Hiram Monserrate | The New York Observer

Monserrate Panel Will Meet Monday

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:39:43 -0500

ALBANY—The Monserrate Inquisition Panel will meet Monday night.

State Senator Eric Schneiderman told me by phone that the meeting, scheduled for 5 p.m., will be organizational and will provide an opportunity to introduce Daniel Alonso, the attorney who will serve as the committee's counsel, to members. Schneiderman also said that Republican on the committee have designated Andrew Lanza, a former prosecutor from Staten Island, as their ranking member.

The panel was formed after Hiram Monserrate was...

Revealed! Bloomberg in Washington Heights, Thompson with Diaz Sr.

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:51:03 -0400

Sometimes, candidates campaign without the media.

This morning at 9 a.m., Michael Bloomberg had a breakfast in Washington Heights with seniors, which was not publicized by his campaign.

A campaign source said it wasn't publicized because they feared reporters wouldn't be able to make it on time, and that the mayor's schedule was so chock full of stuff that they couldn't guarantee when then event would start or end.

This person also said the campaign wanted to...

Ethics Commission: We Didn't Bless Hiram's Slush Fund

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:33:46 -0400

ALBANY—They can't say much, but they can say that State Senator Hiram Monserrate didn't talk to them.

After a long preamble about the secrecy of its deliberation and findings, the Legislative Ethics Commission said in a statement that with "respect to the issue of legal defense funds, the Legislative Ethics Commission, established in 2007, has received no requests and issued no opinions regarding such funds. Further, no member of the Commission either as a...

Espaillat Says Lack of Hispanics Is a 'Weakness' of the Monserrate Inquisition Panel

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:49:07 -0400

Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat is also calling for State Senator Hiram Monserrate to resign, but said it is a "point of weakness" that the Inquisition Panel formed last week to ponder charges against him contains no Latino members.

"Given what has happened, Senator Monserrate is no longer able to effectively serve his constituents, or the people of this state, in the Senate," Espaillat said in a statement. Monserrate was convicted of misdemeanor assault last week....

Liu, Johnson Want Monserrate Out

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:07:27 -0400

ALBANY—Two more elected officials have weighed in calling for Hiram Monserrate's resignation in the wake of his conviction on a misdemeanor assault charge.

John Liu, a former colleague of Monserrate's in the City Council and the Democratic Party's comptroller candidate, said that elected officials "are also held to a higher standard of trust and responsibility" and "remaining in office at this time would be a remendous disservice to his district and his constituents." Liu...

Thompson Goes Past Bloomberg, Calls for Monserrate to Go

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:52:27 -0400

Bill Thompson thinks Hiram Monserrate should step down.

Speaking to reporters outside Michael Bloomberg’s campaign office, where he joined a protest organized by AIDS activists, Thompson said, “I think it’s becoming clearer, and clearer each and every day that in this case of domestic abuse is one that, in spite of the fact that he was only convicted of a misdemeanor, people feel that elected officials should be held to hire standards, and that senator...

Bloomberg, Into the Albany Muck

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:50:00 -0400

In his second and final campaign event of the evening of July 20, Michael Bloomberg visited a steaming hot volunteer headquarters in Riverdale, where he talked about his attempts to narrow the achievement gap between minority and white students. He was troubled. “People said you couldn’t do anything about it in the last seven years,” he said, sweating in a monogrammed white shirt. “And I think in the next four years, assuming we get mayoral control...

The Amigos Don't Get Paid

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:28:00 -0400

ALBANY—Apparently, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli made good on his word to not pay still-fighting state senators, and they're taking it as a joke. A legislative staffer picking up his paycheck sent along this account from the payroll office on Wednesday afternoon: Sen. Monserrate and Sen. Diaz strolled into the payroll office joking around and asking "where is my pay check" and (Monserrate) "why don't I get one" and laughing about it. I turned to the clerk and...

This Is the Cup of Hiram's Blood, Which Will Be Shed for You and for All

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 13:41:00 -0400

Here’s Hiram Monserrate this morning at the National Action Network, talking about his decision to return to the Democratic caucus. At the event, Monserrate likened himself to Jesus, who “began to turn over a few tables” in order “to get the people’s business done right.” Monserrate went on to say that “if it cost my election because I decided to turn over a table or two, and say that business has got to be done differently,...

As Espada Speaks for Them, a Republican Coalition Maintains Its Posture

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:49:00 -0400

ALBANY—They're allied with him in the quest to wrest control of the State Senate leadership, but there are some lingering misgivings among Republicans in the chamber about the partnership with State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. "Several of them are in ‘Oh my God, what have we done' mode," said one Republican who is close to many of the senators. "Pedro is obviously enjoying this immensely. The image of Dean standing mute while Pedro pontificates is...

