State Senator-elect owes $60,000 in fines
From Sunshine Review
5 December 2008
New York state senator-elect Pedro Espada Jr., who is expected to become the majority leader next January, owes more than $60,000 in fines to New York City's Campaign Finance Board. With fines dating back to his 2001 run for Bronx borough president, Espada has appealed in state court.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Past Problems
In 2000, Espada's senate campaign was fined for failing to submit finance reports. Five years later, three workers at Soundview Healthcare Network, a Bronx nonprofit health care company run by Espada, pleaded guilty to diverting some $30,000 from family care and AIDS programs into one of his campaigns. Espada himself was never charged with wrongdoing in the case.
The senator-elect admitted to making mistakes in some cases, but said he was unfairly accused in others. “No excuses,” he said. “That’s part of the business we’re in, as they say in the ‘Godfather’ movies.” Soundview, he said, should not be defined "by our blemishes, but by 30 years of work.”[1]
[edit] More Fines
On top of these past fines, state election officials have said that Espada did not register his Senate campaign this year, which could result in another $6,000 in fines. Espada explained that a staff member of his campaign made a mistake and registered the campaign as a political action committee. PACs cannot make direct expenses to help elect or defeat a candidate.
[edit] "Stunning"
In response to the fines, Blair Horner, legislative director of the New York Public Interest Research Group, said, “It’s stunning that he hasn’t cleaned that up yet. It really is a testament to how lousy the campaign finance system is that he can get away with that. Given his new exalted position in the Senate, he should follow the law.”[1]
According to Eric Friedman, a spokesman for the Campaign Finance Board, Espada has one of the 10 largest outstanding fines.
Espada explained that his critics "hate me because I’m not perfect.”[1]
