ALBANY — Fat raises and plum jobs doled out by state Senate Democrats in a shocking post-coup spending spree will cost taxpayers more than $1 million a year, according to a review of payroll data.
The Senate majority amassed the jaw-dropping bill in mere weeks as various Democratic chieftains claimed the spoils from this summer’s historic power struggle, including $500,000 for a raft of dubious raises and staff increases for Senate turncoat-in-chief Pedro Espada Jr.’s office.
The latest hires include at least three people tied to the Bronx senator’s Soundview Health Network, which Espada has been accused of using as a base for his political activities.
The appointments — first reported yesterday in the Albany Times Union — are only the latest windfall for Espada since returning to the Democratic fold and ending a five-week Senate stalemate.
Senate Democrats have made him majority leader, given him more office space, and allowed him to hire coup plotter Steve Pigeon as a $150,000-a-year counsel.
Espada, whose son, Pedro G. Espada, resigned last week from a $120,000 Senate position after The Post reported his hiring, said the new hires were required to staff his Bronx district office.
“This hiring has nothing to do with a quid pro quo or demands made on the Democratic Conference,” Espada said.
Meanwhile, a Post analysis found Senate Democrats have hired 19 of the Legislature’s 30 highest-paid employees at annual salaries of more than $132,000.
In comparison, their Democratic counterparts who run the Assembly have only five staffers over the $132,000 threshold.
The Republican minorities account for the remainder of the top 30, with five top earners in the Senate and one in the Assembly.
The 19 Democrats represent a slight increase over last year, when the then-Republican majority had 17 staffers in the Legislature’s top 30.
“The overall Senate payroll is down,” said Austin Shafran, a spokesman for Senate President Malcolm Smith (D-Queens). “By the end of the budget year, staff spending will be in line with the previous majority, if not lower.”