New Jersey - Corruption and Scandal BUMP LIST

Mornin'! :^D

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1357048/posts

McGreevey backer's $75,000 deal Power broker from Philadelphia hired by UMDNJ to serve on governor's transition team

Sunday, March 06, 2005

Two days after James E. McGreevey was elected governor in 2001, one of his top fund-raisers was hired by the state-owned health care university and then paid $75,000 over the next three months as a liaison to the gubernatorial transition team.

The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey's contract with Philadelphia power broker Ronald White was not approved by UMDNJ's board of directors, and school officials last week said they have no records to show anywork was done for the money.

The contract came to light in the past two weeks after one of UMDNJ's checks was entered into evidence in a Philadelphia corruption trial. White was to be a defendant in that trial but died last year of cancer.

White had close ties with McGreevey's top campaign officials and was a business partner of Robert Feldman, the former governor's No.1 fund-raiser. His company, International Brokerage Concepts Inc., received three checks worth $25,000 each from UMDNJ, according to documents released last week by the university.

Susan Preston, a UMDNJ spokeswoman, said she could not offer any explanation of the contract or White's work and said officials could find nothing to show what White did.

"We have no further documentation beyond what has been provided," Preston said, adding that the contract was approved and overseen by an administrator who has since left the university. She said school policy permits the administration to sign agreements worth less than $100,000 without board approval.

According to university documents, White's firm was retained to represent the university "during the transition of Governor-elect James McGreevey ... (to keep) the university up to date with the evolving plans, policies, budget goals and financial considerations regarding the McGreevey 'health vision for New Jersey.'"

The contract also called for White to be responsible for "communicating as effectively as possible to the transition team the university's priorities, problems and abilities and opportunities to serve the people of New Jersey."

"It does seem strange," UMDNJ's new president, John Petillo, said of the White contract.

Acting Gov. Richard Codey said: "It certainly is strange that we would need somebody from Philadelphia to do that for us. The other question is how did (the university) and Mr. White get together."

As a result of inquiries by The Star-Ledger, Codey said he told Petillo: "I want a report on it. Why was this done? That's a lot of money."

UMDNJ's president at the time of the contract, Stuart Cook, is out of the country on a three-month sabbatical. He did not respond to phone messages or e-mails seeking comment.

McGreevey, who resigned from office in November after a gay sex scandal, did not respond to requests for comment.

Cook signed the checks to White, but the man who approved the contract was former Deputy State Treasurer James Archibald, then a senior vice president at UMDNJ. Now in a similar post at Drexel University's medical school in Philadelphia, Archibald said last week that he could not shed any light on the circumstances that led to White getting the contract.

"You know, we hired a lot of public consultants up there," Archibald said. "I just don't remember. I couldn't begin to tell you today what happened at that time. We had different folks for different reasons, and we're a billion-dollar-a-year company. It doesn't stand out, unfortunately."

Two other officials who signed documents associated with White's payments are still working at the university. They are Denise Mulkern, vice president for finance, and Linda Luciano, executive director of administration and finance. Neither returned calls in the past week seeking comment.

Calls to White's former office and former attorney, Edwin Jacobs, were not returned. Feldman's lawyer, Henry Hockeimer, said his client "had no knowledge of -- or participation in -- such a contract."

Based in Newark, UMDNJ is a major health care organization that includes three medical schools and a dental school, as well as hospitals and programs to train other health professionals. It has an annual budget of $1.6 billion, received $199 million this year in state aid and costs more than $20,000 a year in tuition for medical and dental students.

White, a powerful Philadelphia figure with ties to South Jersey, was among a dozen people indicted last year as part of a federal investigation into corruption in Philadelphia City Hall and the administration of Mayor John Street.

More than 15 months after the probe first made national headlines, a former Philadelphia city treasurer and two Commerce Bank executives went on trial last month, charged with trading political contributions and direct payments for millions in municipal bond work.

One of the UMDNJ checks to White was included with thousands of pages of documents entered as evidence in the trial.

Also among the records introduced by prosecutors is a June 2002 memo in which a former bank executive, convicted of wire fraud in the Philadelphia case, told colleagues a network of McGreevey's political backers was ready to help them win lucrative New Jersey contracts. In it, the banker relayed White's claim that his connections with McGreevey supporters, including Feldman and former state Senate President John Lynch, would prove useful.

