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Earlier this morning, volunteers for Gustavo Rivera’s campaign were attempting to have one of Pedro Espada’s staffers, Michael Gary, kicked out of the Amalgamated Houses Polling site: Vladeck Hall.
Gary, an Amalgamated resident who was involved in a little dust-up with political blogger Rafael Martinez Alequin two weekends ago during an Espada campaign event in front of Mosholu Library, was one of two volunteer poll watchers assigned to the Amalgamated site. The other was Carl Tucker, Espada’s legislative director, who said he got there at 5:30 a.m.
An hour ago, Rivera’s campaign sent out a press release saying Gary, who said he started working for Espada in February, “steered people to vote for Espada. Once voters were inside the poll site, Gary said, ‘I speak Spanish, I can help you vote.'”
Espada’s camp has, of course, denied doing anything improper.
Other allegations of impropriety include:
-At 268 East 207th Street: Senator Pedro Espada was inside the polling location, talking to voters,
handing out literature, and saying “vote for me” with his campaign workers.
-At P.S. 33: Pedro G. Espada handed out literature for his father inside the poll site.
-At Middle School 80: As soon as the police left for lunch, Espada volunteers started leafleting within the poll site vicinity. Also, the person who is giving instruction for voters changed the instructions from English to Spanish for an English-speaking voter so the voter could not understand. The Spanish interpreter gave Espada volunteers high-fives and hugs as he walked out of the polling site.
-At Fort Independence Community Center at 3350 Bailey Avenue: An Espada poll worker said to Rivera workers, “you better tell your people to behave because I’m likely to stab first.”
-Fordham Hill Coop, 2440 Sedgwick Ave: Several canvassers said the apartment building security guards at the poll site have asked voters who they are voting for. Only Espada voters have been allowed into the building.
-At P.S. 70, Eastburn Avenue and 173rd Street: There was no Spanish interpreter at the poll site. The Espada poll watcher had a “poll workers” certificate and a sign that said, “I speak Spanish”. She was told to cease and desist.
-P.S. 93 at 182 Washington Street: Espada’s workers set up a road block to stop traffic and are giving out literature.
-At P.S. 57: Ruth T.P. Smith, one of the poll inspectors who is close friends with Espada, told people to vote for Espada inside the poll site.
-At P.S. 23: An Espada worker wearing campaign paraphernalia inside the poll site, was asked to leave, but refused.