FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM NOVEMBER 28, 2019 • THE QUEENS COURIER 3
Convicted felon Monserrate eyes Aubry’s Assembly seat
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Convicted felon Hiram Monserrate is
plotting the next step in his political
comeback.
Th e twice-disgraced Democrat fi led
papers with the Board of Elections Tuesday
to challenge Assemblyman Jeff rion Aubry
for his 35th Assembly District seat representing
Photos by Robb Pozarycki
Clockwise, from left: The scene outside Queens Center Mall. An NYPD Aviation helicopter hovers over
the mall. Shoppers observe the scene inside the mall.
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
edavenport@qns.com
@QNS
Th ere was a heavy police presence at
Queens Center Mall following a fi ght
between teenagers turned that wreaked
havoc inside.
A report from the Citizen App stated
that a fi ght broke out at the mall, located
at 90-15 Queens Blvd., at around 1:30
p.m. on Nov. 22, resulting in teenagers
throwing things and “causing mayhem.”
Offi cers were on the scene taking crowd
control measures. An NYPD Aviation
unit helicopter was seen above the mall.
Police could not confi rm what started
the fi ght or if anyone was seriously
injured.
A shopper told QNS that adults were
being allowed into the mall, while teenagers
were denied entry shortly aft er the
fi ght broke up. Th e shopper also said that
stores on the fi rst fl oor were closed during
the chaos.
Th e investigation is ongoing.
East Elmhurst, LeFrak City and
parts of Corona.
“He has not announced he is running,
but he is still strongly considering it,” a
source close to Monserrate said. “He’s
opened a committee to raise funds as obligated
by law and we will be making an
announcement soon.”
Th e former city cop turned politician
went off the rails in 2009 when he was
expelled from the state Senate aft er he was
convicted of assaulting and slashing his
then-girlfriend Karla Giraldo in the lobby
of his Jackson Heights apartment building
in an attack that was captured on security
cameras. Two years later as a member
of the City Council, Monserrate, pleaded
guilty to federal corruption charges of
mail fraud and conspiracy for misusing
council funds to pay campaign expenses.
For that, he spent two years in federal
prison. Now 52, Monserrate is a district
leader in Aubry’s district aft er he defeated
George Dixon by 329 votes last year. He
has used his non-paid position to rebuild
his political comeback following a stinging
loss in a bid to replace Councilwoman
Julissa Ferreras-Copeland in 2017. When
she unexpectedly decided against running
for a third term and retired, Monserrate
saw the vacant seat as an opportunity to
run.
Francisco Moya found the notion of
Monserrate regaining his old city council
seat representing Corona so repulsive that
he stepped down aft er seven years in the
state Assembly to block him.
Moya captured 55.6 percent of the
vote in that very contentious race,
but Monserrate was still able to muster
44.4 percent based on support in
East Elmhurst and LeFrak City, both in
Aubry’s district, which he has represented
since 1992. Aubry is the current Speaker
Pro Tempore in the Assembly, where he
is a member of the powerful Ways and
Means Committee.
QNS reached out to Aubry and is awaiting
a response. Meanwhile, Moya fi red
a shot across Monserrate’s bow for even
considering a challenge for Aubry’s seat.
“A convicted domestic abuser and disgraced
politician convicted of stealing
taxpayer money want to go aft er a man
who is synonymous with the social justice
movement in this state and who ushered
in some of the most signifi cant criminal
justice reforms we’ve ever seen,” Moya
said Tuesday. “Assemblyman Jeff Aubry is
a pillar of dignity and public service. Th is
challenge is a joke.”
On Wednesday, Moya went off on
Monserrate again.
“One of these men slashed his girlfriend
across the face with a piece of broken
glass, misappropriated taxpayer money
to benefi t his own political campaign and
admitted to federal corruption charges,”
Moya said. “Th e other is Assemblyman
Jeff Aubry, a man of impeachable integrity.
Is this even a question?
Photo by Mark Hallum
Convicted domestic abuser Hiram Monserrate fi led to run against Assemblyman Jeff rion Aubry but
has not yet offi cially announced his candidacy.
Fight at Queens Center Mall leads to stores closing and heavy police presence
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