Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) is calling on Sheldon Silver to resign his post as Speaker of the Assembly immediately. The New York City politician was arrested this morning by the FBI for public corruption.

“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 Assembly 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 also was 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.