FBI agents on Thursday arrested long-time New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver on corruption charges. US Attorney Preet Bharara will announce federal corruption charges against Silver at a news conference at 1:00 pm (1800 GMT), his office said. The prominent Democratic politician, who has served as speaker for more than two decades, presented himself at the FBI office in Manhattan and was placed in custody, an official in the attorney's office confirmed.
Silver, 70, lives in New York's Lower East Side, where he is state assembly representative for Lower Manhattan.