NYC Council passes bill to block Hiram Monserrate from office
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Hiram Monserrate. AP Photo/Mike GroLl
By David Brand
The city council voted Thursday to block ex-lawmakers from running for municipal office if they have been convicted of public corruption, a bill with major implications for one Queens council race.
While a number of former Queens elected officials have been caught abusing their power over the past few years, the main target of the measure is clear: Hiram Monserrate is challenging incumbent Councilmember Francisco Moya in District 21.
Monserrate was sentenced to two years in federal prison in 2012 after he funneled City Council money to a nonprofit and used the cash to fund his successful state senate campaign. He was ordered to pay nearly $80,000 in restitution and completed the payments during his failed bid for the Assembly in June 2020.
“Today, when trust in government is at an all-time low, the last thing we need are elected officials who use their position of power to enrich themselves or their friends, get caught, and then come back looking for more," said Brooklyn Councilmember Justin Brannan, the bill’s current sponsor.
A version of the bill was first introduced by Moya and then-Bronx Councilmember Ritchie Torres in 2018.
The bill, which passed 44-1, would prevent anyone convicted of corruption crimes like bribery, fraud, and theft of public funds while in office from being elected mayor, public advocate, comptroller, borough president or councilmember.
“You don't get a second chance to betray New Yorkers,” Brannan said.
Despite his corruption conviction, as well as a conviction for a domestic violence-related misdemeanor, Monserrate maintains a base of support in Corona and East Elmhurst. He was elected Democratic district leader in 2018 and again in 2020, and he runs an active Democratic club.
He also has a few supporters left in the city council.
Bronx Councilmember Ruben Diaz Sr., a friend and former colleague of Monserrate, voted against the measure Thursday. Another friend of Monserrate, Bronx Councilmember Fernando Cabrera, abstained.
In an interview with the Eagle, Monserrate slammed the measure and said he was considering a lawsuit.
”Instead of focusing on COVID-19 and an economy in shambles, the NYC Council chose to use its power to strip me of a constitutional right to run,” Monserrate said.
“There are inalienable rights that everyone has. And if we are truly for criminal justice reform then we have to be for criminal justice reform for everyone,” he added. “I am considering my legal options as we speak.”
