Two starkly different narratives were put before a federal jury Tuesday during opening statements in the trial of former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver for an alleged kickback and bribery scheme that netted him almost $4 million in lawyer referral fees.

“Power. Greed. Corruption,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Cohen told the jury in Southern District Judge Valerie Caproni's courtroom. “This is a case about a powerful politician who betrayed those he was supposed to serve in order to line his pockets.”

“That's the charge that the prosecution has brought—that Sheldon Silver sold his office,” countered defense lawyer Steven Molo in his opening. “That did not happen. He is not guilty.”