Brendan J. Lyons is reporting for the Times Union former state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, at one time one of the most powerful lawmakers in New York, has died at the age of 77. Silver passed away in a federal medical center prison in Massachusetts where he was serving a six-year term for bribery and corruption. The Manhattan Democrat served as speaker for more than 20 years, He was sent to prison in August 2020 following a second conviction after the first was overturned by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. He was arrested in 2015 following a federal investigation that found he had secretly steered state contractors to a law firm where he had an interest, generating millions in personal income. He was replaced as speaker by Assemblymember Carl E. Heastie less than a week after his arrest. Silver struggled with health problems while incarcerated and he was eventually transferred to a federal medical facility prison in Devens, Mass. His release date was set for March 2026. Prosecutors, in a sentencing memorandum, cited a probation report that concluded Silver was simply motivated by greed. "Silver is an example of why the public has lost faith in their elected officials," they wrote. Read the full story in the Times Union.