(Community Matters) The two dissident NY Senate Democrats
Espada [Sen. Pedro Espada Jr.] has sided with Republicans in the past and threatened Smith’s leadership as soon as it began in January.
He still has two pending election violation cases, but has pledged to resolve them.
In one case, he and his campaign committees owe the state $13,000 in fines for not filing contribution records related to his 2008 election campaign. In the other, he was ordered by a court in December to pay the New York City Campaign Finance Board $60,000 in fines related to his 2001 campaign for Bronx borough president.
Separately, state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has announced he is investigating managers at the Soundview Health Center, founded by Espada. Cuomo is looking into allegations that state funds earmarked for programs designed to serve impoverished women, children and people with HIV and AIDS were instead diverted to finance political campaigns.
Monserrate [Hiram Monserrate of Queens], the other dissident, is charged with slashing his girlfriend’s face with a piece of broken glass. He has maintained his innocence and called his prosecution politically motivated. A conviction on the felony assault charge could cost him his Senate seat and put him in jail for up to seven years.
Community Matters 