Appeals court partially overturns Sheldon Silver's conviction

Jan. 21 (UPI) -- A federal appeals court on Tuesday partially overturned a corruption conviction of former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of upholding his conviction for honest services wire fraud, extortion and monetary transactions involving crime proceeds. They vacated another conviction on honest services mail fraud and wire fraud.

Sheldon was sentenced in July 2018 to seven years in prison on all of the counts in which he was accused of taking bribes. The three-judge appeals panel remanded the case back to a lower court for resentencing.

Silver, 74, was convicted of obtaining nearly $4 million in illicit payments in return for taking official actions that benefited others. Silver had obtained payments on behalf of a prominent cancer researcher, Dr. Robert Taub of Columbia University, and two real estate developers, Glenwood Management and the Witkoff Group.

In addition to trading favors with the real estate developers, it was determined that Silver found jobs for two women with whom he had extramarital affairs.

The overturned convictions related to Silver's dealings with Taub.

Sheldon served more than two decades as state assembly speaker.