Indicted State Senator Cites 'Weapons of Member-Items Destruction'

State Senator Efrain Gonzalez, Jr., who is under indictment for steering public money through a non-profit organization and back into his own pocket, chatted with me after yesterday’s legislative breakfast, hosted by the Riverdale Jewish Community Council.

On the subject of his legal troubles, his lyrical defense went like this:

“The only thing I can say, because I can’t comment on anything, but I call them ‘Weapons of Member-Items Destruction.’”

He said, “What are the rules? Do you know the rules? How are the rules applied? I just recommend them [member's items]. Follow the rules. What are the rules?”

"There’s a whole process,” Gonzales continued, “once you recommend, and it goes to an agency, the agency then draws up the contract, the agency does vouchering, does the auditing, does vouchering, does certification, controller, those are the rules. I ain’t got nothing to do with that.”

This went on for a few more minutes, then we got into the 2009 mayoral race. Gonzales said it's too early to say who he's supporting. I asked him if he was waiting for anyone other than the three major Democratic candidates--Christine Quinn, Bill Thompson and Anthony Weiner--to get into the race.

“Listen, I won’t even write off Tony Avella,” said Gonzalez, adding later, “They wrote [Barack] Obama off.”