Feds accuse N.J. mayors, assemblyman of corruption

[wcody]

There was a major corruption arrest today. It is unfortunate that there is so much corruption in NJ but good it is getting cleaned up.

The article talks about Joe Doria's home and office being raided this morning. Doria is head of DCA which is in charge of COAH.

A summary aritcle follows with complete coverage here http://www.nj.com/politics/

Feds accuse N.J. mayors, assemblyman of corruption
Posted by mdowling July 23, 2009 11:08AM

NEWARK -- Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Joseph Doria's home and office were raided this morning by federal officials as part of the sweeping FBI and IRS probe that has resulted in the arrests of 30 people, including Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt and two mayors.

Investigators were seen entering Doria's Bayonne home and his Trenton office this morning while teams of FBI agents fanned out through New Jersey and New York to make arrests in a broad-ranging money laundering and political corruption probe that involves the Syrian Jewish communities in Deal and Brooklyn.

In addition to Van Pelt (R-Ocean), the public officials arrested this morning include Democrats:
-- Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano,
-- Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell
-- Jersey City Council President Mariano Vega
-- Jersey City Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini

A press conference has been scheduled for noon.

The case involves an undercover government informant who began cooperating with authorities in 2006, after being charged with bank fraud, according to a criminal complaint.

The informant, who posed as a real estate developer interested in building in Hoboken, met in April at a diner with Cammarano, then a mayoral canidate, and Michael Schaffer, a North Hudson Utilities Authority commissioner, and asked for help landing building approvals, authorities said.

At the end of the meeting, the informant told Cammarano he would give Schaffer $10,000, according to the complaint.

"Just make sure you expedite my stuff. That's all I ask," the informant allegedly said.

Cammarano' attorney Joseph Haydon has said Cammarano has done nothing wrong.

"He intends to fight these charges with every ounce of strength in his body and he ultimately will be cleared," Hayden said.

Hoboken Council President Dawn Zimmer, who lost to Cammarano by 161 votes out of about 12,000 cast in June's mayoral runoff election, said the news comes as a blow to the town.

"All of this kind of puts Hoboken back into flux, but we'll work through this," Zimmer said. "We need for Hoboken to heal and this is a very difficult time."

Van Pelt, 44, is also the mayor of Ocean Township, a post he has held since 1988.

[publius]

But, Hudson County always worked this way. What you call corruption, they call BUSINESS AS USUAL. All politics is corrupt on some level. Very few decent people go into politics. If they are okay when they get in, they are soon corrupted once they start the job. It's REALLY bad when they must prostitute themselves to the highest bidder in order to stay in office. Lobbyists are the 4th branch of government, and THE most powerful. Our silent partners.

We have the best government money can buy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dan Mulligan]

NJ 101.5 is reporting DCA Commissioner Joseph Doria to whom the head of COAH reports to has resigned. To say the least it is an interesting development.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/New-Jersey-1015/52080148450?ref=nf

[Guest]

Simply shocking. Who knew such corruption existed in our state!

Yes, this is sarcasm.

[Elmo]

Elmo thinks the feds are helping Joe Doria find affordable housing... in LEAVENWORTH!

[Guest]

Now that is funny!

[Guest]

very funny