Those were the two narratives presented to jurors today in the Manhattan federal courthouse
where Mr. Silver, still an assemblyman
and once among the three most powerful men in the state, is standing trial on charges of honest services fraud, extortion
and money laundering for allegedly taking more than $ 4 million in
bribes and kickbacks.
A 35 - page criminal complaint filed by Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara's office lays out his alleged scheme
where Silver «used the power
and influence of his official position to obtain for himself millions of dollars in
bribes and kickbacks masked as legitimate income earned by Silver as a private lawyer.»