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"Pirate Of The Bronx" Espada Pays Off Food Giveaway
By
Ben Yakas
Published Sep 8, 2010
Modified Sep 8, 2010
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Sep 8, 2010
Modified Sep 8, 2010
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Pedro Espada is great at throwing money around, except maybe when it comes to his tailor. So it's no big surprise that after being called out for not reporting any expenditures on his fruit and vegetable giveaway, Espada signed off on a whopping $17,000 check for the produce.
Previously, Espada was accused of violating election law for failing to disclose the expenses associated with his anti-obesity food giveaway (which already netted him a showdown with one Bronx priest). So Espada wrote the check to Hunts Point Terminal Market on Aug. 25, two days after the Post's story first broke. But even his payoffs can't go exactly according to plan: a Hunts Point spokesman said Espada should have paid the vendors directly, not the market: "The Hunts Point produce market is a real-estate entity and is not a seller of produce."
Espada is currently facing a tough Senate primary battle with Gustavo Rivera; a third challenger, Daniel Padernacht, just dropped out, placing his support behind Rivera in order to "knock out" Espada. With all the criticism and mounting anti-Espada sentiment (a group of comedians recently held a fund-raiser in Manhattan called “Pirates of the Bronx: The Curse of Pedro Espada”), some might think the jig is up for the Bronxchester Senator...except this is Pedro! His ringtone is the theme from Rocky III, “Eye of the Tiger.” He kills with the skill to survive!
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bronx
food giveaway
hunts point market
pedro espada
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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