Statement from Senator Krueger on Joe Strasburg's Comments Praising Pedro Espada

For Immediate Release | March 24, 2011

Katie Kincaid | kincaid.nysenate@gmail.com | 646-784-0485

Statement in response to Rent Stabilization Association’s President, Joe Strasburg, calling Pedro Espada the “guy who saved this industry”

“I can’t help but wonder what kind of trade association chooses a man currently under Federal indictment for embezzling millions of dollars as their beacon of leadership? If I were a member of the RSA, I would be mortified by the notion that a criminal is given such reverence for the past successes of my trade organization.

“In 1997 and 2003 Joe Bruno, Dean Skelos and the Republican Majority were able to weaken rent regulation laws that affect millions of people, outside of their own districts, because they didn’t have a strong Democratic Governor standing up for the best interests of New York’s middle class citizens. Well, now the RSA has the right to be worried. They picked their leadership to be Pedro Espada, and we picked Andrew Cuomo. I'll stand with my strong Democratic Governor; they can stand with Pedro.”