Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver twice has come to the defense of sexual predators rather than the defense of their victims. The first predator was Michael Boxley, who worked as a counsel for Silver, and the latest one is Vito Lopez, who was a Democratic assemblyman.
Not only did Mr. Silver verbally support them; in Mr. Lopez's case Mr. Silver arranged to have more than $100,000 in taxpayers' money be used to quiet the victims. Only when it became clear the women would not be quiet was the confidentiality clause in the settlement, written by Silver lawyers, openly acknowledged.
Your editorial, "What now for Mr. Silver?" May 19, attempts to defend the Assembly leader on his past "honorable tenure as speaker" including on the issue of "women's rights."
Your attempt to defend Mr. Silver on his past actions pales precisely on his past (Mr. Boxley) and present (Mr. Lopez) actions. Mr. Silver's actions raise a viable question if any other settlements or taxpayers' money were used to hide his supposed women's "rights" issues.
In your endeavor to defend any legislator, especially the Assembly leader who has a history of abusing his status and taxpayers' money to shield sexual predators, you are selling your readers a potato sack full of rocks. They won't buy it.
Edward P. Kelly
Glens Falls