White and Feldman were prominent backers of McGreevey's successful run for governor four years ago. White served on the executive committee of one of the campaign's first fund-raisers in 2000. Feldman, his business partner, raised hundreds of thousands for McGreevey.

At the time White was hired by UMDNJ, Republican Donald DiFrancesco was acting governor. DiFrancesco's chief of staff at the time, Jeff Michaels, said he never heard about the contract and found it out of the ordinary.

"It's very unusual," Michaels said. "I couldn't think of any other authority or college that would have hired any consultant for that (specific) purpose."

Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance, a frequent critic of the McGreevey administration, said: "This is a gross abuse of discretion. We need a full explanation. Why does UMDNJ, a public institution, need to hire a lobbyist to lobby the incoming administration?"

Lance (R-Hunterdon) said White's involvement in the McGreevey campaign "indicates that this may be yet another example of pay-to-play," the award of public contracts to campaign contributors.

"Mr. White was permitted to play to the tune of $75,000, which is more than most New Jerseyans make in a year."

http://wcbs880.com/njnews/NJ--NorcrossTape-jn/resources_news_html

State seeks to halt release of corruption probe tapes
Friday March 18, 2005

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) A secretly recorded conversation between Democratic power broker George E. Norcross III and an elected official from Burlington County is among dozens of tapes from a corruption probe that the state wants to keep under wraps.

The Division of Criminal Justice late Friday filed a motion in Superior Court to block the release of the tapes, and asked Judge John A. Sweeney to reconsider making the tapes public. Sweeney recently rejected the state's bid to keep the tapes locked up and ordered them turned over to an informant who sued for their release.

The Norcross conversations are a small part of the 330 hours of tapes made in an investigation of the dealings of JCA Associates, a Moorestown-based engineering firm.

John Gural, a former Palmyra councilman who is now mayor of the Burlington County town, recorded the tapes for the state Division of Criminal Justice as part of a corruption investigation in 2001 when Gural worked for the firm.

Norcross, who lives in Cherry Hill, is an executive at Commerce Bancorp and a Democratic fund-raiser with statewide influence.

Calls to Criminal Justice spokesman John Hagerty and Norcross spokesman Richard McGrath were not immediately returned Friday.

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

In the interest of timeliness, this story is fed directly from the Associated Press newswire and may contain occasional typographical errors.

Executive Director Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud Charges 03/22/2004

The former executive director of the Delaware River & Bay Authority pleads guilty to federal fraud charges. Michael E. Harkins admits billing tens of thousands of dollars in personal expenses - from private jets to limo rides - to the authority and then trying to cover up the expenses.

He was sentenced to 14 months in prison yesterday.

It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. What a bucket of sleaze he has always been, and I don't care he is a "republican"...........he has always played with who he could get what he wanted from.

OOPs...............

I fogot a link

Harkins to Jail

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1421318/posts
Loophole lets ex-con fund his retirement; Former politician taps leftover election cash

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1421331/posts
NJ Statehouse Newsbrief - "Golan Bill"

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1421349/posts
NJ Statehouse Newsbrief - Stem-Cell Research Facility

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1421332/posts
DIM CORRUPTION ALERT (mega-donor Kushner funded Clintons, gay governor, hired prostitutes)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1421925/posts
Convicted Democrat Politician Still Profits From His Crime

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1454154/posts

FOUR YEARS AND $700,000 LATER, STATE CATCHES ONTO COREY DAVIS

(snip)

The system that gave birth to We Mentor was born in 2001, when Gov. Christie Whitman created a separate children's mental health program and privatized it.

(snip)

(snip)

According to former We Mentor employee Edward Hall, "A lot of them he hired in bars."

Hall, who said he was in state prison for armed robbery and aggravated sexual assault from 1990 until 2001, worked for Davis in 2002 and 2003. While he did mostly office work, he occasionally mentored children as a "fill-in," Hall said.

Davis denied hiring Hall or allowing him to have contact with children. Davis also denied recruiting in bars. "I hired people I knew, I used advertisements," he said.

