Ethics reform elusive as Sheldon Silver joins list of guilty

The mistake might be forgiven for two reasons:

Because criminal convictions of elected officials have taken on a "Groundhog Day" quality, and because Horner once again felt the rhetorical ground tremble after Silver was found guilty of seven felonies.

Bruno's conviction in December 2009 on charges that he doled out political favors for his private business clients was subsequently knocked down by a U.S. Supreme Court decision.

The Brunswick Republican was acquitted after his federal retrial in May 2014.

[...] a dozen legislators have faced federal charges — including Bruno's successor, former Senate GOP Majority Leader Dean Skelos, currently on trial alongside his son, Adam.

"Not much is going to happen until the public says, 'Enough is enough,' and votes to actually keep their legislators accountable," said Barbara Bartoletti, legislative director for the state League of Women Voters.

Several groups are pushing for a ban on all outside income by lawmakers, which would remove the temptation that helped motivate Silver to take in approximately $4 million in bogus legal fees.

"The Silver prosecution — which is really about bribery — falls squarely within the Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Skilling, which held that the honest services statute criminalizes only fraudulent schemes involving bribes and kickbacks," noted Edward J. Loya, a former prosecutor who is now with the Venable law firm in California but who followed the trial.