This week’s biggest Winners & Losers

New York City’s transportation maven is getting a new gig – and a far more powerful boss – as it was announced this week that Polly Trottenberg has been nominated to serve as deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation under President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Just last month, Trottenberg stepped down as commissioner of the city Department of Transportation. While her history there has been one of mixed success, perhaps she’ll have more luck working for Biden and Buttigieg than she has working for de Blasio.

Former Westchester powerbroker and convicted tax cheat Al Pirro earned one of Donald Trump’s final get out of jail free cards, and by the looks of it, he has ex-wife Jeanine Pirro to thank for the favor. Al Pirro – who had a lobbying practice in Albany – was one of a slew of Trump’s final pardons as president. Too bad for Shelly Silver that he didn’t have Jeanine in his corner too.

Running for mayor is a real slog. And if you win, you get to control a measly $90 billion budget. And City Hall only has four sides. But getting appointed as a senior advisor to the U.S. secretary of defense is pretty easy! You get an endless, $700 billion budget, and one extra exterior wall in the five-sided Pentagon. Great gig for a young father as he considers running again for his old House seat next year. 

It must be a new age of bipartisanship, because Democrats and Republicans united this week to tell Donald Trump that he should absolutely not pardon Sheldon Silver. The only silver lining for ole’ Shelly? At least he didn’t hire a stretch limousine to wait outside his prison like the guy from Tiger King. 

The National Rifle Association can run, but it can't hide. The gun rights group filed for bankruptcy, with aims to ditch New York and reincorporate in Texas. But the move hasn't necessarily shielded it from New York Attorney General Letitia James's lawsuit alleging that CEO Wayne LaPierre misused NRA funds. Meanwhile, a state judge denied the NRA's efforts to dismiss or stall the lawsuit. Whether it’s located in gun-friendly Texas or New York, the NRA’s legal woes are far from over.

One is indeed the loneliest number. Although concern about large and potentially violent protests at the state Capitol led to a heavy national guard presence, Mark Leggiero was the sole Trump supporter to show up in Albany. It was less of a rebel yell than a disgruntled whisper from backers of the former president in New York. Leggiero drove 45 minutes to join what he thought would be a thousands-strong protest. Instead, his only company was the flag he brought with him.