Southern District U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara (center, with Center for New York City Law Director Ross Sandler, left, and New York Law School Dean Anthony Crowell) decried the culture of corruption in Albany and urged New York voters to get angry and demand honesty from their elected officials Friday.
In a speech at New York Law School just one day after the FBI charged state Assembly speaker and political powerhouse Sheldon Silver with making millions through bribes, kickbacks and extortion, Bharara criticized how power in Albany has resided with “three men in a room”—the governor, the speaker and the state Senate leader. In a presentation laced with humor, Bharara defended his record on prosecuting corrupt politicians, saying, “We aren’t trying to criminalize ordinary politics” or act as morality police.