Skelos Refuses to Endorse Espada Publicly

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:37:00 -0400

ALBANY—Emerging from closed door negotiations, State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. did not get an endorsement by Republican Leader Dean Skelos. Espada proclaimed to reporters: "I just want to address the many questions you have posed to my office this morning regarding some scurrilous rumors about their being an agreement that Pedro Espada would step down. Let's be clear about where this coalition stands. The coalition is firm, it's united. We are discussing the details of...

The Party of Monserrate Holds Its Nose

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 09:11:00 -0400

ALBANY—We'll take your vote, Hiram, but don't look for a hug. "We basically were trapped in our need to get to 31-31 at this point in time," State Senator Liz Krueger said of the decision to welcome (force?) State Senator Hiram Monserrate, an indicted Queens Democrat, back into the conference a week after he voted with Republicans to spark a leadership battle that has crippled the chamber. "I think we're making lemonade." As negotiations...

Paterson on Governing Amid Senate Chaos, Circling 'Sharks'

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:30:00 -0400

Ask David Paterson about Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, and he will respond, without naming names, by talking about people who are “half-governing.” He does not mean this in a good way. “I am the only one who is governing the people of this state. Others, who comment, half-govern,” said the governor, in a wide-ranging, hour-long interview on June 15. “Let’s take this crisis,” he continued. “You haven’t heard anybody other than the governor suggest...

Monserrate Says He's on 'Right Side of History'

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:30:00 -0400

I just got off the phone with Senator Hiram Monserrate, whose defection from and return to the Democratic caucus in the State Senate has brought Albany to a standstill. Monserrate said he did what he did because he had an “obligation” to his constituents “to change Albany,” and he is on the “right side of history.” When I asked Monserrate what specifically he found objectionable about the tenure of Malcolm Smith, the Senate Democratic leader at...

Monserrate Stays Away, Smith Fades

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:09:00 -0400

Malcolm Smith just emerged from a meeting of Democratic senators at 250 Broadway and said, "The most important thing that we talked about is the lawsuit." He also said, "Our conference is very united."When I asked if Hiram Monserrate had been there, Smith said, "No, no. He was not there."As Smith got into a car, he ignored a reporter who asked if he was still the...

Dilan: 'Malcolm Has Done a Great Job as Our Leader. However...'

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:46:00 -0400

Here’s State Senator Martin Dilan of Brooklyn, outside City Hall this afternoon after endorsing City Council candidate Maritza Davila. I asked him for an update on the Senate leadership situation. “Malcolm is the leader of the Democratic conference. I expect that he will continue,” Dilan said. “But as you know, there is at least a member who is deciding in which direction he is going to go and one of the preconditions that he has is...

The Last Thing David Paterson Wanted

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 22:02:00 -0400

If David Paterson seems particularly anguished by the lunacy unfolding in and around the State Senate chamber, it’s for good reason: His chance for political redemption is slipping away—and there’s not much he can do about it. The governor’s political comeback strategy, to the extent he has one, relies on using his incumbency to showcase his executive prowess and build public confidence in his leadership. This means pushing high-profile legislation through the Assembly and Senate...

'Democrats in Name Only'

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:18:00 -0400

Here’s Letitia James at a rally yesterday calling Pedro Espada and Hiram Monserrate “Democrats in Name...

Storming the Floor, The Coalition Gavels In

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:01:00 -0400

ALBANY—They came, they gaveled, they left. Despite pending litigation, the Republican-led coalition claiming to control the State Senate after a coup Monday entered the chamber and conducted some brief business, but left without passing any bills. I didn't get back to Albany in time to see it (Liz has a blow-by-blow here), but State Senator Kemp Hannon said that 32 members entered the chamber--30 Republicans plus the turncoat Democrats Hiram Monserrate and Pedro Espada Jr.--were counted...

Monserrate Balks, Leaving Republicans With Half a Coup

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:18:00 -0400

ALBANY—The Republican-led coalition that led a coup in the State Senate Monday was unable to deliver on its promise to hold session today, as one of the renegade Democrats moved away from their fold. State Senator Hiram Monserrate emerged from a closed-door meeting with Republican leader Dean Skelos and fellow insurgent, State Senator Pedro Espada Jr., to announce that the coalition is taking an "additional amount of time to ensure that the conversations that we...

Who Will Challenge the Senate Defectors?

