How Espada's Non-Profit Profits Espada

Besides offering affordable health care for constituents in the Bronx, the non-profit community health care center run by State Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. also provides lots of jobs for the community... of people related to Espada. The Post's Isabel Vincent has donned her Hazmat suit to take a closer look at Espada's Soundview HealthCare Network, which stays afloat thanks to millions of taxpayer dollars. What she found may not surprise you. (It even comes with a handy graphic charting the family money tree.) For instance, two employees previously convicted of fraud for using Soundview money to promote Espada's political campaign are back on staff, and the charity still owes some $347,000 in income tax withheld from employees. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has been investigating the shady shenanigans, but the Post has already found plenty of questionable conduct, such as Espada paying himself over than $450,000 a year, some $80,000 more than the standard for a charity its size. Then there's Soundview's not-illegal-but-still-sleazy employment of all Espada's sons with near six-figure jobs. Oh, and the charity's board is packed with Espada's friends and relatives, including his grandfather Victor, who's over 90 years old, lives in Puerto Rico, and "votes" via conference call!

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By John Del Signore in News on August 17, 2009 9:40 AM

Comments [rss]

NannyState

He could give a snake that feeds on sewer rats that feed on the shit off the used condom pulled out of his son's ass a bad name.

nice job

this is oooold news.

everyone knows that soundview is just a way for espada to skim off the top and fund his political campaigns.

but it is nice of the post to remind us why he sucks and inform those who may still not know.

felixthecat2

AG Cuomo is useless, if Spitzer was in office the Espada would have been in Jail already.

mdjoey

So, will someone tell me why he has yet to be indicted by our (democrat) Attorney General, or censured/suspended by our (democrat controlled)state senate? Why has our (democrat) governor not called for an investigation ASAP? Could it be they would rather keep the senate in democratic hands than kick out this seriously suspicious sleaze-ball? Come on, albany, wake up!

yytttt

Until a prostitute or gay man publicly admit to having sex with him, he's in office for life.

what_a_dick

dick

yytttt

JDS, where did you find a photo of such a big, ugly baby?

Son of Spam

If they keep this up, I may start buying the Post!

Well, ok, no. But I do enjoy where this is headed.

harrisgraber

How long is it going to be before this guy is charged, convicted, and sent to jail? Will I live to see the day?

hotstepper

pedro espada, jr. --- raising the bar on political corruption since 1993.

nycviabos

Will someone please put this guy in prison already!

nicemarmot

How about we just send the whole family back to PR to live with gramps? Or is that too mean to PR?

PTG in nyc

When the AG's office is done with him, Espada will hopefully be homeless with not a pot to piss in. Once these circumstances arrive, he'll be able to take advantage of the city's "I'm homeless so please pay for my transportation" program, assuming the 90 year old gramps vouches for him and says he'll have a place to stay if we ship him off to PR.

hotstepper

i'll believe it when i see it. remember that the democrats are relying on him and monserrate for a majority, i don't see him going anywhere...

devilducki

You can't "deport" Puerto Ricans. Puerto Rico is a non-incorporated territory of the US (by means of invasion and occupation), making all Puerto Ricans natural citizens of the United States.

nicemarmot

Thanks for the newsflash! Next time I suggest you take Sarcasm 101...

devilducki

How is anything you said (besides "thanks for the newsflash") sarcastic? Snarky, maybe, but sincerely not sarcastic.

Sarcasm: A form of humor that is marked by mocking with irony, sometimes conveyed in speech with vocal over-emphasis. Saying something that is opposite of what is intended to be meant; An act of sarcasm.

I think it's you who needs to revisit Sarcasm 101.

McAwesome

It's so depressing that Espada only changes his tune when The Post, of all papers, does its brand of hard-hitting journalism. I suppose his constituency might be reading that paper, where they wouldn't necessarily hear that Cuomo is investigating. The Post might have more influence on NYC's public opinion than the hoity-toity papers!

This man is shamefully shady.