FBI, IRS raid NY state senator Pedro Espada Jr.‘s Bronx clinic

Investigators were looking for evidence to support possible money laundering, mail fraud and tax fraud charges against Democratic Senator Pedro Espada Jr., a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation had not been completed.

On Tuesday, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced a lawsuit accusing Espada and relatives on the clinic's board of siphoning money for lavish restaurant meals, trips to Las Vegas and Espada's campaign. Cuomo said Espada diverted the nonprofit clinic's funding charitable assets to himself, relatives, friends and his political operation.

Espada, for his part, is whining that the Attorney General's investigation is a "politically motivated" attack. Cuomo is a registered Democrat.