Efrain Gonzalez

Here’s Village Voice investigative reporter Wayne Barrett in City Hall today, saying that Christine Quinn shouldn’t necessarily be held responsible for the City Council's recent troubles.
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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:  read more »

Just the thing the state's new health commissioner needs when getting confirmed as a member of Eliot Spitzer's administration: a "ringing endorsement" from state Senator Efrain Gonzalez, who is under indictment for using public money to, among other things, support his cigar company.

The new health commissioner, Richard Daines, was Gonzalez's personal physician, reports Liz.

Small world.

-- Azi Paybarah

It looks like the shake-up of the Senate Democratic leadership by newly installed minority leader Malcolm Smith is still underway.

According to a Democratic source in the Senate, Smith is expected to name John Sampson of Brooklyn as Chair of the Senate minority conference, replacing the twice-indicted Efrain Gonzalez of the Bronx.

Sampson's ties to former Brooklyn boss Clarence Norman were a nagging problem for him during his race for Brooklyn District Attorney, but they shouldn't matter in his new leadership role. After all, Gonzalez held the position while dealing with legal troubles, as did previous chairAda Smith.

UPDATE: John Sampson just called to say that he was offered the leadership position, but that he turned it down and that it was subsequently accepted by Martin Dilan.

When I asked Sampson why he turned it down, he offered some vague answers.

"I just declined. I just turned it down," he said. "I'm a type of person that, I'm not looking for a leadership position, I'm just looking to serve my constituents."

When I asked what kind of salary perk or staff boost came with being the conference's secretary, Samspon said, "I don't know about that. All I know is that it comes with more work."

-- Azi Paybarah

Here's a novel reaction to today's news from Albany:

Bronx Assemblyman Peter Rivera is going after U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia for his decision to announce more charges against Bronx state Senator Efrain Gonzalez, Jr. today -- just as lawmakers were getting back to Albany to vote on their pay raises.

Rivera, who is the chair of the New York State Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force, told me, "I don't understand the logic why he would pick the day we're in session to re-indict an individual again, when we're in session. Allegedly, and this is something I learned from the media, allegedly we're up here doing pay raises. Is the point to discuss, when the coverage is going to be 'pay raise' or 'no pay raise,' a member of the legislature gets indicted?

"Sound judicial policy would keep politics out of the administration of justice."

-- Azi Paybarah

The Times has this intriguing item about an impending announcement of charges against a state Senator who defrauded the public out of $400,000 in member items. -- Azi Paybarah

UPDATE: The AP just reported that the Senator in question is Efrain Gonzalez Jr.

Also, an apology: My original post here said that the Senator was rumored to have been Ruben Diaz Sr., and included a response from his office saying that the only people to have contacted them about the investigation were reporters. It turns out that there was a reason for that.

I recently came across this picture I took of Andrew Cuomo and state Senator Efrain Gonzalez this summer at the Bronx Democratic County Dinner, a few weeks before Gonzalez was charged with misusing money intended for a non-profit group.  read more »

A small reminder of how much simpler it may turn out to be in theory than in practice when it comes to taking on what Cuomo calls the "pervasive culture of dysfunction and corruption" in Albany.

-- Azi Paybarah