Schaffer is Cammarano's good friend and a Commissioner on the North Hudson Utilities Authority. He acts as Cammarano's middleman with the cooperating witness who is paying the bribes to Cammarano. He's selling his office before he's even sworn in! The FBI's running survelliance on the meeting and the cooperating witness is wired.
As defendant Schaffer took possession of the envelope, the CW related his concern that the CW’s applications might remain “on the bottom of the pile,” but defendant Schaffer responded that “I told [defendant Cammarano] when we get elected, we put our friends on the boards so we know we get the – don’t listen to these morons who say put this environmentalist on, but they’re, they’re all fucking kooks.” The CW added that “[y]ou wanna have guys that will support guys like me,” and defendant Schaffer stated “[g]uys that worked in 7 the campaign, put ‘em on.” The CW told defendant Schaffer that “I appreciate your help,” to which defendant Schaffer replied “[d]efinitely.” As the CW started to return to the diner, defendant Schaffer, referring to the envelope, told the CW that “I’m going to put it in my car.” The CW reentered the diner where the CW told defendant Cammarano that “I gave that, uh, en-, envelope to, uh, uh, Mike,” causing defendant Cammarano to remark, “Excellent.” The CW reminded defendant Cammarano “just don’t put my name anywhere,” prompting defendant Cammarano to reply, “Yeah, no, no, no.” The CW then told defendant Cammarano that “Mike says that, uh, you know, you’re a man of your word,” and defendant Cammarano assured the CW that “I am. I am.” The CW remarked that defendant Schaffer had further indicated that “[i]f you say you’ll expedite something, you do it,” and defendant Cammarano replied, “Yes, absolutely.” The CW indicated that the CW would have applications in the near future and asked defendant Cammarano when he would actually be sworn in as mayor. Defendant Cammarano replied “July 1st,” to which the CW remarked “[s]o, we’ll wait till August or September or something to come in or something.” Defendant Cammarano replied, “Yeah, yeah,” and then thanked the CW as he departed.
All very Sopranosish. I've eaten at the Malibu Diner many times. There's a conversation like this in every other booth!
"On or about May 19, 2009, the Consultant and JC Official 1 met the CW at a diner in Hoboken, New Jersey where they were joined by defendants Cammarano and Schaffer. During this meeting, defendant Cammarano discussed the prospects of winning the runoff election between himself and the other remaining candidate on June 9, 2009, and stated that “[r]ight now, the Italians, the Hispanics, the seniors are locked down. Nothing can change that now. . . . I could be, uh, indicted, and I’m still gonna win 85 to 95 percent of those populations.”
Hey Dead, do you have a link to those Cammarano transcripts? That is GREAT stuff! Love it.