By Stephen Stirling
Following the arrest of state Sen.−elect Hiram Monserrate Friday, Democratic players in the borough said the East Elmhurst politician is an essential piece to delivering the Senate majority post to Sen. Malcolm Smith (D−St. Albans), but state Republicans have already began the charge to have him removed from his new post,
Monserrate pleaded not guilty in Queens Criminal Court Friday evening to charges that he stabbed his girlfriend, 30−year−old Karla Girardo, in the face with a broken drinking glass.
Monserrate was elected to the state Senate in November and was a part of the Democrats winning a razor−thin 32 to 30 majority in the legislative body, which would mark the first time the group would have control of it in decades.
But by Monday, state Sen. Martin Golden (R−Brooklyn) was already circulating a petition calling for Monserrate to recuse himself from the Senate until the charges against him are resolved. Golden said it was “in his own best interests, and the best interests of the people of this state” that Monserrate step away from the Legislature until he is convicted or acquitted.
“The last thing the people of the city and state of New York want to see is someone sitting in the Senate who is accused of committing such a serious crime,” Golden said.
State Sen. Malcolm Smith (D−St. Albans), who had been expected to become the Senate majority leader before a group called the “Gang of Three,” which once included Monserrate, threatened to pull their support of him, was hesitant to comment on the situation.
“These are very serious charges which will be addressed by the proper authorities. We will wait for the determination of these charges before commenting further,” said Austin Shafran, a spokesman for Smith.
Monserrate’s vote would be crucial for Smith after a deal with the “Gang of Three,” which includes state Sen.−elect Pedro Espada (D−Bronx) and state Sens. Carl Kruger (D−Brooklyn) and Ruben Diaz Jr. (D−Bronx), fell apart earlier this month.
“[Monserrate] has always been on the outside of things. But at this point, and this is really sad, the Democrats seem to really need him right now. They need that vote,” one Queens Democratic official said. “If this was a Republican, we’d be piling on like crazy.”
Monserrate released a statement Saturday proclaiming his innocence and said he has no plans to step down from his Senate seat.
Mortimer Lawrence, Smith’s chief legal counsel and a former Queens assistant district attorney, appeared at the 105th Precinct in Queens Village after Monserrate was arrested and was even briefly listed as his attorney by the Queens district attorney’s office. But the spokesman for Smith denied he was dispatched by the senator himself.
“Mortimer Lawrence appeared at the precinct on his own volition to be helpful to a future senator. It was not at all under the direction of Malcolm Smith,” Shafran said. “He did not then and does not now represent Hiram Monserrate.”
He added: “Lawrence never saw or spoke to Mr. Monserrate while at the precinct. Nor did he intervene on Mr. Monserrate’s behalf.”
Monserrate’s Queens political colleagues publicly adopted a similar pose to Smith.
“These kinds of things are always a shock,” said Councilman Tony Avella (D−Bayside). “It would be unfortunate if it were true. I just hope it isn’t.”
Reporters Ivan Pereira and Jeremy Walsh contributed to this article.
Reach reporter Stephen Stirling by e−mail at sstirling@timesledger.com or by phone at 718−229−0300, Ext. 138.
