Can someone explain to me why Chris Christie gets to be above the law because he was a US Attorney and is now running for Governor?
Senator Menendez wasn't happy he was being investigated (by Chris Christie) while he was running for Senate, but he still put up with it.
Christie may not get investigated because he is no longer US Attorney under the theory of "what done is done and it can't be changed". I understand that, but it's BS.
Will our Congress or Justice Department refuse to investigate Chris Christie because the issue is moot? Will they decline to investigate because he no longer is US Attorney and can no longer violate the rules of that office? Will they decline to investigate because if he wins (he won't) it will consume his term in office?
US Attorney Chris Christie has made a name for himself as the only prosecutor in the state who has taken on public corruption, largely because he repeatedly made the claim and the media printed it without checking.
This has been an extremely helpful theme for him, portraying himself as the lone gunman out to get the bad guys against a corrupt and weak establishment. It works even better for this Republican prosecutor as the establishment is Democratic, since anyone who complains about Christie's tactics is immediately beaten down with Lonely Knight on a White Horse illusions. Even some Democrats out there, and some of our commenters on this site, treat Christie as if he is the one true king come to save us all from public corruption.
No one can deny that Christie's office is doing an excellent job of nailing corrupt pols. It started before Christie with the FBI investigating Jim Treffinger and Monmouth County corruption, two major investigations into Republicans Christie inherited but has used to bolster his bi-partisan armor. To his credit, Christie has directed his teams -- prosecutorial and investigative -- to continue the effort.
But Christie has taken a particular glee in the fight, and used his bully pulpit excessively to promote himself, support members of his own party, and attack others. Some of us consider it unseemly and borderline misuse of office, others consider it his due to beat his chest after vanquishing opponents.
But one major piece of his puzzle -- that he has been alone from the start -- appears to be a myth. Christie's favorite target was Peter Harvey, who by all accounts wasn't a terribly good AG, for never doing anything to take on corrupt public officials.
But is that true? Our investigation suggests it is not, and in fact is a gross misstatement of fact.
The fact is that there were 41 convictions [see all here] of public corruption under Peter Harvey, who started in February 2003 and left in June 2006. Many of these were small fry, as many of Chris Christie's have been. However, there were also:
Hainesport Mayor and CFO for embezzling $339,000;
NJ Division of Taxation official Michael Johnson for stealing $81,000 in public money;
Democratic Assemblyman Anthony Imreveduto for misuse of campaign funds was kicked out of office;
Democratic Atlantic City Councilman Marty Small for tampering with election ballots;
Commerce Commission Chief of Staff Lesly Devereau for corruption and criminal conspiracy;
NJ Transit general manager and vice president Maureen Milan for taking bribes;
Many, many, many motor vehicle commission officials for selling false licenses to illegal aliens.
That's 41 in just over three years for Harvey, while Christie boasts repeated -- and his media friends repeat -- that he now has 120 in six years. We found a total of 62 public corruption convictions from the AG's office since 2003, and there are more before that but the AG's website doesn't list them. So, it is true that Christie has a larger number and some higher profile corruption cases, but there is a good reason for that.
Chris Christie is the only United States Attorney in New Jersey. If there is going to be a case of corruption brought under federal law in this state it is going to be brought by the US Attorney, who since 2002 was Chris Christie.
The New Jersey Attorney General is only one of many prosecuting agencies in the state, but in addition to the Attorney General each county has it's own prosecutor with his or her own investigative team. Most cases of local and county officials violations of state law are brought to court under the county prosecutor's office.
These have brought significantly more cases to the fore. A short review of just a couple county prosecutor web sites -- which are really weak -- found another 9 cases in the past couple years. Since there are 21 county prosecutors, that adds up to quite a few other prosecutions.
We can't say for sure, but are pretty willing to bet that there are far more than 120 public corruption convictions brought by state and county officials over the past seven years. All the 21 county prosecutors would need is three and a half each over those six years to reach that number. Seriously, does anyone doubt that there weren't that many? In relatively quiet Somerset County there were two Mayors forced to resign after convictions, the son of the Freeholder's Chief Clerk caught stealing from county property, a police officer nailed for stealing airline miles, and the recent park scandal.
So it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that prosecutors appointed by the Governor (AG and county prosecutors) have nailed more corrupt public officials and employees than the US Attorney's office. Yet the myth of the Lone Anti-Corruption Knight Templar Chris Christie continues.
