The specter of a mistrial looms in the juicy embezzlement trial of disgraced ex-State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr., who's accused of funneling taxpayer dollars into a non-profit health clinic he operates, and then using clinic funds to finance a lavish lifestyle in Westchester. During three days of deliberations, the juries sent multiple notes to the judge reporting extreme consternation among the jurors, and at one point judge Frederic Block told the courtroom, "There seems to be some turbulence or screaming and stuff like that in the jury room." Hey wait a minute, Pedro's not supposed to be in there! more ›

The troubles keep coming for deposed Bronxchester State Senator Pedro Espada Jr.. On top of those embezzling charges he and his son are facing we can now add two more charges of corruption. But remember, to Espada two can be the same as one, so it isn't as bad as it looks. more ›

Since he is no longer a state senator, Pedro Espada Jr. no longer has to keep up the pretense that he actually lived in his old stomping grounds—Espada is selling his Bronx co-op apartment, which caused endless controversy for him, and served as a symbol for his entire failed political career. He'll now be free to burst from the cocoon, and transform into the Mamaroneck-residing disgraced politician facing decades in prison butterfly that he is inside. more ›

Disgraced former State Senator Pedro Espada and his son Pedro G. Espada were released on $750,00 bail today after pleading not guilty to charges of embezzling more than half a million dollars from the Bronx nonprofit health care network they managed. According to a grand jury indictment returned yesterday, Espada used the non-profit Soundview, which the senator founded 30 years ago, to live a life of semi-luxury and finance his political campaigns. The Times reports that Espada allegedly used some of the money to pay for a lavish birthday party at his Mamaroneck home, replete with petting zoo, pony rides and a videographer. And you already knew about the $20,000 in sushi deliveries, but did you know about the Bentley? more ›

Everyone's favorite Bronxchester, soon-to-be former State Senator Pedro Espada Jr., makes the news twice today. Once because he has finally been charged with stealing from his nonprofit (as expected) and twice because his tone-deafness seems to know no bounds. more ›

If you're a registered Democrat or Republican, you can vote in tomorrow's primary. Besides getting a chance to participate in the democratic (small d) process, you'll also get a chance to come face-to-face with one of the new voting machines—no more old-fashioned lever machines, it's now time for newfangled scanners (time for our own Lizard People vote?). more ›

A few months ago, Bronx community activist Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter announced her intentions to challenge State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. in the fall Democratic primary, saying, "I want to offer the district a fresh start. I want to return us to an honest and open government, sort of turning our backs on the old politics that has become a problem here in the Bronx and in Albany in general." But we guess that the fresh start for the 33rd District might have to come from someone else, because she's dropped out. more ›

Embattled Bronxchester State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. held a dramatic press conference yesterday to hit back at Democratic officials trying to oust him from the party. Brandishing a thick stack of 10,000 petition signatures in support of his re-election campaign, Espada stood outside a Board of Elections office and shouted, "Ten thousand Democrats, they have said you will not dis-enroll us you will not disenfranchise us. We want Pedro on the ballot. He is our Democrat. He's our senator... The attacks against me are attacks against the community I represent, who are Latinos, working class African-Americans. I am a Christian, I am Catholic, I am God-fearing, and I have God on my side." more ›

In April, Attorney General Cuomo filed a civil suit against Bronxchester Senator Pedro Espada Jr., accusing him of siphoning $14 million from his non-profit health clinic (which receives millions in taxpayer money) for himself and his family. The lawsuit was filed one day before a team of agents from the FBI, IRS and Cuomo's office raided his Soundview Healthcare Network—investigators were reportedly looking for evidence to support charges of money laundering, mail fraud and tax fraud. And it looks like they found plenty to go on, because the Post reports they're poised to hit Espada with serious criminal charges that could potentially put him behind bars for a decade. more ›

Aw, look at this: Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. (D-Bronx), who just last week said he wouldn't mind shutting down the government, now says he believes the State Senate will pass the budget extender bill that would keep Albany open. According to WABC 7, he said, "As we vote on the extenders in a bi-partisan way, we will get 32 votes to pass it. There will be no shutdown. But New Yorkers really know that what we really need is a complete fiscal plan for New York state." more ›

With Albany still trying to work out a budget two months after it was due, there's a little more than the usual dysfunction, because now there are threats of a government shutdown and some classic personal slams. Speaking of the latter, here's what Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. said of Governor Paterson, "We cannot let an unelected lame-duck governor that no one in the state wants to actually decide this [budget] by himself in a piecemeal fashion." more ›

