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Posted on 05/01/2005 7:21:28 PM PDT by Calpernia
NEWARK - New Jersey political fund raiser David D'Amiano was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for soliciting and accepting $40,000 in cash and political contributions from a Piscataway farm owner to influence state and county officials to offer a favorable price to preserve the farmland, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced.
U.S. District Judge William H. Walls also ordered D'Amiano, 45, of Edison, to pay a $15,000 fine to the federal government and to make $1,000 in restitution to the Democratic State Committee. D'Amiano already has paid another $20,000 to the government - money which he took from Piscataway farm owner Mark Halper, who was cooperating with the FBI in the investigation.
D'Amiano remains free on bail and must surrender to the Federal Bureau of Prisons by March 28 to begin serving his sentence.
D'Amiano pleaded guilty Sept. 15, admitting that he told Halper that he would have to pay $20,000 in cash and $20,000 in political contributions to a state political committee to receive a favorable price for the farmland. D'Amiano admitted that he told Halper the practical effect of not making the payments would be that Piscataway would obtain title to the farm in condemnation proceedings that had been ongoing.
D'Amiano pleaded guilty to two counts of mail fraud, which were part of an Indictment returned in July. In sentencing D'Amiano, Judge Walls said that as a political fund raiser D'Amiano had adopted the "swagger of politics," which caused him to "walk on the path of greed."
Said Christie: "Mr. D'Amiano corrupted the political and governmental process with greed and a reckless ambition to rub elbows and exert influence at all levels of local and state government. His message was that the government of the State of New Jersey was for sale."
At his plea hearing, D'Amiano, a member of the state political committee's finance committee and a solicitor, admitted that he received the $40,000 in cash and contributions between Dec. 12, 2002, and July 30, 2003. After he had received all of the money, in late 2003, D'Amiano told Halper that Halper would obtain a favorable result regarding the farm.
D'Amiano also admitted that during his discussions with Halper, he maintained telephone contact and met with Middlesex County officials as well as a high-ranking state official - identified in the Indictment as State Official 1.
D'Amiano also described a conversation in which Halper requested that - in order to indicate that the officials knew that a deal was in place and that they would act favorably to him - they use the word "Machiavelli" or "Machiavellian" at future meetings. D'Amiano admitted that he told Halper that he would ask the officials to use the word "Machiavelli" or "Machiavellian."
D'Amiano also admitted that, on Feb. 18, 2003, he had a conversation with State Official 1 which prompted State Official 1 to then use the word "Machiavelli" at a meeting that day among state officials, Halper and D'Amiano.
D'Amiano also admitted to having a similar conversation with Middlesex County officials on Jan. 23, 2003, at D'Amiano's office in Carteret. That conversation, D'Amiano said, prompted one of the county officials to also then use the word "Machiavellian," when they met with Halper later that day.
D'Amiano also admitted to taking frequent evasive acts to prevent the scheme from being detected, including checking Halper for recording devices.
After accepting the final $10,000 cash payment on the Halper farm arrangement on July 30, 2003, D'Amiano admitted that he sought another $30,000 in cash and $30,000 in political contributions from Halper. D'Amiano admitted that that was to be in exchange for getting official intervention in the sale of another Halper-owned property on Stelton Road in Piscataway. D'Amiano admitted that he told Halper he could get the help of State Official 1 in getting the township to rescind an earlier action blocking the potential sale of that property to a bank.
D'Amiano pleaded guilty to Count Two and Count 10 of his Indictment, both charging mail fraud. Count Two involves D'Amiano's dealings over the Halper farm concerning the money D'Amiano solicited and accepted from Halper. Count 10 relates to fundraising fraud, in which D'Amiano admitted that he diverted and attempted to divert certain political contributions away from the state political committee as described in the Indictment and deposited $1,000 of those political contributions into his personal bank account.
Christie credited Special Agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Joseph Billy, Jr., in Newark, with developing the case against D'Amiano.
The case is being prosecuted by James Nobile, Chief of the U.S. Attorney's Office Special Prosecutions Division, and Senior Litigation Counsel John Fietkiewicz, of the Special Prosecutions Division.
I stupidly thought the Halper Farm issue was put to rest since this scandal was busted.
My kids had their birthday party at Halper's, Washington Stables today and learned their farm will be shut down by October a la eminent domain.
Thank you for visiting Jersey, please step behind the Iron Curain.
ping
A state defined by exit ramps.
The best places to visit in Jersey aren't off an exit ramp. They are, however, victim to eminent domain.
Gram convinced gramp to buy a summer cabin in Westerlo, NY.
Then Gram took my dad and his brothers up there for the summer.
In August, she sent Gramp a telegram - "NJ Stinks. Sell the store. Not coming back."
So my dad grew up on a dairy farm in NY...
LOL.
The place ain't improved much. NJ, I mean.
This was the only mention of a political party in the entire article. I guarantee that if it were a Republican involved, MSM would be hysterical.
Another dem bites the dust.
Yeah, this is typical -- "a state political committee". If it had been Republicans, do you think they would have employed this awkward usage?
The Democrat Criminals at it again.
One down for the count.
Now, to catch a few more.
It would be easier to leave the state, and never come back.
What makes you think he is a democRat? :)
Of course not. If it were Republicans, whoooeee, bold, large font headlines "GOP crook...etc"
"What party was he raising funds for?" he asked, knowing the answer.
BTTT!!!!!!
Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.
Haha, good story.
State Official 1 = Governor?
>>>>D'Amiano also admitted that, on Feb. 18, 2003, he had a conversation with State Official 1 which prompted State Official 1 to then use the word "Machiavelli" at a meeting that day among state officials, Halper and D'Amiano.
Yes. State Official 1 = McGreevey = Former Governor.
I honestly don't know why this DOJ release coded him as 'State Official 1'. There are articles that clearly state McGreevey instead of that term.
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