Just when you thought you were going to be rid of the man once he was voted out of office after just one term in the State Senate, it looks like Pedro Espada Jr. isn’t going to pipe down any time soon. Both he and his son (also named Pedro) have pleaded “Not Guilty” on federal charges of theft and embezzlement. They stand accused of looting $500,000 from their network of Soundview Health Clinics, using the money for splurges like Broadway tickets and the down payment on a Bentley. That cash was meant to provide medical equipment and services to an community in need. “This case in my opinion is the most outrageous abuse of public office that I have ever seen,” Andrew Cuomo, the outgoing attorney general, said yesterday. You know what a trial means: more chances for this guy to shoot his mouth off. At least he’ll no longer be running amok in our state politics while he does it.
Sen. Pedro Espada pleads not guilty to embezzling charges [NYP]
Related: Chris Smith’s 2009 Profile, “The Making of Pedro Espada” [NYM]