A year ago today, State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. and then-Senate Hiram Monserrate ditched the Democrats and joined the Republican minority to give the Republicans the majority in a crazy coup that paralyzed the Legislature, thanks to drama, locked chambers and infighting—and a lack of a lieutenant governor! And you know what, Espada, who ended the coup when he was made Senate Majority Leader, says he doesn't mind shutting down the government again. more ›

State Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr., already accused of looting $14 million from his Soundview Health Clinic non-profit and running a fake labor certification program with his son, is also facing investigations over potential Medicaid fraud. The Post reports, "State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit asked for patient records" for 259 patients. "One of those patients, Alfreda Alston, 54, of The Bronx, made repeated trips to the Soundview dental clinic over a year -- all paid for through Medicaid. Despite X-rays and exams, the staff could find nothing wrong with Alston's aching tooth, according to her daughter, Alfreda Jones. Alston finally went to another dentist who fixed the ailment with a simple extraction." more ›

An anonymous whistleblower is dishing more dirt on Senator Pedro Espada's non-profit Soundview health clinics, which are at the center of two lawsuits by the Attorney General, as well as investigations by the FBI and IRS. What this former Soundview employee tells CBS2 won't come as much surprise if you've been following along with the Espada scandal, but it's always nice to hear more about Espada's shady underbelly. "He thinks the money that is brought in at Soundview, whether it is by grant or donation, belong to him," says the informant, who goes on to explain how Espada (allegedly) illegally uses Soundview as a front for his political campaigns: more ›

LEAVE PEDRO ALONE! State Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada, Jr. has not disappointed with his indignant retaliation against Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's legal actions. Yesterday Cuomo filed another lawsuit against Espada, accusing him of taking advantage of desperate, unemployed New Yorkers by roping them into a phony, barely-paid job training program at his non-profit Bronx health clinics. The training allegedly consisted of working as janitors for two weeks, after which they were not given the promised jobs, but sent away with a bogus certificate. Of course, Espada has a simple explanation, and it underscores why Albany desperately needs to pass some Anti-Bullying legislation. more ›

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo just can't get enough of Pedro Espada these days. Today The Prince of Darkness filed yet another lawsuit against the Senate Majority Leader from Bronxchester, accusing Espada and his son Pedro G. (you remember G.) of running a "sham job training program" that enabled them to siphon money from Espada's shady non-profit health clinic, Soundview. Espada allegedly created a for-profit management company, Espada Management, which was supposed to supply janitors for the Soundview medical clinics. But according to Cuomo's lawsuit: more ›

State Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. is having a bad week, one filled with storm offs, criminal charges and angry screeds, and it seems like everything and everyone he's been coming into contact with lately is screwed. So when you want to know why Attorney General Andrew Cuomo didn't announce his candidacy for Governor this week, just look in Espada's direction. more ›

Attorney Andrew Cuomo has sued State Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. (D-Bronx) for "looting" Soundview HealthCare Network, the Bronx non-profit, where Espada is the President and CEO. Cuomo's suit claims "Espada diverted Soundview’s charitable assets and used the money for himself, his family, his friends, and his political operation. In the past five years, Espada has siphoned more than $14 million out of Soundview, including an unconditionally guaranteed severance package worth an estimated $9 million which was put into a contract signed in 2005." more ›

Is this further proof that Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's investigation into State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. is heating up? Yesterday Cuomo's office served Espada's son, Pedro G. Espada, and two other employees of Espada's for-profit company with subpoenas to force them to testify before investigators next week. Cuomo is investigating whether Espada used money from the non-profit to help finance his political campaigns. Pedro G., who manages one of the non-profits, was also the guy Espada tried to install in a vague $120K Senate Job back in August, a move that swiftly ended in Pedro G.'s resignation after a public outcry. A source in the AG's office tells the Post, "Espada claims to be cooperating, but there are problems every step of the way." Why are we not surprised? more ›

State Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. has, the Post reports, "advis[ed] staffers at his health-care charity to check with his lawyers before speaking to state investigators probing allegations of financial misconduct -- a move some see as an effort to silence them." One employee at Soundview HealthCare Network, which paid Espada $450,000 one year, says, "It feels like they want to have too much control over what we say." Espada tells the Post, "Employees are entitled to in-house legal counsel... The letter was a formality to remind them." more ›

Besides costing a lot for a record low voter turnout, here's another runoff election fun fact: Quite a few Dem lawmakers and politicians didn't vote! The Daily News reports that among the no-shows (or those who couldn't get their absentee ballot acts together) were State Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr., State Senator Eric Adams and William Scarborough, and Assemblyman Felix Ortiz. The Citizens Union's Dick Dadey said of Espada, "He craves respect as a Senate leader but shows disdain for democracy by not voting." more ›

