Sheldon Silver

New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is surrounded by media as he leaves a federal courthouse in New York, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015. Silver, 70, was arrested Thursday on public corruption charges and accused of using his position to obtain millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks masked as legitimate income. A magistrate judge in federal court in Manhattan later released the lawmaker on $200,000 bail. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

(Seth Wenig / AP)

As we predicted, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver wants to keep pulling the strings in Albany in defiance of corruption charges leveled against him.

Silver has no intention of resigning his leadership post, The New York Times reported. Instead, he proposes to " temporarily delegate his duties as speaker to a group of senior Assembly members.''

Silver's hand-picked legislators -- one from Rochester, four from the boroughs of New York City -- would conduct budget negotiations with Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos.

So whose orders do you think they will be following?

This editorial board said as much Thursday, the day Silver was arrested on a criminal complaint alleging he used his position to rake in millions of dollars in legal fees -- though he appeared to do no legal work to earn them.

Last week, we called on Silver to quit the Legislature because "after 20 years as speaker, does anyone believe he would be content to be a back-bencher in the Assembly? It doesn't matter where he sits in the chamber; Silver still will be pulling the strings.''

Assembly Democrats will assemble at 2 p.m. today (Monday) to consider Silver's plan to remain in power. They must reject it.

We're talking to you, Assemblyman William Magnarelli, D-Syracuse, Assemblyman Al Stirpe, D-Cicero, and Assemblyman Bill Magee, D-Nelson.