The local CBS affiliate in New York is certainly not the first media outlet to suggest that Senator Pedro Espada lives outside his district but they did so in spectacular form this week. While Espada managed to make himself eligible to run in the Bronx despite his residency in Mamaroneck, the evidence gathered by CBS was thorough and the confrontation the reporter had with Espada was priceless to say the least. And of course, the report is timely because he is blocking the M.T.A. bailout that would help the people who actually live in his Bronx district.
From CBS-2:
Believe it or not the man trying to disguise himself by wearing an orange ski hat is State Sen. Espada -- and he didn't want to talk to CBS 2 HD in the worst way.I can't wait to see the video of this posted. A corrupt public official gets caught violating the law, runs away from the press and uses an infant to shield his face from the cameras. In my book, that is pretty much near the bottom of the pole in terms of human decency.
CBS 2 HD: "Excuse me Sen. Espada, I wonder if I could talk to you about the MTA …"
Espada: "Please … please … please."
And with that Espada slammed the door.
Espada was so intent on not being seen he held a baby in front of his face as he pulled out of his driveway in Mamaroneck.
And that's the rub. Espada represents a Bronx senate district, but he lives in a nearly $700,000 home in Mamaroneck, that has been in his family since the 1990s.
"He's there a long time. Yeah, he's there all week," neighbor Benny Protano said.
Either Espada should resign (not gonna happen) or the courts and/or Senate should throw him out of office for duping the community he is supposed to be representing. Since the Senate likes to protect their own (see: Hiram Monserrate) any sort of internal ethics review with teeth is highly unlikely to occur. While I'd like to see the courts rip his corrupt ass out of the Senate, the more realistic option is to primary him next year. Given that, I hope there are some progressives up there willing to take him on.
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