It's good to be the king. First Senate Democrats rewarded Pedro Espada Jr.'s flip by putting him in charge of the chamber he once held hostage. And now the newly-minted Senate Majority Leader can celebrate another feather in his cap: his son's $120,000-a-year plum senate position.
Pedro G. Espada, erstwhile City Councilman and state Assemblyman, as of last week holds the title of "deputy director of intergovernmental relations" for the New York State Senate.
The younger Espada assumed the post -- a newly created position -- on August 6, according to Austin Shafran, a spokesman for the state Senate. It's a full-time job with offices both in Albany and downstate, New York magazine was first to report.
Though the timing is bound to raise eyebrows, Shafran denied the new hire was a pot-sweetener in the negotiations that returned Espada to the Democratic fold, ending a month-long stalemate that paralyzed state government.
"Pedro [G.] has a vast experience in both the government and private sector and we hope he is going to help us work better with federal agencies and make the best use of stimulus and other federal funds," Shafran said.
Shafran said the job, while technically new, has been the function of a staff that has "been performing these jobs for months."
"The conference wants to use Pedro's vast experience in the government and private sector to help improve communications and cooperation between the State Senate and various city, state, and federal agencies," Shafran said.
