Monday, May 11th 2009
State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo will investigate whether two Bronx lawmakers used nonprofit groups they control in order to dance around campaign laws.Responding to Sunday's Daily News "State of Shame" report, Cuomo said he will scrutinize the relationships state Sen. Pedro Espada Jr. and Assemblyman Peter Rivera have with separate non-profit groups, a source told The News.
State probers are poised to:
- Focus on employees of the Soundview health clinic Espada runs in the Bronx, who were convicted of using clinic resources to benefit Espada's campaigns.
- Question whether Rivera's campaigns illegally benefited from the Neighborhood Enhancement for Training Services. He steered $1.3 million in taxpayer money to the group, where his son and top political aides worked.
The NETS bought and renovated one now-empty building, but it remains a mystery where the bulk of the public money went.
Both Democratic politicians insist they've done nothing wrong.
At least six Bronx politicians are under investigation for misusing public money or shady real estate deals.
Soundview paid the legal bills of five employees convicted of working on Espada's campaigns while on the clinic's dime. The clinic was allowed to cover the legal bills, as long as the employees paid it back.
Espada insists the employees refunded the clinic for the legal bills. Cuomo plans to order an audit to determine if Espada is telling the truth.
Read more: "Attorney General Andrew Cuomo eyeing Pedro Espada Jr., Peter Rivera" - http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/05/11/2009-05-11_attorney_general_andrew_cuomo_eyeing_pedro_espada_jr_peter_rivera.html#ixzz0FENJteES&A
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