Once MMA's biggest foe in New York, Sheldon Silver found guilty on corruption charges

Sheldon Silver

When a bill to legalize MMA in New York failed to pass in 2009, it was easy to point the finger at the sport’s most staunch opponent, Democratic assemblyman Bob Reilly, who once linked MMA to dog fighting and prostitution.

But as more questions were asked, and Reilly faded from public view, a new antagonist was revealed: Democrat Sheldon Silver, who as assembly speaker held the power to bring the MMA bill to a vote. When each legislative session came to a close without one, he took the blame for appeasing the interests of a Las Vegas culinary union at war with Station Casinos, whose co-founders owned UFC parent Zuffa.

On Monday, the career politician’s long reign over the New York assembly came to a striking end, suggesting a new hope for legalizing MMA in the Empire State. Prosecutors found Silver, 71, guilty on seven federal charges of corruption, which include honest services fraud, extortion and money laundering, the New York Times reported. He faces up to 20 years in jail for six of the seven counts. His lawyers intend to appeal the conviction.

The corruption charges formally broke Silver’s grip on power after earlier controversies failed to unseat him. In 2013, a member of his party called for his ouster after he was accused of covering up a sexual harassment scandal. A new ethics law exposed his vast earnings as a lawyer at a personal injury firm.

During Silver’s trial, prosecutors said Silver used his government position to collect $4 million dollars in illegal payments in exchange for favorable treatment, seeing that a cancer researcher was awarded a $500,000 grant and supporting rent legislation backed by a real estate developers. In turn, prosecutors said, the benefitting parties repaid Silver with fees through his legal firm.

Silver’s lawyers contend he was acting in the same manner as other legislators and did nothing wrong. But with his position now forced into vacancy, MMA supporters are readying the next step to ensure the sport is legalized as soon as possible.

When New York’s 2016 legislative session gets underway in January, assembly majority leader Joe Morelle intends to introduce a bill similar to one submitted for the previous five years, his office confirmed to MMAjunkie. During the 2015 session, the MMA bill was modified to include additional insurance requirements.

Morelle’s office believes the bill has the votes to pass within the first two to three months of the session. That would render moot a legal effort currently underway by Zuffa, which in September sued New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman over the state’s ban on MMA.

The industry leader concurrently booked an April 23 date at New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden for a possible UFC 198 pay-per-view event that could include a light heavyweight title rematch between champ Daniel Cormier and ex-champ Jon Jones.

For more on UFC 198, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.