The longtime director of the Domincan Parade has been removed from his post in a deal made with Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. NY1's Bobby Cuza filed the following report.
Every August, the Dominican Day Parade draws thousands to Sixth Avenue to celebrate Dominican culture. And for years, the nonprofit groups behind the parade, headed by Nelson Peña, have skirted legal requirements, according to state attorney general Eric Schneiderman, who on Tuesday announced the installation of an entirely new parade board, headed by activist Angela Fernandez.
"The people that are on the board with us have an incredible reputation for working with the highest integrity, and also working very efficiently," Fernandez said.
Peña, for his part, will be banned for three years from participating in the parade in any official capacity.
Schneiderman said, "For years, the organizations Peña purported to run had no functioning boards of directors, failed to maintain proper books and records, and failed to file the annual reports nonprofits are required to file under state law."
The news mirrored a similar announcement last year, when Schneiderman overhauled the Puerto Rican Day Parade's leadership, having found years of financial mismanagement.
But unlike the Puerto Rican Day Parade, in this case, there was no finding of any financial impropriety. Peña will not face any criminal charges, and in fact did not even receive a fine. His attorney, Andres Manuel Aranda, said he's only guilty of being a bad manager.
"He's a bad manager in the sense that he didn't keep the proper records," Aranda said.
As for the new board, his attorney said Peña objects to the selection process being overseen by Schneiderman, with the backing of Mayor Bill de Blasio, himself an enthusiastic parade participant.
"With all due respect to the AG and to the mayor, they're not Dominicans. This is a Dominican issue," Aranda said. "You don't see a Dominican going to the other parades and selecting, like who's going to run the Italian parade or the Irish parade or the Jewish parade or any other parade."
The Dominican parade, meanwhile, will go on as usual this summer, on Sunday, August 9.