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:13:00 -0400

Ongoing fluidity notwithstanding, it seems safe to assume that once their heads stop spinning, the state (and maybe national) Democrats will make it a serious priority to make both Pedro Espada and Hiram Monserrate into former elected officials. The senators, who cost the Democrats support of the State Senate by crossing the aisle to provide the 31st and 32nd votes to Republican leader Dean Skelos, come from overwhelmingly Democratic districts and will both, in theory,...

Monserrate's Former Chief of Staff Wants Him Back With the Democrats

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:38:00 -0400

Hiram Monserratre’s former chief of staff Julissa Ferraras wants him to caucus with the Democrats. “I hope that the senator can join the Democratic caucus,” Ferraras told me. She was standing outside City Hall a few minutes ago. Ferreras, a Democrat who was elected to the City Council seat Monserrate vacated when he was elected to the Senate, said, “In my communications with him, he said he really wants to make sure there’s reform” in Albany. She...

Espada Says He Has Keys, Talks With Duane

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:05:00 -0400

ALBANY—State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. just told reporters that he has the keys to the Senate chamber, and he will go inside and conduct a session in conjunction with the Republicans he partnered with in a coup earlier this week. "We have access, we have keys, and we will open the doors and do our business at 3 p.m.," Espada declared. He alleged that a surrogate for Smith asked David Paterson to have the locks...

Since When Have the Senate Dems Had a Problem With Thuggery?

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:30:00 -0400

It’s funny what a crafty and flawlessly executed backroom maneuver will do to people. Take the Democrats in Albany: They’ve suddenly discovered morality. The party’s public response to the Monday coup that saw Senators Pedro Espada and Hiram Monserrate defect to the G.O.P. and hand Republicans control of the chamber has been loaded with self-righteousness and moral indignation. “A thief and a thug,” is how Austin Shafran, the spokesman for Malcolm Smith, the Senate majority until...

Paterson to Democrats: Open the Chamber and Have a Vote

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:18:00 -0400

ALBANY—David Paterson wants the State Senate to vote on new leadership. Today he continued to blast Republicans and renegade Democrats who chose one of the last weeks of session to mount a coup in New York's upper chamber. Paterson also called on Democrats who still hold the keys to "open the doors" of government and vote. "They can resolve that issue by just holding another vote. If the votes are sustaining that leadership, then they would...

Democrats Work to Pull Monserrate Back In, Sharpton Plans An Albany Trip

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:50:00 -0400

ALBANY—Even as the Republican-led coalition in the State Senate forges ahead with plans to hold session today, Democrats are trying to pull State Senator Hiram Monserrate back into their fold. There's a meeting going on right now in his Queens district called by the Rev. Al Sharpton, where I'm told by someone who's there that Sharpton will organize buses to bring demonstrators to Albany. Also in attendance is Julissa Ferreras, Monserrate's former chief of staff, who...

Coup Ends a Brief Era of Liberal Opportunity

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:23:00 -0400

ALBANY—For liberals, this was the year of great expectations. It was the first time in three-quarters of a century that Democrats controlled all three governmental levers in Albany, and the newly empowered Senate Democrats, led by Malcolm Smith, talked about legalizing same-sex marriage; passing new laws to protect tenants and mandate prevailing wages on public projects; and creating a new governmental process to make the Legislature transparent and decentralized. Of course, it all started...

Robocall Says Monserrate 'Abandoned Barack Obama'

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:22:00 -0400

Now, there’s a robocall going around Queens saying Hiram Monserrate “abandoned Barack Obama” because he participated in the Republican coup yesterday. Already, there's one robocall hitting Pedro Espada because of the coup. Liz reports that this one is being sent into Monserrate's district by "organized labor. Two readers contacted me about the call already. One of the readers, a guy who asked not to be named but said he’s a “super prime voter” played the call he...

After the Coup, an Anti-Coup Clause

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:37:00 -0400

ALBANY—Blair Horner, the longtime good-government advocate just stopped me in the halls to share this tidbit about the rules just enacted by the Republican "coalition" government. "They require 48-hours notice on any resolution," he said, smiling. "So their own coup wouldn't be possible under the new...

Queens Democrats Still Behind Malcolm Smith, Mum on a Monserrate Primary

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:26:00 -0400

The Queens County Democratic Party isn't saying what, if anything, they're prepared to do in response to the coup in the State Senate. For them, it's especially painful. A Democratic majority leader from Queens, Malcolm Smith, was deposed in a coup made possible by a Democratic senator from Queens, Hiram Monserrate. Michael Reich, the executive vice president of the Queens County Democratic Party, isn't saying too much right now. “I don’t know enough about what’s going on over...

