MONSERRATE INDICTED

A former Queens elected official, who’s become an all too familiar face in court, once against finds himself in the hot seat.
Disgraced ex-state Senator Hiram Monserrate was indicted on Tuesday, October 19 on federal charges that he used a charity as a source for campaign funds, according to a report in The Daily News.
Prosecutors charge that Monserrate used the non-profit organization Latino Initiative for Better Resources & Empowerment (LIBRA) to finance his campaigns for both City Council and state Senate.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara charged that Monserrate steered $300,000 in taxpayer money to the group. LIBRE then illegally spent $100,000 on his failed 2006 Senate bid and paid thousands to LIBRE-hired workers to canvass residents for his City Council seat in 2005 – all of which came under the former senator’s direction.
He also had LIBRE create databases of the voters who they registered and sent it to his campaign. With this information, the indictment charged that Monserrate “gained an advantage by being the only candidate aware that these particular people would be eligible to vote in the 2006 primary election and that they would be targeted with campaign messages.”
The indictment alleges that Monserrate stamped numerous LIBRE checks that were issued to workers who were part of a voter registration drive and that the signature stamped belonged to the chairperson of LIBRE’s board, Julissa Ferreras – who is now a member of the City Council.
Also according to the Daily News, one of LIBRE’s former executive directors, Javier Cardenas, gave the Queens District Attorney copies of emails between him and Monserrate detailing the use of the non-profit organization for political purposes.
Monserrate lost his bid for Senate in 2006, but won the seat in 2008. He was then kicked out of the Senate earlier this year after being convicted of a misdemeanor in the assault of his girlfriend. He tried to regain his Council seat in March, but lost to Jose Peralta.
The former senator is in custody and awaiting arraignment.