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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TideGlider who wrote (315025)	7/16/2009 8:18:22 AM
From: goldworldnet	2 Recommendations Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793834

Legislative leaders say state Sen. Hiram Monserrate asked for stipend reinstatement BY Kenneth Lovett and Glenn Blain DAILY NEWS ALBANY BUREAU Thursday, July 16th 2009, 4:00 AM Read more: nydailynews.com Dems reward Monserrate with stipend & chairmanship Hiram's in denial Legislative leaders say he asked for 12.5G - he insists it's not so DiNapoli looks into holding senators' pay ALBANY - He asked for it. Despite his denials, indicted state Sen. Hiram Monserrate asked to have his committee chairmanship and $12,500 stipend reinstated, legislative leaders said. Senate Democratic Conference Leader John Sampson (D-Brooklyn) Tuesday said Monserrate (D-Queens) asked that his committee chairmanship and stipend be suspended after he was indicted in March on a felony assault charge. "Subsequently, he asked to go forward with his committee," Sampson said. Senate President Malcolm Smith, in a letter last Friday - the day after the Dems regained the state Senate - to the controller's office, wrote that "at this time, Sen. Monserrate is requesting that he receive his full stipend as soon as practicable." Monserrate was one of two Democrats who sided with Republicans in a June 8 leadership coup. He quickly flipped back to the Democrat side. Tuesday, he again denied asking for his committee back in a deal to return to the fold. He insisted he didn't know it happened until the Daily News asked him about it Tuesday. Records show Smith first considered reinstating Monserrate to his committee on June 25 - 10 days after Monserrate returned to the Dems. It became official July 3. Sen. Martin Golden (R-Brooklyn) called the move "a slap in the face to every woman and every citizen of this state." He said Monserrate can back his claims by stepping down from the Consumer Protection Committee chairmanship and passing on the stipend. "Let him do the right thing and give it up," Golden said. Barbara Bartoletti of the state chapter of the League of Women Voters called the move to restore Monserrate's stipend and chairmanship "utterly beyond shameful." Meanwhile, The News learned that Smith never followed through on his promise to try to reclaim some of the $22,000 stipend paid to Sen. Kevin Parker (D-Brooklyn). Smith stripped the hot-tempered Parker of his chairmanship of the Energy Committee and his stipend after Parker was arrested in May for roughing up a photographer. When it turned out Parker had already been paid, Smith said he would look into recouping a portion of the money. Parker said no one approached him. "I had said if they asked me for it, I would give it back," Parker said. "They never asked." * * *