A good bit of this comes from the fact that Peter Harvey was largely incompetent and screwed up some high-profile cases, and was himself caught in unethical though not illegal situations. Further, Christie and Harvey had a massive personality conflict that caused the two to go after each other quite often.
But the "accepted wisdom" that came out of these facts is sorely mistaken, no matter how often reporters, editors and columnists repeat it.
There is a massive corruption issue in New Jersey, one that is being addressed at all levels. Christie is not the sole fighter in the battle, but simply the loudest and most noticeable.
What's the best thing about turning eighteen? Being too old to get hit on by Mark Foley? Good guess, try again. The best thing about being over eighteen is YOU CAN VOTE!!! There is still time to register, or to register someone else! BlueJersey makes it easy. Click here and fill out the pre-adressed, pre-stamped from and get it in the mail by close of business tomorrow. Chances are you have a kid or sibling or neighbor who wants to register and needs a nudge. So give 'em a nudge and make your vote count twice. (sort of)
So what do Whitney Houston and Zulima Farber have in common? That's right, they both love bad boys. Zulima's main squeeze Hamlet Goore just got busted for skipping his court date to go on a tropical vacation. This guy has a history of being a bum and would probably would be living in his mama's basement if it weren't for Zulima's dime. An appeal doesn't seem likely. Said the judge: "I found that to be not very persuasive especially in view of his driving aspect, which I concluded showed nine separate events previously where he had not complied with some court-associated event."
Gang violence in Trenton is on the rise. The NY Times takes a trenchant look at the situation in the state capital. It's ain't pretty.
More bad news out of Trenton, this time of the property tax variety. The Governor weighs in as the state legislators seem to be running out the clock. Note to legislators: if you do something about my propTax bill, I promise to spend whatever I save down in Atlantic City!
According to the Courier Post, Governor Corzine has called a 5pm press conference today to announce his new choice for Attorney General to replace Zulima Farber who resigned last week.
Speculation about a replacement has centered around two Corzine administration officials -- Anne Milgram, the second-in-command at the attorney general's office, and Corzine's chief counsel, Stuart Rabner.
Update: The Associated Press & Gannett are reporting that Stuart Rabner will be the next Attorney General. We will see at 5pm.
We're excited to report that at a townhall event last night, Senator Menendez indicated he's pro-net neutrality. It's the first time he's announced his position on the issue.
Yesterday's announcement from Zulima Farber that she will resign marked the first time in modern history that a New Jersey attorney general resigned under pressure. The Star Ledger editorial board explains why she had to resign:
When Corzine took office, he vowed he'd run an ethically tight ship, that ethical lapses, missteps and misjudgments would not be tolerated from his Cabinet officers.
Given that standard, Corzine had little choice but to accept Farber's resignation hours after retired Appellate Division Judge Richard Williams concluded that she had violated three ethics provisions governing employees in the Attorney General's Office.
Home sales in New Jersey are down 16.3% during this past quarter compared to a year ago whereas the national average drop in sales was 7%. Still, prices have remained steady.
The state's unemployment rate rose from 4.9% in June to 5.1% in July. The nation as a whole also experienced a 0.2% increase from 4.6% to 4.8%. While nationwide the number of jobs created numbered 113,000, in New Jersey, we actually lost 3,800 jobs. Since December of 2000, the state has lost a quarter of its manufacturing jobs.
Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D-Paulsboro) wants to end a different type of "pay-to-play". He wants to ban schools from charging fees for students' participation in sports or other extracurricular activities. The school districts say they have resorted to fees to keep the activities going at a time when school budgets are being cut.
The Philadelphia Inquirer has a great story on Newark mayor Cory Booker's mission to clean up the city and make it safe again in order to attract jobs and residents. Some residents say they're already seeing a change: "You see more police since he's been in," Fuld resident Alicia Sly says. "It's changing. It's not going to happen overnight."
Corzine just announced that he is accepting Zulima Farber's resignation effective August 31. He insists that "this is her decision" (yeahhhh).
Farber: "Having read the report, I am steadfast in my convictions that Judge Williams' findings do not compell my resignation, and no one has asked for it." (except everyone)
Pressed by reporters, Corzine insists he did not ask Farber to resign. (press reports say he did)
Farber says she is resigning because the fight that would have to ensue to keep her job would impair her ability to serve the people of New Jersey.