Golisano: 'Don't Talk to Me About Ethical Background in Albany'

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:39:00 -0400

ALBANY—Tom Golisano is not concerned about whether, in his effort to build a "reform" coalition, he cut a deal with "a thief and a thug," as a Senate Democratic spokesman called Golisano's partners in yesterday's coup. "I'm not 100 percent confident, but very happy with the start," he said about the possibility of rules reforms in the chamber. I asked Golisano if there could really be rules reform, given both Pedro Espada Jr.'s and Hiram Monserrate's...

Borough Presidents on the Coup: Disappointed, Not All Surprised

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:34:00 -0400

After they participated in a rally on the City Hall steps against budget cuts to community boards, I asked three borough presidents who served in the legislature what they thought of yesterday's Senate coup. “It’s unfortunate that we would allow ourselves, as Democrats, to join the Republican Party,” said Ruben Diaz Jr. of the Bronx, who served more than a decade in the Assembly. “That is not acceptable.” When I asked him about possible viable challengers...

Smith Is Still Democratic Leader, But Not All Dems Are Willing to Say So

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 10:20:00 -0400

ALBANY—State Senate Democrats just met behind closed doors, and the consensus is to keep meeting. Malcolm Smith, we're told, is still their nominal leader after a floor coup yesterday. "I don't see any reason why not. I think that we have to maintain unity within our conference. This is a real test for us, and I think this is the time that we show what we're made of," State Senator Jose M. Serrano, a consistent...

Nadler Mourns the (Temporary?) Death of the Progressive Agenda in Albany

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 08:28:00 -0400

Representative Jerry Nadler said late yesterday, optimistically, that it is entirely possible that the two Democrats who enabled the Republican takeover of the State Senate will be gone from the chamber by the time new congressional districts are drawn. But either way, he said, he feared that the progressive Democratic agenda that was supposed to be in the works in Albany is likely to be a casualty of Tuesday's coup. "As I get this story...

Paterson: 'What Happened to the Handshake?'

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:19:00 -0400

ALBANY—In a five-minute tirade, David Paterson just told reporters it was an "outrage" that Senate Republicans would conduct such a "despicable" "dereliction of duty" by engaging in a coup that was an "unnecessary distraction from government dressed up in the cloak, falsely, of reform." "This is a government. Our country was founded on the basis of individualism, where people were encouraged to have beliefs, to have dialogue and flesh their problems out in public. In...

Smith: We Were Adjourned, It Didn't Happen

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:02:00 -0400

ALBANY—Malcolm Smith, flanked by not quite 31 members of what was the Democratic conference of the State Senate, proclaimed that he was still the majority leader, regardless of the floor coup earlier. "We understand there was a vote taken after the session was gaveled out," Smith told reporters. "When you are adjourned, you are adjourned. You can't assume that just because you have 32 votes that walk out there, that everything has changed." He refused to...

With Friends Like These, How Long Can the Republicans Hold On to the Senate?

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:27:00 -0400

Democrats waited 40 years to win back the state Senate and now, just five months after finally securing control, it’s been snatched away from them again. So it’s only logical that they’re furious. But they should really take a breath, because—while they will have a clear and profound impact on the workings of Albany through 2010—the surprise defections of State Senators Pedro Espada and Hiram Monserrate to the Republican conference could end up, in...

Dem Spokesman on Espada and Monserrate: 'A Thief and a Thug'

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:05:00 -0400

ALBANY—Austin Shafran, spokesman for State Senator Malcolm Smith, just told me that this coup (which he called "illegal") in the chamber was orchestrated by "a thief and a thug." He was referring to State Senator Pedro Esapda Jr., who has run afoul of the state board of elections and is under investigation by the Bronx County district attorney and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office, as well as State Senator Hiram Monserrate, who has been...

Republicans Take Over the State Senate After 'Gang' Members Defect

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:45:00 -0400

ALBANY—The State Senate has fallen silent after Republicans introduced a resolution electing Pedro Espada Jr. as temporary president of the Senate and Dean Skelos as majority leader. Hiram Monserrate and Espada, both Democrats, apparently will vote with Republicans on the motion, and are doing so now in the midst of a procedural fight. UPDATE: At 3:47 p.m., Espada was sworn in as president pro tem, and Skelos as majority leader. They called for an immediate meeting...

