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Key Senate Coup Player Pedro Espada: Corrupt or Crazy or Both?
By
John Del Signore
Published Jun 10, 2009
Modified Jun 10, 2009
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By
John Del Signore
Published Jun 10, 2009
Modified Jun 10, 2009
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If you've been following along with any of the various scandals simmering around Democratic State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr.—whose defection was instrumental in returning control of the Senate to Republicans and put him next in line to be Governor (should tragedy befall David Paterson)—then you get why some people think he's "really an unsavory character,"in the words of Baruch College political analyst Doug Muzzio. But we may have figured out the cause of his troubles: multiple personality disorder.
Sure, just consider his response to a question about why he illegally resides in fancy Westchester, outside his Bronx district: "Pedro Espada has a second home in Mamaroneck, [but] I live in the Bronx," Espada cryptically explained to the Daily News. But residents at his Bronx "address" say they never see any of Espada's personalities.
Could it be he's laying the groundwork for an insanity defense should the ongoing investigations into his alleged misconduct lead to felony charges? Maybe it really was just shady "Pedro" who failed to file some 41 campaign reports since 2002, making it impossible to know how he handles his campaign cash. And perhaps "Pedro" is also the one who funneled taxpayer money to a nonprofit he controls, Soundview Health Clinic, to fund his campaigns—something Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is now investigating.
And yesterday it emerged that someone acting under the name "Pedro" demanded $2 million in earmarks from (former) Majority Leader Malcolm Smith for two new non-profits, but Democrats refused because they couldn't actually verify that the non-profits were legit. Now Espada will get that pork from the Republican-controlled Senate.
When you think about it, you'd have to be kind of crazy to say this to the press and not crack up laughing mid-sentence: "Yes, I get a $2 million allocation, but that's not the issue, nor is it anyway involved with the decision to form a coalition government. It's about top to bottom reform of the Senate and the culture of the Senate." Muzzio, the political analyst, is dismayed that Espada is now a heartbeat away from the Governorship, telling CBS2, "He's under investigation for all these things. I mean you have a potential felon as the number two actor in New York state."
Tagged
backstabbing
corruption
coup
felon
investigation
pedro espada jr.
scandal
senate
sleazy
State
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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