Menendez's statement:
“Zulima Farber made a decision in the best interests of the state. She has been a tenacious and effective Attorney General, and I am not surprised that in response to the special prosecutor’s report, she put service above self. She should be commended for acting quickly and sparing the state from protracted proceedings and petty partisan posturing. As a former public advocate, counsel to a governor, and a prosecutor, Zulima Farber has been a faithful public servant for many years, and I wish her well.”
“The special prosecutor’s report concludes that while the Attorney General did not break the law, she did violate the state’s code of ethics. The public has a right to expect that government officials uphold the highest standards of integrity, and these offenses are serious. A cabinet member can only perform the duties of their office if they have the full confidence of the governor and the public. I hope the Attorney General will act according to the best interests of the state.”
Attorney General Zulima Farber violated the state's code of ethics but did not break the law when she went to the aid of her boyfriend during a traffic stop, according to a report issued this morning by the special prosecutor investigating the Memorial Day weekend incident.
"Her conduct does raise significant ethical questions that must be addressed," special prosecutor Richard Williams wrote in the 43-page report. "While there is evidence to establish that the attorney general was aware of, and acquiesced in, some of the favorable treatment received by Mr. Goore, I do not believe that conduct warrants criminal prosecution."
PoliticsNJ reports that Corzine has asked for her resignation:
Gov. Jon Corzine, who appointed Farber when he took office in January, had pledged a zero tolerance policy for members of his administration who place "private interests above the public good."
Sources close to the Governor say that Corzine has asked Farber to resign.
Farber's term does not expire until January 2010, and the State Constitution prevents her from being fired. Her removal can come only through resignation or impeachment.
Looks like Attorney General Zulima Farber's career may be in its last throes. PoliticsNJ reports:
Gov. Jon Corzine has seen the Special Prosecutor's preliminary investigation of Attorney General Zulima Farber's role in a May traffic incident involving her live-in boyfriend, and sources close to the Governor say that the results will not help the Attorney General remain in office. Special Prosecutor Richard Williams is expected to release his report this morning.
Sorry this is so late today, but I just got back from a couple days of vacation. Here's the news for today...
The executive editor of the Daily Record says if all the special session does is find creative new ways to play Three Card Monte with our money, then there is no point and it remind him of nothing more than a scene from the movie "Dave"
A spokeswoman for the Department of Environmental Protection said that there were no permits needed from the DEP to turn a site of a former thermometer making company into a daycare center. In fact, the DEP thought the site was a vacant lot. So i guess the DEP isnt worried about children being exposed to mercury.
Apparently everyone is offended now in the immigration battle dividing Riverside in Burlington County.
A Superior Court judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit accusing two Xanadu developers of trying to renege on building a minor league ballpark in the Meadowlands.
"Operation CeaseFire," an anti-gang initiative, will be expanded in Trenton, Newark/Irvington, and Camden, and grow to include Jersey City, Paterson, and seven other urban areas across the state by next year. Gov. Corzine also advised law enforcement officials that the state will provide $750,000 toward the effort.
Zulima Farber says she is willing to testify about her actions at the controversial May 26th traffic stop. Former appelate judge Richard J. Williams will investigate if Farber broke the law or violated ethics rules.
Former insurance commissioner and Republican lobbyist Hazel Gluck has been appointed by Gov. Corzine to serve on the UMDNJ board. Critics are questioning placement of a lobbyist on the troubled school’s ruling body.
Y’know those cans at the checkout line, the ones with the pictures of sweet, cute injured dogs, where you can donate your spare change to help them? Well, they’re a scam, according to a lawsuit filed by the Office of Consumer Affairs. One more reminder to check out where your money actually goes when you donate to charity.
After her boyfriend was pulled over by police on Memorial Day weekend, Attorney General Zulima Farber telephoned Union County Freeholder Angel Estrada, a longtime friend who manages the state Motor Vehicle Commission's office in Elizabeth.
Estrada then met Farber's boyfriend, Hamlet Goore, at the Elizabeth office, where he accompanied him in line and telephoned the commission's Trenton headquarters to reactivate his license, according to Farber.
Corzine spoke with The Associated Press about the ongoing budget process and how it will guide the property tax debate ahead. Have a cup of coffee before you read it.
The recent wave of crazy weather over the weekend brought flash-flooding to the state and tragedy to a pickup soccer game in Montvale. I dunno about you guys, but the weather seems to be a lot wackier than when I was a youngster. Maybe it's time we start to take to heart the human impact on our increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.