Now, Smith Comes Down on Espada

Mon, 11 May 2009 20:03:00 -0400

ALBANY—Six months after he was elected, there is growing pressure on State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. to finally come into compliance with campaign finance disclosure laws. Majority Leader Malcolm Smith issued a statement today calling on Espada to get straight with the State Board of Elections within one week or face "immediate action." Smith did not elaborate on what that might be. "I'm expecting him to handle it like any other member of the legislative body,"...

Kevin Parker's Charge

Sun, 10 May 2009 20:38:00 -0400

ALBANY—State Senator Kevin Parker, facing a felony charge, was stripped of his leadership post and the stipend that accompanies it this weekend. In a statement that came hours after Parker's arrest in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, Majority Leader Malcolm Smith said the demotion was effective immediately until the "serious" charges against Parker are resolved. An NYPD spokesman told me Parker was charged with third-degree criminal mischief, a felony, in connection with an incident involving a...

Adams Defers on Monserrate Defense Fund

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:06:00 -0400

State Senator Eric Adams says he knew nothing about felow Senate Democrats bringing up the notion of contributing to elected colleague Hiram Monserrate's legal defense fund. "This is the first I'm hearing about it," he said, breathing heavily as he climbed stairs in the Capitol. I asked him if he would contribute his own money or funds from his campaign committee to such a cause. Adams, who like Monserrate is a retired NYPD officer, spoke up...

Gennaro Hires Another Queens Trib Reporter

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:56:00 -0400

City Councilman Jim Gennaro hired as his spokesman former Queens Tribune editor Brad Groznik. Groznik, who bears a resemblance to an actor who played a well-known superhero, is replacing Shams Tarek, a multi-faceted flack who is now doing not-so-covert political stuff with the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee. Other fun facts: Tarek worked at the Queens Tribune too. Also: before joining Gennaro's staff, Tarek worked for State Senator John Sabini, and often was fending off (political!)...

Sean Patrick Maloney Twitters on Monserrate

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:42:00 -0400

A former aide to Eliot Spitzer and David Paterson, Sean Patrick Maloney, hopes some Albany Democrat will denounce Hiram Monserrate. On Twitter, Maloney wrote: “Some smart NY Democrat is going to denounce Hiram Monserrate and show NY women that Dems take violence more seriously than...

Smith on Why Monserrate Doesn't Need to Resign

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:14:00 -0400

ALBANY—Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith said this afternoon that the allegation against State Senator Hiram Monserrate is "despicable," but he does not believe Monserrate should resign. "As anyone, he still has the presumption of innocence until proven guilty," Smith just told reporters. "That's number one. Was the act despicable? No question about it. And we have done two things: he has not gotten his $12,000 lulu, which in any shape or form is an important...

Monserrate Loses Chairmanship, Says That 'Truth' Will Prevail

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:26:00 -0400

ALBANY—He talked about it, and Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith decided newly indicted State Senator Hiram Monserrate will temporarily step down from his position as chairman of the Consumer Affairs Committee. "Today, Senator Monserrate and I met to discuss the proceedings he is facing," Smith said in a statement. "As a result of this meeting, Senator Monserrate asked to temporarily step down as Chair of the Senate's Consumer Affairs Committee. I have accepted his request...

Ferreras Defends Monserrate

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:13:00 -0400

The city councilwoman who once worked for, and recently replaced, Hiram Monserrate is defending her former boss. A spokesperson for Ferreras emailed me this statement from her on today's indictment: "In our legal system a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The Hiram Monserrate that I know would be incapable of such an act. It is a sad day for all...

Smith: Monserrate Will Be Conferenced

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:15:00 -0400

ALBANY—The official word from Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith on the felony indictment of one of his members is: he's going to conference on it. "He was just indicted a couple hours ago, we just found out about it today," said Smith spokesman Austin Shafran. "That's what needs to be discussed within the conference. We're not going to be going to be commenting until the conference has had a chance to weigh in with each...

The Five-Page Indictment of Hiram Monserrate

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:12:00 -0400

Here’s the text of the indictment of State Senator Hiram Monserrate. Among the charges...

Pots of Gold

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:12:00 -0400

ALBANY—Kyle Hughes at nysnys.com, which tracks this sort of thing, passed along a list of legislators cashing in on the feast of St. Patrick. Here it is: Jim CONTE - Assemblyman Conte, reception, Albany Room, ESP noon $250 Greg BALL - Assemblyman Ball, "New Yorkers on the Ball" reception, DeJohns, Lark Street, Albany 6:30 p.m. $250 Carl HEASTIE - Assemblyman Heastie, reception, Albany Room, ESP 5 p.m. $500 Jack McENENY - Assemblyman McEneny, reception, Sign of the...