Results tagged “nepotism”

After the son of Bronxchester scofflaw Senator Pedro Espada Jr. resigned from his specially-created $120,000 senate job yesterday, a source close to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo tells the Post the AG is satisfied with the resignation and will not pursue a probe into alleged violations of the state's nepotism laws. Funny how the son of three-term governor Mario Cuomo is reluctant to accuse anyone of nepotism. Meanwhile, Espada "amigo" Ruben Diaz Sr. called on Cuomo to investigate the entire Senate for nepotism and not single out poor misunderstood Espada.

Sure, Pedro G. Espada, son of Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr., may have just quit his job as the deputy director of intergovernmental relations for the State Senate, but after four-five days on the job, isn't that enough time for a computer log-in? The Post's "Nada Espada" story today suggests Pedro G. never actually worked at Senate offices in Manhattan—though he was on state payroll since last Thursday—and notices he actually went to his old job at the Soundview Health Clinic (started by his dad) yesterday. Pops Espada said, "His official date of resignation is when... I really don't know. He's cleaning out his personal stuff." Later, the Senate Democrats allowed to Post to visit their office: "[Pedro G.] Espada -- who arrived at the building only after being told that The Post was on the scene -- seemed unfamiliar with the layout of the office suite. At one point, he appeared to take direction to his office from a Senate spokesman... The room was dark when Espada arrived, with nothing on the desk appeared nervous and fiddled with his BlackBerry when asked to recount activities of the day. He was unable to log on to the computer or point to a single item in the room that could confirm the office had belonged to him." Classic photo here.

[UPDATE BELOW]: Pedro Espada Jr., the coup-causing State Senator from Bronxchester, has fired back at critics who insinuate that his son, Pedro G. Espada, got hired by the Senate (during a state hiring freeze) because of nepotism. It recently came to light that Pedro G., a former city councilman and state assemblyman, was appointed to the $120,000-a-year position of "deputy director of intergovernmental relations" soon after his father returned to the Democratic fold, thus ending a month-long Senate stalemate. But seriously folks, "this is not the result of a quid pro quo or a contingency to my ending the Senate stalemate," as Espada declared in a statement:

Observing the behavior of some politicians in Albany is like lifting up a rock and watching the cockroaches flip you off. After bringing the already slothful State Senate to a standstill this summer by aligning with Republicans, megalomaniacal scofflaw Pedro Espada Jr. of The Westchester Bronx was wooed back to the Democratic fold and handed the position of majority leader. But naturally the perks didn't stop there; it's now come to light that Espada's son, Pedro G., has been hired by the Senate for the job of "deputy director of intergovernmental relations."

A few years ago, City Council member Larry Seabrook (D-Bronx) headed an effort to increase diversity in advertising agencies, resulting in 11 agencies agreeing to improve their minority hiring and promotion efforts (or else be subject to fine). One agency, Omnicom, also backed the creation of a diversity committee, committing millions. While it was widely praised, now the NY Times reports that Seabrook recommended his sister to head the committee, which City Council Speaker Christine Quinn didn't realize: "Ms. Quinn referred the matter this month to the city’s Conflicts of Interest Board and the Council’s Standards and Ethics Committee after learning of the relationship from a reporter." Omnicom tells the Times it realized Priscilla Jenkins, an Atlanta-based consultant, was Seabrook's sister on their own before they hired her and referred to her "extremely impressive résumé." Jenkins previously worked at Morris Brown College (where was praised) and has consulted for companies that receive money from Seabrook via the slush fund. The Times points out, "City regulations prohibit elected officials from using their positions to obtain financial gain or personal advantage for themselves or close family members."

In an "exclusive," the NY Post looks at Finance Commissioner Martha Stark's relationships in her department—leading with how she "has been dating a former assistant commissioner in her department—which also hired her lover's ex-husband and three of Stark's family members." Dara Ottley-Brown was Stark's "assistant commissioner in the property division between 2004 and 2006. But Stark says the love affair started after Ottley-Brown transferred to another department." The Post also describes photographs of Stark and Ottley-Brown (found on Ottley-Brown's daughter's Facebook page) and lists other relations working there in this graphic. Stark told the Post, "I have never used my position to obtain any advantage for any relative or personal relation, and I have not had a personal relationship with any subordinate." Last month, Stark resigned from the board of a national real estate company (that does not do work in NYC) after the Post revealed the gig earned her an extra $90K in 2007.

As the City Council reels from slush fund mess and other budget scandals, the NY Times found more 12 of the 51 City Council members, or approximately 25%, were using campaign funds to pay relatives or themselves. One aid to familial lining of pockets is the fact that taxpayers are filling campaign war chests with cash, even when Council Members are running unopposed or face barely credible challenges.