If you've driven to Atlantic City this year, you might have noticed the five 397-foot wind turbines at the sewage treatment plant just north of the Atlantic City Expressway. Those five turbines, which were installed at the end of 2005, are the power behind New Jersey's first wind farm and produce 20 million kilowatt hours of emission-free electricity per year, enough for more than 2,500 homes, according to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU).
It's a start.
For those of you who missed it, Zulima Farber was on NJN over the weekend trying to explain away her actions. Again. This time she's justifying her presence at the scene of a crime allegedly committed by "the man (she) shares her life with." Zulima and her boyfriend have a pattern of breaking the law while behind the wheel. Hardly inspires confidence in the top law enforcement officer in the state. (Note to Miss Zulima: your actions are embarrassing and unseemly. Since you refuse to resign, at least could you hire a driver??)
Not sure if this is news or not, but the Deleware River Port Authority is almost broke. Aparently a toll increase in NOT on the table at present.
Finally, The state has released a guide that offers information about our beaches. The New Jersey Beach Guide includes info about beach fees, handicapped accessibility, parking, rest rooms and lifeguard coverage.
Not sure why this wasn't available in, say, April. Oh well, better late than never.
Am I missing anything? It's my first time doing the news roundup and if I neglected something that's on your mind then PLEASE weigh in under the comments section.
Attorney General Zulima Farber was on NJN's "On the Record" today to discuss the controversy surrounding her appearance when her boyfriend was stopped by police. From the Star Ledger's news log:
“As I see this episode take on a life of its own, it occured to me -- because it has been pointed out -- that my mere presence was inappropriate and I accept responsiblity for that....
I asked for no favors. I wanted no favors. All I was doing was ... going to the aid of the man with whom I share my life....
Did it occur to me that my mere presence there would have caused some problem? The answer is no....But if that gave a misimpression to those police officers, for that I apologize to everyone in the state and to them in particular. ... I did not mean to intimidate anyone.�
But she has no plans to step down:
“If I did something that would require my resigning I would do that...I don’t believe that that mistake rises to that level. I have worked very hard during my tenure as attorney general to serve the people of this state and the governor to the best of my ability.�
In New Brunswick, a judge extended the Halper family deadline until noon Monday to leave their 75-acre Piscataway farm as a result of an Eminent Domain decision that will pave the way for a new park.
The flap over the Attorney General's involvement in her boyfriend's traffic stop is not going away and today the Bergen Record asks, "Why is Zulima so quiet?"
Let me get this straight. A man is stopped by a police officer. He is found to be driving an unregistered vehicle and driving without a license.
When my friend Harry, late of Howell Township, did this he was ticketed, handcuffed, and offered the hospitality of the Monmouth County Correctional Facilities.
In this case more Law Enforcement agents arrive on the scene. At least one State Trooper, The local Mayor, and none other than Zulima Farber, the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey - NJ's top Law enforcement officer. Are they there to make sure the law is enforced? No. The AG and her entourage are there to watch as the tickets – more than one – are torn up by the would be – or should be – arresting officer, and the vehicle, rather than being impounded, is driven off by the alleged perpetrator or someone close to him.
Why? The Perp is the AG's boyfriend.
And the AG claims this is not an Abuse of Power. This is great news for that guy in Lakewood who allegedly attempted to bribe the cop who ticketed his wife. All he has to do is claim he acted within the protocol established by the AG. I'm not suggesting that the AG paid the cop or offered any 'gifts' to the cop or the mayor. But she established 'Selective Enforcement' of the Rule of Law.
So what should the AG do? Resign in disgrace? No! Far from it. This kind of thing, while not in general accord with the principles of 'Rule of Law,' 'Fairness,' and 'Equality under the Law' as established in the United States Constitution, is dramatically consistent with what is happening in the White House. It may not be on the same scale as the no-bid contracts awarded to Halliburton to rebuild Iraq, or the naked abuse of power of the NSA ignoring the FISA law to spy on Americans, or even the Nixon era use of the FBI and IRS which led to the FISA law. So rather than resign in disgrace, NJ's Attorney General Zulima Farber should go to work for the US Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez. Remember, they are not 'above the law.' They ARE the Law!
*
The author is a licensed driver whose car is registered and who has never had the AG intervene when stopped for a minor traffic violation.
New Quinnipiac poll released this morning: Senator Robert Menendez is leading Tom Kean JUNIOR 43-36%, up from 40-34% in the last Quinnipiac poll done in April. Senator Lautenberg has a 44% approval rate in the poll; Bush, 28% approve while 69% disapprove.