Rogues Gallery

• Martin Barnes
The ex-mayor of Paterson was indicted and convicted of accepting lavish gifts in exchange for city contracts.
Marty shows no remorse (April 23, 2003, Star-Ledger) The accusations (January 5, 2002, Star-Ledger)

• Joe Barry
The real estate mogul and associate Paul Byrne were indicted on charges that they tried to buy off Hudson County official. Barry headed to the big house (Oct. 22, 2004, Jersey Journal)

• Sara Bost
Although she never admitted taking bribes, the ex-Irvington mayor got more than a slap on the wrist when it came to sentencing.
Bost in prison camp (Dec. 2, 2003, Star-Ledger) A harsh reprimand (Sept. 9, 2003, Star-Ledger) Bost pleads guilty (April 24, 2003, Star-Ledger)

• William Braker
Ex-Hudson County freeholder William Braker pleads guilty to attempted extortion.
Braker admits shakedown (June 30, 2004, Jersey Journal) Braker gets 41 months (Dec. 23, 2004, Jersey Journal)

• Paul J. Byrne
The former Hudson County Democratic power broker suffered heart failure and a stroke while awaiting conviction on corruption charges.
Byrne expires at home (May 6, 2005, Jersey Journal) ...Meanwhile, his pal goes to jail (May 6, 2005, Star-Ledger) Byrne: I'm ready for death (April 26, 2005, Newhouse News) Byrne zings Bobby J. (Oct. 16, 2003, Jersey Journal)

• Nidia Davila-Colon
Unbelievably, voters elected this ex-Hudson County freeholder to another term while she was under indictment. Her tenure was short-lived after she was found guilty of passing bribes. Prisoner 25094-050 (Mar. 17, 2004, Jersey Journal) Nidia gets 37 months (Dec. 16, '03, Star-Ledger) Davila-Colon resigns (June 27, 2003, Jersey Journal) The conviction (June 24, 2003, Jersey Journal) Chronology of events (June 24, 2003, Jersey Journal) Pols mum on conviction (June 24, 2003, Jersey Journal)

• Jerry Free
The head of United Gunite, the Irvington sewer company that scored dirty government contracts. Free turned government informant and now lives in opulent exile in Florida. His trail of deceit is still unraveling.
Free gets house arrest (April 13, 2005, Star-Ledger) Still wheeling and dealing (April 10, 2005, Star-Ledger) A tale of graft (January 24, 2003, Star-Ledger) Exile of a salesman (January 24, 2003, Star-Ledger)

• Anthony Impreveduto
The longtime Hudson County assemblyman got five years probation and various fines after pleading guilty to using campaign funds to pay personal expenses. Ex-Hudson pol fined (Jan. 25, 2005, Star-Ledger) Family was on payroll (Nov. 21, 2004, Star-Ledger)

• Robert Janiszewski
The ex-Hudson County exec was nabbed for taking bribes. Now, "Janu" is the feds' star witness in a litany of cases against other corrupt Jersey pols.
Bobby J. to 'Abu Gharib' in B'klyn (June 29, 2005, Jersey Journal) Judge: Bye-bye, ya bum (March 25, 2005, Jersey Journal) Hudson pols on conviction (March 25, 2005, Jersey Journal) His only backer (March 25, 2005, Jersey Journal) Kin, friends beg for mercy (March 25, 2005, Jersey Journal) Ex-secretary: I'd still call him friend (March 25, 2005, Jersey Journal) Testimony revealed his corruption (March 25, 2005, Jersey Journal) Bobby J. brought them down (March 25, 2005, Jersey Journal) Feds thrilled by star witness (June 25, 2003, Star-Ledger) A who's who (October 16, 2003, Jersey Journal)

• Harry Larrison Jr.
Nicknamed "Mr. Monmouth County" after serving the region almost 50 years, the ex-freeholder was charged with asking developers to pay for a Florida vacation and other expenses. 'Mr. Monmouth County' dies (May 31, 2005, Star-Ledger) Former freeholder charged (April 28, 2005, Star-Ledger)

• Robert W. Lee Sr.
NJ's ex-chief of boxing and head of the International Boxing Federation was KO'd in '99 for racketeering, money laundering and tax evasion. He ducked jailtime for years with endless appeals. To jail at last (June 29, 2004, Star-Ledger)

• Milton Milan
Former Camden mayor Milton Milan was convicted of various corruption charges, including soliciting bribes from mobsters and staging a fake burglary to commit fraud.
Milan gets the max (June 16, 2001, Associated Press) Milan is convicted (December 22, 2000, Associated Press) Shady leadership haunts Camden (December 22, 2000, Associated Press) Mob boss fingers Milan (November 11, 2000, Associated Press)

