‘Rainmaking Is Not a Federal Crime:’ Sheldon Silver Pleads Not Guilty

Former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver pleaded not guilty to charges of extortion, mail and wire fraud yesterday—and his attorneys asked the judge to toss out the indictment against him.

In a lengthy motion to dismiss, Mr. Silver’s attorneys argued U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara had created a media firestorm that sought to try the lawmaker in the press—for doing something Mr. Silver’s team argued isn’t even a crime.