Controversial Bronx Figure Seeks to Regain Senate Seat
By JONATHAN P. HICKS, NY TIMES, July 28, 2004

Pedro Espada Jr., a Bronx politician who has served in the State Senate and the City Council, said yesterday that he was running to regain his former seat in the Senate. Mr. Espada, who operates a health care center where seven employees have been indicted for allegedly diverting money to his campaigns, is challenging State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr.

Mr. Espada has long been a colorful political figure and the most prominent enemy of the Bronx Democratic Party organization for years.

The seven employees of the Soundview Health Center, who pleaded not guilty, are expected to go to trial at the end of this year or early next year. Four senior managers were charged in January with taking money from programs for children and AIDS patients and using it for Mr. Espada's unsuccessful campaign for Bronx borough president in 2001. Three other clinic employees were indicted on perjury charges.

The race between Mr. Espada and Senator Diaz, the man who defeated him two years ago, sets the stage for a rematch of what was a bitter race. Mr. Diaz, then a city councilman, won by 97 votes. But it was also a race that Mr. Diaz won after a campaign of breakneck speed, having entered the race just 13 days before the Democratic primary. He replaced a candidate on the ballot who was ruled ineligible to run.

Mr. Espada has also become a controversial figure in the heavily Democratic Bronx because of his announcement, also in 2002, of his intention to become a Republican. Although he never officially changed his registration, he began to sit with the members of the Republican majority to participate in that party's conferences.

In court, the Bronx Democratic Party has unsuccessfully sought to prevent Mr. Espada from running as a Democrat. In 2003, Mr. Espada won a special election for the City Council seat that had been held by Mr. Diaz. He did not run for re-election later that year.

In an interview yesterday, Mr. Espada said that his intention to continue to sit with the Republican majority, if elected, was at the cornerstone of his platform. He also said that Mr. Diaz, as a part of the Democratic minority, was unable to deliver the money for community and civic programs that would be financed by the Republicans.

"The key issue in this race is my experience and my participation in the majority conference," Mr. Espada said. "And that will allow this district to have an experienced legislator who could affect change, make laws and bring home needed resources."

In response, Mr. Diaz, who is also a Pentecostal minister, said that Mr. Espada remained out of touch with the needs of the 32nd Senate District, which stretches from Parkchester to Hunts Point.

"He had his chance and he blew it," Senator Diaz said. "His people were indicted because the resources were diverted where they weren't supposed to go. He wants to sit with the Republicans, but they are the ones cutting funds for education and health care."

In his announcement, Mr. Espada said he was backing candidates against two incumbent members of the Assembly. He said he would actively support Jerry Love Jr., a businessman, in the Democratic primary against Assemblyman Ruben Diaz Jr., the senator's son. Mr. Love is the son of Sandra Love, a vice president at the health care operation, who was one of the seven charged by the attorney general's office. Mr. Espada also said he was supporting Elizabeth Bones, a businesswoman, against Assemblyman Peter M. Rivera.

Espada, despite scandal, announces run for state Senate.
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By SAM DOLNICK, NEWSDAY
Associated Press Writer

July 27, 2004, 3:45 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- Pedro Espada Jr., whose last bid for office left seven health care center employees under indictment for allegedly diverting money from the facility to his campaign, announced Tuesday that he was running for state Senate.

Espada, at a news conference in the Bronx, said the charges against Soundview Health Center employees announced in January by state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's office would not affect his campaign. Espada is the founder and president of the center.

"The attorney general's case against Soundview will not become a part of this campaign because it's not an issue in this campaign," Espada said.

Seven Soundview employees were arraigned in January and will stand trial later this year or early next year. They were charged with diverting money from poor women, children and AIDS patients to Espada's failed run for Bronx borough president in 2001, or with lying about the alleged scheme.

They all pleaded not guilty.

Espada pledged his political support to the son of one of the women charged with stealing state funds for his campaign.

Espada introduced Jerry Love Jr., a first-time candidate for state Assembly and the son of Sandra Love, Soundview's senior vice president.

Sandra Love faces seven years in prison if convicted of grand larceny. She is scheduled to stand trial in January, said Brad Maione, a spokesman for Spitzer's office.

Love stood by her son at the news conference and joined in the chants of "Jerry, Jerry!"

Along with another first-time Assembly candidate, Elizabeth Bones, Espada said, "together these voices will travel the 200-odd miles to Albany to bring a message of hope."

Espada named himself, Bones and Love members of the "Victory 2004 team."

Three more defendants in the Soundview case, Maria Cruz, Norma Ortiz and Esther Hill, are scheduled to go to trial in January. The other defendants, Dora Garcia, Joyce Oates and Leonard Frasier, will go to trial between September and January.

The Espada campaign was also accused of fraudulently trying to obtain four-to-one campaign matching funds from the city Campaign Finance Board, according to Spitzer's office.

The attorney general's office wouldn't comment on whether Espada had been the target of any investigation.

Espada is a former three-term member of the state Senate and the City Council. He lost in the Democratic primary during a Senate re-election bid in 2002, and his Council term ended in December.

Echoing his supporters' T-shirts that read, "Still we rise," Espada said he was confident his troubles were behind him.

"Sometimes we fall down, but a true fighter will always get back up," he said. "Our travels, our segues, have been interrupted but not derailed."

Espada said some of his priorities would be overturning the state's Rockefeller Drug Laws, delivering "quality education," and creating new jobs.

In 2002, after a nasty feud with the Bronx Democratic Party leadership, Espada announced that he was switching to the Republican Party so he could join the Republican majority in the state Senate. But he never filed a new party enrollment card that year and he lost the election to Democratic Sen. Ruben Diaz, who is running for re-election in 2004.

Surrounded on the steps of the Bronx state Supreme Courthouse by kids in baseball uniforms and community residents, Espada vowed to return to Albany "to bring a powerful voice about the purpose, the mission and the good of the Bronx people."


Copyright © 2004, The Associated Press