New York Politician Charged With Embezzling From Health Nonprofit

Pedro Espada Jr. , who will soon step down as New York State Senate majority leader, was charged Tuesday with stealing more than $500,000 from the nonprofit Bronx clinic network he founded, reports The New York Times.

The federal indictment alleges that Mr. Espada and his son, Pedro Gautier Espada, diverted money from Soundview Healthcare Center and affiliated organizations for personal expenses–including meals, Broadway tickets, work on the elder Mr. Espada’s home, and a ghostwriter for a personal book project–and to benefit family and friends.

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, the state’s governor-elect, brought a civil suit against both men and Soundview in April. The scandal was a factor in Mr. Espada’s loss in September’s Democratic primary.

Susan Necheles, Mr. Espada’s lawyer, said he and his son deny any wrongdoing and that Soundview, which Mr. Espada started in 1978, “has provided high quality health care to thousands of families, children and senior citizens in the Bronx.”