• Harry Parkin
The chief of staff to former Mercer County Executive Robert D. Prunetti, Parkin was convicted on corruption charges for using his position to foster a secret financial interest in the county's recycling hauler.
Parkin convicted (March 22, 2005, The Times, Trenton) Friend: He wouldn't wear a wire (March 22, 2005, The Times, Trenton) Jurors mum on decision (March 22, 2005, The Times, Trenton)

• Anthony Russo
Loud and powerful, the ex-Hoboken mayor was a formidable political opponent -- and an FBI target from the get-go. He plead guilty to mail fraud.
Russo reports to prison (July 18, 2005, Jersey Journal) No mercy for Russo (May 18, 2005, Jersey Journal) Russo's apology (May 18, 2005, Jersey Journal) Amidst charges, praise (September 9, 2003, Jersey Journal) Cynicism reigns in Hudson (September 9, 2003, Jersey Journal)

• Matthew Scannapieco
The ex-Marlboro mayor pleaded guilty to accepting $245,000 in bribes to help builders' reshape the landscape of this fast-growing town.
Ex-mayor faces 15 years (April 13, 2005, The Star-Ledger)

• Jim Treffinger
The ex-Essex County Executive who plead guilty to a host of graft charges said he found religion ... just in time for his sentencing.
Feds seek stiff jail term (Oct. 9, 2003, Star-Ledger) Derailed by his own deceit (May 31, 2003, Star-Ledger) Treffinger admits his guilt (May 31, 2003, Star-Ledger)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1453849/posts
Sen. Torricelli Played Key Role in Closing Down CIA Ops

Thanks for the McG links backhoe!

The Love Gov- or McGreevey's Great Gay Adventure
various FR links | 08-18-04 | The Heavy Equipment Guy
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1193840/posts

Thanks for the McG links backhoe-

You bet- I hope people never forget how rotten that little rat is.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1456568/posts
Corzine Gave $470,000 Loan to Head of New Jersey Union (then forgave the debt two years later.)

I don't see anything here about DYFS (Division of Youth & Family Services). Any recent word on the corruption there?

Hi BB.

This list was basically for political corruption.

There was another freeper following Dyfs, I forget who.

Thanks.

You must have put a lot of work into compiling this. Good job.

SCI probing universities' political ties

Saturday, April 23, 2005

The State Commission of Investigation has opened an inquiry into the role of political influence at New Jersey's top public universities.

The investigative agency sent letters this week to the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Rutgers University, the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Rowan University. The letters request a broad range of documents, from information about hiring to consultant and professional services contracts and spending, according to a source who has seen the letters.

The probe was prompted by weeks worth of revelations and questions about spending at the medical university. This week, UMDNJ began releasing information about no-bid contracts.

The document release came after repeated requests from the press and began with the year 2002. For that year alone, the university gave out $126 million in contracts without competitive bidding.

State Sen. Robert E. Littell, R-Franklin, on Friday requested that state Auditor Richard L. Fair examine the no-bid contracts. "I was appalled to learn that so many of the contracts issued by UMDNJ were no-bid,'' said Littell, pointing out that the university receives more than $200 million in state funding.

Administrators at UMDNJ have pledged to have an outside audit conducted.

The SCI started its probe after acting Governor Codey questioned a $75,000 no-bid contract given in 2002 to Philadelphia lawyer Ronald White, a top fund-raiser for former Gov. James E. McGreevey. The contract called for White to serve as a liaison to McGreevey and to discern the former governor's health-care "vision." University officials said they could find no evidence that White, who has since died, did anything for the money.

The probe widened this week as the agency, which conducts fact-finding investigations, also requested information from the other state-supported schools.

Of the public universities, it has been thought that UMDNJ - a sprawling and Byzantine public bureaucracy - has been most prone to patronage and questionable spending practices. But all of the institutions have massive payrolls and elaborate budgets that critics say have been vulnerable to political interference for years.

Since the McGreevey administration, Democrats have stepped up political influence on the state college boards, appointing more party loyalists than previous administrations had named.

McGreevey also backed John J. Petillo for the presidency of UMDNJ, which he assumed last year. Petillo will be formally inaugurated on Tuesday.

Reformers saw his selection widening political influence at the state schools. Petillo, of West Orange, was chosen after trustees spent $350,000 for a nationwide search. He is a longtime player in the state, former head of the UMDNJ Board of Trustees and the first non-physician to run the institution.

A bipartisan arm of the Legislature, the SCI conducts fact-finding investigations. It has subpoena power and the authority to recommend changes in government operations and refer matters to the Attorney General's Office for criminal prosecution.