The Federal Government yesterday filed lawsuits against Attorney General Zulima Farber and other state officials to stop legal procedings aimed at getting Verizon, AT&T and other telephone companies to reveal the extent of their compliance with the NSA's request for phone records without a court order. Farber issued subpeonas to the phone carriers in May; the deadline to respond is today.
Gov. Corzine campaigned on the creation of an elected state comptroller; now, he says he'd agree to an independent, appointed one. An elected official would require a constitutional ammendment, but an appointed position may not and therefore be easier to achieve.
The Governor is optimistic that his budget will be passed by the end of the month, largely intact. (Well, I'm glad he's optimistic, but I'll wait and see what really happens.)
The Department of Corrections will once again allow prisoners to be interviewed by news media. Interview requests were reviewed on a case-by-case basis until a decision five months ago to cease interviews; the Department plans to return to this policy.
A national sweep of illegal immigrant gang members, violent criminals and fugitives has netted more than 60 suspects in New Jersey. Many will be deported but some will face criminal charges.
I keep wondering when they'll fix that obnoxious pothole right in front of my home; unfortunately, it might not be anytime soon. Asphalt prices are up substantially, and the DOT as well as local and county governments are re-evaluating road repair and construction projects in face of rising costs.
In an effort to rely less on one-shot budget tricks, the Corzine administration has dropped its appeal of an August Superior Court decision which blocked the state from adding $150 million from debt refinancing to the general fund. Chalk one up for fiscal responsibility!
Ridership may be up on NJ Transit, but rates look to be headed for an increase. Under proposed funding levels, rates may rise about 7% next spring. Gov. Corzine has said he would work to avoid the fare increases. The last fare increase was in July 2005, and the possible increase would match the rate of inflation for the last two years.
Avian flu worries: the Governor and his cabinet went through a drill yesterday to test their readiness to deal with an avian flu pandemic in Our Fair State. The test showed weaknesses in responses, even in the departments with the most prior preparation. This test was done on the day the White House reported that due to the nature of the disease, local governments would do most of the work in the event of an outbreak, and two days after a mild form of the disease was found in a Camden bird market.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing today on six bills regarding corruption. Attorney General Zulima Farber and the Director of Criminal Justice Gregory Paw will also discuss plans for reorganizing the Department of Criminal Justice. The agenda for this meeting is here. Don't forget to contact your senators with your opinions on these bills (and, well, on anything else they can or should do.)
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association yesterday voted to set up a plan to begin testing high school athletes for steroids at the state tournament level. If found with the banned substances, students would be suspended from school for one year and lose all athletic awards they've recieved. If approved, the plan could go into effect as early as next fall.
New Jersey Leads the Nation Yet Again: Last year, Gov. Codey spearheaded an initiative that school students across the state wouldn't have access to soda, junk food and candy on school grounds by Sept. '07. The nation has followed with a watered-down version of our policy: the largest beverage distributors will stop selling sugary sodas to high schools, and only sell juice, milk and water to elementary and middle schools.
John Ginty has enough signatures to challenge Tom Kean Jr for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate. This came after Kean tried to distance himself from the Bergen County Republican Organization by not asking to run on their ticket. Good job junior. Real smart to make enemies with your own party and force a primary when you pretty much had the nomination wrapped up.
There definitely isn’t a shortage of suggestions as to help make the state budget more palatable. These suggestions range from reducing government payrolls to legalizing and taxing prostitution.
Newark Councilman, Hector Corchado is extremely mad after finding out that the Essex County Superintendent of Elections ,Carmine Casciano, went with two of his staffers to campaign for Corchado’s opponent in the North Ward, Anibal Ramos.
Corzine has asked that state and federal lawsuits be filed to prevent the sale of our ports to a company owned by the United Arab Emirates::
[T]he Port Authority of New York & New Jersey will seek to terminate its lease with Port Newark Container Terminal, a current operator at Port Newark. Under the terms of the lease, the type of transaction engaged in with Dubai Ports World requires prior written approval from the Port Authority; none was sought and none was given. The lawsuit will be filed in Superior Court in Essex County.
Also:
Corzine also directed Attorney General Zulima Farber to file a lawsuit in federal court based on the 10th Amendment to the Constitution, which gives independent sovereignty to the states. As part of the suit, the state will assert its independent authority and obligation to protect New Jersey citizens and the Port of Newark.
