the Catskills, he does not pay rent, suggesting that "In light of Silver's role in gutting rent protections for New Yorkers, he should stop condescending to anyone in this city who ever has felt the crunch of rising rents". Newell lives in a rent-stabilized apartment in Chinatown.

Taking further issue with Silver's stubborn refusal to disclose his outside income, Newell challenged Silver again to release his tax returns. Silver is the only candidate for legislative office in Lower Manhattan who has not done so. Citing Silver's excuse to the Downtown Express that "he would not want the press to pick apart the implications of his charitable donations", Newell invited the Speaker to redact his itemized deductions prior to release.

Today the Albany Times-Union concurred that Silver's second job is "suspicious," demanding "What we want to hear from Mr. Silver, of course, is just who his law clients are. Only then can the very legitimate question of whether his other job presents conflicts be answered once and for all. Only then will his steadfast advocacy for trial lawyers and his adamant opposition to tort reform be seen in the proper context.

Until then, though, we're suspicious. The Legislature's cavalier attitude about the ethics laws its members must adhere to, and the public's right to know make that much inevitable."

Newell was also amused by the Silver campaign's claim that he worked "more than 100 hours a week" on Assembly business. "I'm very impressed by the Speaker's 16 hour and 40 minute workdays - and I'm half the speaker's age. It's yet more impressive that he still finds time to moonlight on behalf of secret clients like Trial Bar Lobbyist Martin Edelman. And to think, he's been doing this since 1976," said the 33-year-old community organizer.