SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Prosecutors say former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver collected $4 million in illegal kickbacks. Silver's defense attorney say he was earning fees in private legal practice as other lawyers do while funding cancer research and protecting affordable housing. Along the way, Silver might have done favors for friends. "None of those things are a crime," defense attorney Steven Molo said. Silver, 71, is accused of using his powerful position in Albany to cash in on referrals fees from two Manhattan law firms. He is still serving his term as a state lawmaker, representing...
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