The developer suing the city over his losing bid for the Kingsbridge Armory project has filed an ethics complaint against U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat and his former chief of staff, calling for an investigation into their alleged improper ties to the winning bidder.
In an April 12 letter to the Office of Congressional Ethics shared with the Bronx Times, Manny Tavarez of Agallas Equities accused Espaillat, who represents parts of the northwest Bronx and upper Manhattan, of violating House rules and federal bribery laws. The Bronx Times contacted Espaillat’s office and has not received a response.
In the letter, Tavarez said that the fifth-term Congress member played favorites during the armory awards process, backing a bid from a firm that donated substantially to his election campaigns and steering the main decision-maker, the NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYC EDC), away from other finalists he disfavored.
Tavarez also raised concerns about Espaillat’s former chief of staff, Aneiry Batista, who left the job in February 2025, a month after 8th Regiment was announced the winner, and a month later registered as a lobbyist for Maddd Equities — a firm that, combined with Joy Construction, makes up the winning bidder. Batista’s LinkedIn profile indicates that she served as Espaillat’s chief of staff from January 2017 to February 2025.
Tavarez’s letter accuses Espaillat and Batista of violating several House ethics rules and federal criminal statutes regarding improper influence in government proceedings, quid pro quo arrangements, bribery and post-employment lobbying restrictions and disclosures.
“The evidence demonstrates a clear pattern of Rep. Espaillat using his official position to benefit a major campaign contributor in violation of federal law and House ethics rules,” said Tavarez in the letter. “I urge prompt investigation of these serious allegations.”
Conflicts of interest?
When Mayor Eric Adams, Hochul, Espaillat and the NYC EDC announced 8th Regiment as the winner on Jan. 7, Espaillat issued a statement praising the project.
“Congratulations to the winning proposal, led by the 8th Regiment Partners, to develop El Centro Kingsbridge into a vibrant multi-purpose facility and economic engine that all throughout our community can enjoy for many years to come,” said Espaillat.
However, Tavarez maintains that his firm had a superior bid to redevelop the armory and lost due to a politically tainted awards process.
His House ethics complaint is an extension of the lawsuit he filed March 28 against the city, NYC EDC, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson and her deputy, Janet Peguero, who has since resigned from office.
In both lawsuit and the ethics complaint, Tavarez alleges that the bidding process, which began in summer 2023, was politically tipped in favor 8th Regiment and Maddd — not only by Espaillat but also by Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson and her deputy, Janet Peguero, who recently resigne from office.
In the lawsuit, Tavarez questioned Peguero’s ties to Maddd, as he questioned Batista’s and Espaillat’s in the ethics complaint.
State records show that in 2020 and 2021, Peguero was a lobbyist representing Maddd with Constantinople & Vallone Consulting, a firm hired by Maddd between at least 2019 and 2024.
Following her resignation from the BP’s office, Peguero announced on her LinkedIn profile in mid-April that she returned to her former firm as chief operating officer.
As for Batista, state records show she registered on March 26 to perform lobbying and non-lobbying services for Maddd at a rate of “$2,500 per month plus expenses” between March 17, 2025 and March 16, 2026.
Records indicate Batista is expected to lobby the mayor, governor and various state and city agencies (Department of Community and Housing Renewal, Department of Transportation, Department of Housing Preservation and Development, Department of Buildings) regarding affordable housing funding.
Though it is unclear which specific housing developments, if any, Batista would lobby for, the winning 8th Regiment armory bid includes 450 units of affordable housing in its second phase.
According to Tavarez’s complaint, Batista ending employment with Espaillat and transitioning soon after to Maddd presented a conflict of interest that should have at least temporarily prevented her from lobbying Espaillat’s office on behalf of Maddd. But in her new lobbying role, Batista appears to have lobbied both Espaillat and Hochul’s offices, according to Tavarez.
The complaint also accuses Espaillat of steering the armory award towards 8th Regiment/Maddd because of its substantial campaign contributions.
An individual on behalf of Maddd Equities contributed a total of $23,800 to Espaillat across the 2020, 2022 and 2024 election cycles, according to the campaign finance website Open Secrets.
Beyond the armory
Tavarez’s firm was not the only prospective armory developer affected by alleged favoritism, according to the ethics complaint.
He argued that the third finalist, the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC), also lost out on the deal because Espaillat disfavored the group.
In his letter, Tavarez said former EDC VP Fernando Ortiz told him in conversation that Espaillat contacted EDC CEO Andrew Kimball to oppose NWBCCC’s bid, referring to the organization as “a bunch of crazies in yellow t-shirts.”
Tavarez’s complaint is also not the only recent hit against Espaillat.
He and three others faced accusations in April 2024 of cheating in a 2023 election for a Manhattan Democratic Party leadership position. After an investigation, a February 2025 report concluded that Espaillat and others “violated multiple provisions of the New York County Democratic Party Rules through vote manipulation, improper check-in procedures, intimidation tactics, improper filling of vacancies, and obstruction of accountability mechanisms.”
Espaillat denied any wrongdoing and is now suing another party leader in an effort to block the process by which he could face a 10-year suspension or even permanent expulsion from the Manhattan Democratic Party.
While such consequences are said to be unlikely, the case casts a cloud over Espaillat, who won his last election to Congress by 83% and is expected to run again for 2026.
In the meantime, what — if anything — comes next for Tavarez’s complaint is unclear.
He told the Bronx Times that as of April 24, he has only received confirmation of receipt from the Office of Congressional Ethics.
The office’s website specifies that filing a complaint does not necessarily launch an investigation and that complainants will not receive status updates.
But as Espaillat, a former undocumented immigrant from the Dominican Republic, positions himself as a leading voice for Latino communities opposing the President’s immigration crackdown, it remains unclear whether the complaint will draw the attention of the Republican-led legislature.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
