Former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, once one of the three most powerful people in New York government, has died at the age of 77.
Silver died in the hospital while serving a prison term after being convicted on corruption charges. He suffered from a number of medical conditions.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons says the exact cause of death will be determined by a medical examiner. He had been serving his sentence at the Federal Medical Center in Devins, Mass. but died in a nearby hospital.