Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver – last seen sporting a set of bruises, stitches, and scabs all over his face after a bike fall – has checked into hospital for treatment on knee swelling caused by the same accident. The speaker was in Puerto Rico for the annual Somos el Futuro conference, where politicians schmooze with labor leaders and lobbyists ostensibly over Hispanic-related issues, earlier this month when he took a nasty spin after the bike he rented hit a San Juan pothole.
Initially reluctant to discuss the dramatic change in his appearance upon his return, Mr. Silver eventually came clean last week, admitting his embarrassment at being mocked for the fall by his grandchildren. His surgery will be a family affair: the speaker is getting it done in Stamford, CT, so his orthopedic surgen nephew can perform it.
The full statement from Silver press secretary Michael Wyland is below:
Due to an injury sustained during a bicycle accident on November 10, Speaker Silver was admitted to Stamford Hospital in Stamford, Connecticut on Sunday to undergo treatments to address swelling in his knee. These are minor procedures which are expected to conclude on Tuesday. Speaker Silver is working from the hospital where he is expected to remain through Wednesday and will resume a full schedule after the Thanksgiving holiday. He chose Stamford Hospital so that the procedure could be performed by his nephew, Marc D. Silver, M.D., an orthopedic and sports medicine surgeon at the hospital.