According to a recent profile in the Times, Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. enjoys "cultlike devotion" from a band of fervent supporters, who made a hagiographic short film titled The Espada Odyssey: A Profile of Courage, Compassion, Perseverance and Leadership, which is set in part to the theme from Superman and includes a shot of Espada superimposed against a lone wolf howling at the moon. (Watch here!) But the infamous Senate coup leader seems to see himself less as a wolfman and more as a catastrophic weather pattern. While visiting a farm accused of exploiting migrant workers, Espada has a confrontation with the owner, who says, "I know you. The traitor, right?" According to the Times, "Espada’s smile faded and his face reddened. 'We need to have a little coup in here... You think I did something to the Senate? Wait till I get through with you.' He threw his hands toward the sky, where thunderclouds gathered. 'Hurricane Espada is going to turn this place upside down!'" Later, the Hurricane explains that the Democrats have lost their identity, and he's "going to help them find their soul." Something tells us they're gonna need some FEMA trailers up in Albany. more ›

You know you must be pretty sleazy when your behavior makes State Senate scofflaw Pedro Espada, Jr. blush. Yesterday the esteemed Senator from Bronxchester abruptly fired his deputy chief of staff, Onix A. Sosa, after the Times confronted him about Sosa's past work managing 35 buildings in upper Manhattan and the Bronx with close to 7,400 unresolved violations, including 1,100 deemed immediately hazardous. That kind of thing doesn't fly in Espada's office, at least not once the press catches wind of it. In a statement, Espada said, "I was shocked and, quite frankly, blindsided by this revelation." more ›

Another day, another story about Senate Majority Pedro Espada's questionable dealings! Today, the Post reports that Espada has "turned his Bronx nonprofit health center into his own 'cash for clunkers' program when it bought an old, gas-guzzling junker from his eldest son." The charity that runs the Soundview Health Clinics "picked up a 2001 Ford Expedition" with over 175K miles on it from Pedro G. Espada last year (you may remember Pedro G. Espada from this). While spokesman Alexander Fear said it was a good deal, it's unclear why the car was needed—apparently the group "has bought a series of upscale gas-guzzlers, including a Cadillac Deville, a GMC Envoy SUV and luxury Chrysler 300C -- periodically replacing them with newer vehicles." Espada, his son, his daughter-in-law and an employee "convicted of committing fraud for one of his campaigns" all have use of the CCDC's cars. The Post also has an editorial titled "BOSS PEDRO"—"Watch out, Boss Tweed -- here comes Pedro Espada. And from the looks of it, the Bronx up-and-comer just can't wait to claim title to the top spot as New York's most corrupt politician ever." more ›

Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada's non-profit (but profitable enough for him to have been paid $460,000 in 2007) Soundview Health Network remains a source of questions from state officials. Earlier this summer, the NY State Comptroller's office yanked a $3 million state grant to the clinic because Espada, on the application form, claimed there were no outstanding tax liens, claims or judgments over $15,000... only there were (the Post says it owes about $1 million in taxes now) and now Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office is investigating whether Espada gave false statements about his business's health. The Times Union also mentions the new investigation "is separate from ongoing probes involving Espada's campaign and the Soundview organization... Cuomo's office is looking into whether Espada improperly benefitted in his successful primary election last year by allegedly using Soundview employees and resources for political activities. Questions about Espada's residency and his failure to file complete campaign disclosures are also under investigation." more ›

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. more ›

Pedro G. Espada's short reign as the new "deputy director of intergovernmental affairs" came to an end yesterday, when his dad, Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. said his son would resign the $120,000 position. The senior Espada told the Daily News, "We don't want to get off to this kind of start and certainly my son does not want it for himself... To remove any suggestion that this was a result of my influence, rather than him earning his way on to the position, he will withdraw. It's a new day in the Senate, new leadership, reforms are in place. My son never sought this. He had a better paying job, but he wanted to come back into public service." more ›

[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: more ›

A week that saw Mayor Bloomberg and Democratic state senators comparing each other to Nazi appeasers and plantation owners respectively ended with an announcement that the two sides had finally come to an agreement on Bloomberg keeping control of New York's schools. New Democratic Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. announced that a deal had been reached with most terms of the original 2002 mayoral control law kept in tact. However the new agreement will work to foster more parental involvement with a $3 million parent training institute run through CUNY and schools being mandated to have safety meetings with parents. The Times says that City Hall officials were careful not to gloat at news of the deal, that will likely be voted on when senators return from vacation before the new school year gets under way. The additional provisions will also require an anotherl vote from the Assembly, but word is that Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver was kept abreast of negotiations. Not all state legislators were forcing a smile though, with Senator Hiram Monserrate saying, “The mayor can really be a mensch when he wants to be.” more ›