Dems ready to give Pedro the heave-ho

By FREDRIC U. DICKER
State Editor

ALBANY -- State Democratic leaders, disgusted with scandal-a-minute Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada of The Bronx, will move to oust him from the party, The Post learned yesterday.

A top state party official, in an unprecedented move, has prepared a letter to Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, the Bronx Democratic chairman, calling on him to formally begin the ouster effort.

The letter, expected to be delivered tomorrow, was written with the approval of Charlie King, the state party's executive director and a top political aide to Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Andrew Cuomo, who has accused Espada in a civil suit of "looting" $14 million from his Soundview health-care clinic.

"This is a move by the state party to get rid of Espada for good," said a source close to Democratic leaders.

"Charlie King has been saying the Democratic Party is not for everyone, and Espada is at the top of his list for a variety of obvious reasons."

The letter, written by King deputy Edgar Santana, begins, "Quite clearly, Sen. Pedro Espada Jr. left the Democratic Party long ago in all but his official party affiliation.

"Through his repeated public statements and bad conduct, Sen. Espada has shown he is not 'in sympathy' with our party's fundamental principles," says the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Post.

"This letter constitutes a formal request that the Bronx Democratic Party immediately initiate proceeding to cancel Sen. Pedro Espada Jr.'s enrollment as a Democrat.

"For more than a decade, Sen. Espada has cavalierly flouted campaign finance rules," the letter says, referring to Espada's failure over several years to file legally required campaign-contribution disclosure forms.

The letter accuses Espada of serving in office "in open defiance of state residency requirements that undergird our representative democracy," a reference to Espada's ownership and use of a luxury home in tony Mamaroneck, Westchester County

The letter also makes specific reference to Espada's role in the Senate "coup" just over a year ago when, along with since-ousted and disgraced Sen. Hiram Monserrate, he temporarily bolted to the Republicans and threw Democratic control of the Senate into doubt.

"Sen. Espada's Democratic affiliation is based solely on a desire for personal gain," the letter concludes.

Espada was made majority leader as part of a political deal that saw him return to the Democratic fold.

Espada, who The Post disclosed yesterday may be indicted on criminal charges this summer as a result of Cuomo's probe, is expected to be put on trial at an administrative tribunal conducted by the Bronx Democratic organization.

If Dinowitz and Bronx leaders rule that Espada should be ousted, he could appeal the verdict in state court.

Espada faces possible Democratic primary challenges in September from Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter, a local community organizer, and Gustavo Rivera, who worked for US Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

fredric.dicker@nypost.com