Andrew Cuomo has discovered yet another way that state senator Pedro Espada stole from Soundview, his community health-care clinic. Cuomo alleges in a brand-new lawsuit that Espada set up a for-profit management company, run by himself and his son, to supply the nonprofit clinic with janitors and then siphoned money from it by only paying some of the janitors $1.70 an hour. We’re no math wizards, but that seems a tad lower than New York’s minimum wage of $7.25. Just a tad.
The janitors were supposedly “trainees,” and were promised that they would eventually get full-time jobs and a salary, but Cuomo’s suit claims that they were “receiving no training and getting virtually no jobs,” and were instead simply replaced with other “trainees.” Cuomo says that at least 100 people fell victim to the scam. We can’t wait for Espada to explain this one, or, failing to do that, storm off in a huff.
Pedro Espada and son face fresh Cuomo lawsuit [Knickerbocker/NYP]
Espada Paid Workers $1.70 an Hour, Cuomo Says [City Room/NYT]
