Disgraced New York politician Sheldon Silver died Monday at a federal medical center at the age of 77. The politician was in the middle of a six-and-a-half-year sentence for accepting $4 million worth of bribes while serving as the speaker of the New York State Assembly. He was arrested in 2015 and convicted in 2018. As reported by the New York Post, Silver knew he had health issues and had asked to serve his sentence at home. In a letter to the presiding judge, he implored, “Your honor, I do not want to die in prison.” The request was denied. Judy Rapfogul, his former chief of staff, told the Post, “Shelly did many wonderful things for the community and the state. ... I was very proud to be his chief of staff.”
