State Republicans representing St. Lawrence County are calling for Sheldon Silver to resign his post as speaker in the wake of public corruption charges levied by the FBI this morning.

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush, R-Black River, is calling on Sheldon Silver to resign his post as Speaker of the Assembly immediately.

“There is a lot of serious work ahead for us in the Assembly, and we cannot afford to be hindered by the speaker,” said Blankenbush. “The charges are very troubling, and they prove that our government is broken and exemplify the reason that people have lost their faith in government. I encourage the speaker to do the right thing for the people of this state and resign immediately.”

Only a few short weeks ago, Silver was re-elected by the Democrat majority as Assembly Speaker, even though there were widespread reports that the federal government was investigating his outside income and his failure to properly report his finances. Silver was also at the crux of a scandal in which taxpayer dollars were used to pay off the sexual harassment victims of former Assemblyman Vito Lopez.

“It is time we move forward, and that begins with Silver’s removal as speaker and the passage of reform legislation that includes term limits for leadership positions,” said Blankenbush.

Marc Butler, Republican assemblyman from Newport, is also calling for Silver’s resignation.

“The charges that led to Speaker Silver’s arrest this morning are disturbing, and it would be in the best interests of the people of this state that he resign his position as Assembly Speaker,” said Butler, whose district includes south-central St. Lawrence County.

“We have much important work to do for the people of our state, like the negotiation of the budget, and it is imperative that we have a speaker in place who can be fully focused on the work of the people. I encourage Silver to do the right thing and resign from his post immediately.”

Silver was at the center of a scandal around the alleged use of public dollars as hush money for sexual harassment victims of Assemblyman Vito Lopez, also of New York City.

“It is time for the Assembly to move forward and break the culture of corruption that has been rampant in the legislature, and it must start with the resignation of Speaker Silver,” Butler said.

Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-Rome, said the state needs to focus on stamping out corruption and should consider setting term limits for leaders.

"I’m serious about restoring people’s faith in their government, which is why it’s imperative that the Legislature do the most it can to rid itself of unethical members.

The allegations against Sheldon Silver - that he used the power and influence of his official position to obtain millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks – are quite serious. While Mr. Silver has no legal obligation at this time to resign his leadership position or his seat, Assembly members should still consider whether Mr. Silver should step aside to concentrate on his defense. I hope the Speaker realizes that this cloud of impropriety has already become a distraction from important, ongoing budget negotiations.

I also sincerely hope that my colleagues will reconsider my bill, which establishes term limits for leaders, in light of today’s events. No legislator should be in leadership long enough that he or she becomes so powerful that they believe they are above the law.