January 7, 2010

"[John] Sampson, the state Senate Democratic leader, quietly accepted a job last month as 'counsel' to Belluck & Fox, a politically connected Manhattan law firm that specializes in asbestos litigation and that claims to have won $220 million in judgments." Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver, of course, has long been on board at one of the city's biggest tort firms. "Like Silver, Sampson won't say how much his job pays. And, as is the case with Silver's firm, Weitz & Luxenberg, a founding partner of Sampson's firm, Joseph W. Belluck, sits on the board of the state Trial Lawyers Association." One veteran lobbyist said "the trial lawyers are now covered in both houses". [NY Post via NY Civic]