If you’re a gambling man, you might try guessing which New York politician will be arrested for corruption next.
So wrote State Senator Rubén Díaz in his latest “What You Should Know” missive, where he claims bets are being placed on who in Albany will be the next to be indicted. As corruption charges rock Albany, Mr. Díaz says the state capital is now an “ambulatory casino.” Read More
Outspoken State Senator Rubén Díaz, Sr. is out with another one of his “What You Should Know” missives, this one addressing the recent spate of New York legislators being arrested, a list that State Senator John Sampson joined yesterday. And Mr. Díaz, in a roundabout way, very strongly suggests there’s a racial component to federal prosecutors’ targets.
“The only thing we do know that is new in these times in New York State, is the Black and Hispanic politicians are the ones being wired and sent out to root out corruption among Black and Hispanic officials,” he said in a statement dismissing alarmist rhetoric to describe the Empire State’s corruption controversies. “I would hate to think that as Black and Hispanic leaders who are elected to represent our communities, that we would be targeted to weed out corruption only in our backyards, and that we would be held to a higher standard than the non-Black and Hispanic leaders.” Read More
The State Legislature is set to look at tightening New York’s infamously loose campaign finance rules in the wake of a recent slate of corruption scandals, but State Sen. Rubén Díaz believes legislative attention should instead be focused on Governor Andrew Cuomo.
“I would like to recommend that ethics reform in New York State begin in the Governor’s mansion,” Mr. Díaz declared today in one of his regular “What You Should Know” statements. “While we consider how to restrict Senate campaign donations that are used to pay for meals, I would like my readers to know that many of my colleagues are routinely invited to the Governor’s mansion to eat his food and drink his wine with no oversight to who pays those bills.” Read More
As the fiery Rev. Rubén Díaz Sr., a New York State Senator, thundered against same-sex marriage in the nation’s capital, his son, Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz Jr., was about to do the very opposite. The younger Díaz was joining a wave of politicians who have recently reversed their positions in favor of gay marriage, but his father said he was unswayed by the momentum against him.
“Marriage is sacred. Marriage is an institution established by God and it should stay that way,” he said. “The majority is not always right. 2,000 years ago the majority chose the rabbi and rejected Jesus. Now, the majority are rejecting the Bible and not choosing Jesus. I know my conviction and I know I will not change my view. I could be only one in the whole world and I would not change my view.” Read More
Governor Andrew Cuomo has made it absolutely clear that the new Senate leadership coalition between the breakaway Independent Democratic Conference and and the Republicans will draw his ire if they do not support certain items on his agenda. Yesterday, we noted that it seemed the IDC and the governor might not be seeing eye-to-eye on one of the item on the governor’s “litmus test” for the coalition, campaign finance reform. Last night, we received a call from one of the five IDC members, State Senator Diane Savino, seeking to clarify the conference’s position on the issue. She also discussed the IDC’s goal, the racial controversies that have dogged the group and revealed the one person she’s not sure she’d allow to join the conference. Read More
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., who had been considering a campaign for public advocate, announced earlier today he would decline to leap into the fray. “The needs of the people of the Bronx are foremost on my mind and in my heart,” he wrote in an email to his supporters. “Therefore, I have decided to run for re-election as Bronx Borough President in 2013.” Read More
That was the title of outspoken State Senator Rubén Díaz, Sr.’s latest “What You Should Know” statement that very directly compared allegations placed against President Bill Clinton to those against Assemblyman Vito Lopez. Mr. Díaz, not unknown to make controversial statements, said he wants to “show the high level of hypocrisy among many, many people in this business of politics and media” regarding Mr. Lopez, who was once the powerful boss of Brooklyn’s Democratic Party before his sexual harassment scandal shook the state’s political landscape a few weeks ago.
“You should know that as I continue to read the news about how many people have come out showing their anger against New York State Assemblyman Vito Lopez, and how many leaders have asked for his resignation, I have to compare the reaction and treatment by those same leaders to what they did against former President Bill Clinton when he was the President,” the senator argued in the statement. Read More
State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. released a lengthy thousand word statement today outlining his views on abortion. Mr. Diaz explained why he believes abortion amounts to the “killing of unborn babies” and why he thinks it’s time to “forget about being politically correct by being Pro-Choice.”
“Hitler was pro-choice. He chose to send the Jews to Auschwitz. That was not their choice that was Hitler’s choice,” Mr. Diaz said. “Murderers, assassins and criminals are pro-choice. They choose to put a gun to your head and take your life. That is not your choice. That is their choice.” Read More
State Senator Ruben Diaz sent out one of his periodic “What You Should Know” missives today in which described the arrest of a campaign aide who worked for one of his charities as part of the government’s failed vendetta against him. Clement Gardner was arrested last month and charged with stealing $75,000 from the Christian Community Benevolent Association, which was founded by Mr. Diaz. Mr. Gardner allegedly took the money between 2004 and 2007, when he confessed his crimes to the FBI. In his message today, Mr. Diaz speculated the FBI didn’t immediately arrest Mr. Gardner because they wanted help in “their quest to get Senator Ruben Diaz.”
“Anybody would think that the right thing for the FBI to have done would be to inform the organization,” Mr. Diaz said. “You should also know my dear reader, that contrary to what reasonable people would do, the FBI authorized Mr. Gardner, through Agent Campbell, to go back to the agency where he stole more money. Was Mr. Gardner told: ‘We don’t care what you do we just want Senator Diaz. Go back keep doing what you’re doing and give us Senator Diaz?’” Read More
During Congressman Charlie Rangel’s reelection kickoff yesterday, Mr. Rangel was asked about one of his main primary opponents, State Senator Adriano Espaillat, and remarked, ”I do know that there are a lot of people who hear voices to tell them to do things, but they really need hearing aids.”
And outspoken State Senator Ruben Diaz, in one of his regular “What You Should Know” statements, questioned Mr. Rangel’s remark today and suggested it was insensitive to people who do truly hear voices.
“There are credible explanations for why people hear voices. One explanation is mental illness, and the other is that the voices are part of a religious experience,” Mr. Diaz wrote, going on to explain clinical schizophrenia before transitioning to his background as a Pentecostal minister. Read More
