State Republicans Launch Online Petition Calling for Sheldon Silver’s Resignation

State republicans have followed Republican Chair Ed Cox’s lead in calling for the resignation of Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

The party has set up an online petition at fireshelly.com for any citizen who backs the Republican Party’s initiative.

Silver is accused of gross ethical misconduct in covering up for a member of his caucus who has been accused of multiple occasions of sexually harassing female staff members. Silver gave $100,000 of taxpayer money to the victim instead of reporting it to the Assembly Ethics Committee.

Silver has a history of covering up abuse scandals, including a $500,000 sex abuse scandal in 2004 and an $80,000 settlement for a similar incident in 1992.

The ethical misconduct charges against Silver are currently being investigated by a special prosecutor appointed by a New York judge.