Mailer Slams Silver's Response to Sexual Assault Allegations

Here’s a mailer going out to voters in Sheldon Silver’s district highlighting his bungled responses to two alleged sexual assaults committed by one of his top aides at the time, Michael Boxley. Boxley was indicted in the second case.

The mailer includes excerpts from news articles highlighting the 2001 and 2003 incidents, and a letter written by the first victim, Elizabeth Crothers, who is supporting Paul Newell, another candidate in the race.

Referring to the second incident, Crothers wrote, “This was a rape Sheldon Silver could have prevented, but--for the sake of his own political convenience--he did not.”

She goes on, “When I was powerless and alone, Sheldon Silver sat silent.”

Crothers, who now lives in California, declined to say how widely the mailing will be distributed, or how much money is behind the campaign. The group Common Sense Coalition is footing the bill.

She did tell me, “Nobody helped me write it.”

UPDATE: Silver's campaign spokesman Jonathan Rosen, emailed this response: "It's sad that a shady out-of-state organization that refuses to disclose its donors is attempting to inject gutter politics into this campaign. It's desperate and we're confident that Lower Manhattan families will reject it."

UPDATE II:

Rosen called to point out that the group funding the mailing is headed by Dan Perrin, a nationally-known Republican operative.

He also said that his earlier comment that the mailing was "gutter politics" was not directed at the substance of it.