Cuomo Suit Accuses Espada Of Sham Training Program

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New York - New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has again sued state Sen. Pedro Espada, claiming he and his son are violating state labor laws and shortchanging workers through a sham job training program.

The suit said the senator and Pedro G. Espada created a for-profit management company to siphon money from their nonprofit health centers in the Bronx. Cuomo said company workers are mislabeled as trainees, who get little training and are paid less than the law requires, some about $1.70 an hour.

The state minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.

Cuomo said Wednesday that at least 100 workers have been victimized since 2005.

Espada agreed to appear on CBS 2HD's community affairs program, "Eye on New York," in order to respond not only to Cuomo charging him with making his Soundview Health Clinic his personal piggy bank, but to raids by the IRS and FBI of the site, and subpoenas filed by Cuomo seeking records of the people he put on the state payroll who are his relatives or work for him at the Clinic.

Before the interview began, "Eye On New York" kicked off with a video package explaining those events, but the video angered him.

"Anyone watching what we just watched would think I am a hired assassin or some underground Mafioso. This is overkill to say the minimum; I mean this goes way beyond the pay of decency," he said.

Espada left the studio after questions dealing with the first time CBS 2HD's political reporter Marcia Kramer tried to confront him. It was last April at his Mamaroneck house to show he wasn't living in his Bronx district. He put on an orange ski cap in an apparent attempt to hide his face from the cameras.

Kramer and Espada went back and forth on the issue.

Espada: "The orange cap that I wear, I was not hiding from anybody. I've owned that home since 1991."

Kramer: "Senator, when I tried to talk to you, you got into a car, you put a baby in front of your face so that I wouldn't be able to get a picture of you, and you had your wife tear out of the driveway when the baby wasn't in the car seat."

Espada: "Marcia Kramer, this is not a mud-slinging session so I say. If you wanna make it that, you can come hide in the bushes in my house. … Human decency should prevail, even on this show."

As Dahler announced the program was going to a commercial break, Espada removed his microphone and scurried off the set looking for the door. Kramer and Dahler tried to get him to return.

Kramer: "Senator what we're trying to do is give you the opportunity to answer these questions."

Dahler: "There are many more questions to answer."

Kramer: "I mean there are tons of questions to answer, you mean to tell me you don't want to answer these questions?"

Espada (off set): "Please direct me to the way out please."

Espada did say he thought he was the victim of a "witch hunt." Investigations though are being carried out by the IRS, the FBI, two U.S. attorneys, and Cuomo.

CBS 2

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