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
Over Five Years Later, Arbeeny Family Support Still Critical to Promoting Government Transparency
Albany, NY — The Arbeeny family and the Empire Center are marking five years of partnership in remembrance of Norman Arbeeny, who passed away six years ago today after contracting COVID-19 in a Brooklyn nursing home.
To honor Nor Read More
Empire Center Breaks Down Albany’s Pork Barrel Spending
Albany legislators steered over $83 million in grants to 293 local projects between April and December 2025 , according to under a Freedom of Information Law request.
The governor and state legislators hand-picked the grantees for mor Read More
SeeThroughNY updated with latest union contracts
New York’s of state and local government union contracts has been updated with the latest collective bargaining agreements for local teachers, police, firefighters, libraries, and public authorities.
Among the on SeeThroughNY.net, the Empire Center Read More
Five Retired New York Educators Collect Over $300k In Pensions
As state lawmakers consider enhancing retirement benefits for government workers, fresh data from the Empire Center confirm that existing pensions are generous compared to national norms. Read More
Average Pay at Port Authority Surges as 11 Employees Collect $400k+
Eleven Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) employees collected more than $400,000 each in total pay last year as average pay surged nine percent, according to 2024 payroll , the Empire Center’s government transparency website.
Read More
97 NYSLRS Retirees Eligible for Pensions Over $200K in FY2025
A total of 97 retirees from the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) were eligible for pensions of $200,000 or more during the 2025 fiscal year, according to , the Empire Center’s government transparency website.
Among the 97 retirees Read More
NYC Employee Pension Payments Cross $6 billion; 70 Members Collect $200k+
The pension plan covering most New York City government agencies, including the City’s subway system, had 70 members with pension payments of at least $200,000 last year, almost quadrupling 2019’s tally of 19, according to new , the Read More
23 MTA Workers Receive $200K in Overtime as Total Payroll Surpasses $8 Billion
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)’s payroll surpassed $8 billion in 2024 – a 2.6 percent increase since 2023, according to , the Empire Center’s government transparency website.
Overtime, as measured using payroll records, totaled $ Read More