Taxpayers continued shouldering costs for Sheldon Silver’s legal defense in the months after he stepped down as Assembly speaker, according to the latest Senate and Assembly expenditure data added to SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s transparency website.
Between April 1 and September 30, 2015, the Assembly paid $227,478 to the law firm Hogan Lovells, which is representing Sheldon Silver in litigation related to sexual misconduct by members of the Assembly.
The data also show:
- Silver’s chief of staff, Judy Rapfogel, remained the highest-paid Assembly employee following Silver’s resignation from the speakership. Rapfogel was paid $90,252 during the six-month period.
- The Senate spent $8,600 on equipment for the legislative gym used by members of both houses.
- The top collector of per diem reimbursements was Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, who received $16,325 for legislative duties in Albany during the period.
The Empire Center, based in Albany, is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan think tank dedicated to promoting policies to make New York a better place to live, work and do business.
You may also like
Empire Center Issues State Policy Guide
The Empire Center for Public Policy has released a policy guide and briefing book focused on the most important issues confronting New York. Read More
Legislative Staff Can’t Unionize: Report
New York’s legislative employees are not eligible to unionize under the state’s sweeping public-sector collective bargaining law. Read More
Six-figure NYSLRS pensions quadruple in ten years
The number of New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) retirees eligible for six-figure pensions quadrupled over the last seven years. Read More
Average Pay Spiked at Port Authority in 2021
Average pay for Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) employees increased nearly 10 percent last year, to $123,000. Read More
Over 700 MTA Employees Earned More in OT than Regular Pay in 2021, Data Show
More than 300 employees were paid at least $100,000 in overtime and at least 734 earned more in overtime than in regular pay at the MTA last year Read More
Legislative Spending Unevenly Divided Among Members
Spending by state lawmakers on office personnel and administrative costs varies widely, with some paying out nearly twice as much as others Read More
Budget Testimony: Tax Outmigration Set to Accelerate
Governor Hochul’s executive budget risks accelerating the trend of high-earning New Yorkers fleeing the state. Read More
Budget Testimony: Dangerous Misplaced Priorities on Health Care
In his spoken testimony, Hammond had intended to highlight key shortcomings of the governor's budget, including its lack of a plan to investigate the state's pandemic response Read More