(
)
In a bit of revisionist history shocking even by Albany standards, newly indicted Pedro Espada yesterday released a 35-page, taxpayer-funded report that celebrated his alleged “achievements” as state Senate majority leader, including “reforms” for rules he broke — just hours before federal prosecutors slapped with him a slew of embezzlement charges.
Espada blithely ignores the scandals that dominated his tainted tenure in office — including allegations of ripping off more than half a million dollars of government funds — and portrays himself as a modern-day Henry Clay who held the state together in a troubling time.
In one particularly galling section, Espada — who was defeated in September’s Democratic primary — casts himself as an ethics leader and urges colleagues to take up his mantle of reform.
While touting his efforts to “stop the influence of special interest groups,” Espada lauds his efforts to toughen campaign-finance laws and increase penalties for those who break those laws.
He conveniently neglects to mention his own violation of those very rules.
Espada owes $10,309 in fines to the state Board of Elections for not filing his disclosure reports.
Espada famously jumped from the Democrats over to the GOP in 2009, then jumped back to his party again when he was offered the leadership position.
The party-hopping paralyzed state government and was largely seen as an unabashed grab for power. But in Espada’s mind it was a seminal moment in Latino rights.
“It was not a power play, but rather it was born out of the need to empower the Latino population with long-overdue representation in the highest ranks of state government, and to spread power among all senators for the benefit of the state’s residents,” according to the report.
In another bit of chutzpah, Espada touts his leadership in bringing the same-sex-marriage bill to the Senate floor. That bill had 19 sponsors — none of whom was Pedro Espada.
“He did nothing other than vote for it,” sniped one Senate official.
Espada — who has been in hiding since losing the primary — commissioned a Senate staffer to compile the report.
“This is the first time that a Senate majority leader has provided such a document to the public,” he admits in the accompanying press release.