Thursday, April 22, 2010

Cuomo brings suit against Espada

From the Daily News:

State Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. was accused Tuesday of looting his taxpayer-backed health clinic of $14 million, including $80,000 in meals and fancy trips to Puerto Rico, Miami and Las Vegas.

The stunning lawsuit by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo charged Espada, the president and CEO of the Soundview Health Clinic, with using the facility to secure a $9 million severance package while running up $450,000 in credit card bills and $100,000 in campaign expenses.

The lawsuit included a dizzying array of corruption, including allegations that:

- Espada received a severance package worth an estimated $9 million - a deal that would force the non-profit into bankruptcy if the senator collected.

- Soundview paid $80,000 in restaurant bills for Espada and his supporters, including $20,000 from a pair of sushi restaurants near Espada's Westchester County home.

- Soundview paid for Espada and family members to take lavish trips to Las Vegas, Miami and Puerto Rico.

- Soundview provided Espada with an American Express card that he used to ring up $450,000 in personal charges between 2006-09.

- Espada rigged bids to insure that his son collected a $400,000 janitorial services job at Soundview.

- Espada covered the cost of $100,000 in campaign literature by funneling money through Soundview.


Pedro disagreed.

And then his office was raided.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

looks like obama will leave n.y. with empty pockets now.
Andy got there first.

Anonymous said...

First Hiram, now Pedro. You're next, Carl Kruger!

Anonymous said...

Pedro better be careful in jail, he has a pretty mouth.

Anonymous said...

This is the second Amigo to go down. The AG should now start a probe into the third Amigo : State Senator Carl Kruger.
Rumors have it that he no damn good either.
He's a big "Pay for Play" political hack among other things.
My prediction : You're next Kruger.
Good riddance.

Anonymous said...

Espada's time was long overdue. So many charges yet nothing stuck to him.

I wish he would step down now and stop holding on to his lofty position. He is smug and arrogant and needs to be put out with the trash.

faster340 said...

I hope they shove the probe so far up this guys ass that it comes out of his mouth!

This POS couldn't be more full of shit than he already is!!!

GO GET HIM!

Anonymous said...

Let's hope Maria del Carmen Aroyo is next, the culture of corruption among Bronx and Bronx affiliated politicians needs to stop.

Anonymous said...

Adios Amigo! Don't let the door hit you on the way out. Time to line up the usual suspects. So many criminals in government. Hope they all get what's coming to them.

faster340 said...

I don't know about you all but have you noticed how Espada and his crew of usual suspects all dress so loudly? I don't know if I were a public servant my closet wouldn't be filled with $2000+ suits and my attire wouldn't looked like I rolled off Gotti's crew.

No offense to Gotti admirers here...

Anonymous said...

It's about time this piece of shit was exposed.

Way ta go Cuomo!