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Healy attempts to reassure the public
By Matt Friedman / PolitickerNJ.com Reporter JERSEY CITY – The city’s political establishment is reeling. The council president and deputy mayor were arrested, as were several other officials and past candidates. Mayor Jerramiah Healy himself, identified in the feds’ complaint as “JC Official 4, met with FBI informant Solomon Dwek twice. A stream of 35 residents took the podium today at the first city council meeting since the scandal broke to admonish their elected officials. Taking that all into account, Healy sought to ease the concerns of residents of his city and – by the looks of the media turnout – the entire tri-state area. “Last week’s arrest of several public officials has been shockin and disturbing to anyone who holds public or elected office in the State of New Jersey, “said Healy. Healy reiterated that he suspended all the city employees charged in the sting who he has the authority to suspend. He addressed his own part in the scandal, reiterating that “I have done nothing wrong and have not been accused of any wrong doing.” Part of the speech could even have been mistaken for Healy’s stump rhetoric during the run up to the May municipal election. “I want to assure the public that Jersey City continues to move forward, and that we will not let these arrests deter or dissuade us from continuing to do the important work of bringing investment and development to our city, keeping an eye on the bottom line to keep taxes stable, hiring more police officers to continue to make our city safer,” he said. Healy did not call on Council President Mariano Vega to resign, say that the charges would “work their way through the system” and that it was up to Vega whether or not he wanted to step down. He also commented on the death of political consultant Jack Shaw, who was found deceased at his apartment last night. “All I can say about Mr. Shaw is that I’m very sad for his family, his friends. Jack, as you folks know, had a long history not just in Jersey City and Hudson County politics, but elsewhere. He was a person that, when I would see him at social events or political events, always outgoing, sense of humor, someone that always enjoyed a good laugh, and I’m very sorry about his passing,” said Healy. Healy could not recall the last time he saw Shaw. “I didn’t see Jack on a regular basis,” he said. Brennan named Jersey City council president pro-tem
By Matt Friedman / PolitickerNJ.com Reporter JERSEY CITY – The City Council just voted at-large Councilman Peter Brennan the body’s president pro-tem when Council President Mariano Vega fights corruption charges. The council created the position of "President Pro-Tem" today, which has been under consideration since their first reorganization on July 1. Seven council members voted aye on Bernnan, but Ward E Councilman Steve Fulop abstained. His objection was that the council wavedthe normal 20 day wait period between the passage of the legislation and the mayor signing it. Fulop said that it was hypocritical for the council to act like there’s no sense of urgency on other matters relating to the corruption bust, but that there is for this one. Vega has proclaimed his innocence and vowed not to resign. The council rejected Fulop’s resolution of no confidence in Vega just before voting to elevate Brennan president pro-tem. Brennan challenged Vega for the council presidency earlier this month, but could not muster enough support to take it over.
Resolution of no confidence on Vega is rejected
By Matt Friedman / PolitickerNJ.com Reporter The Jersey City Council just rejected Councilman Steve Fulop’s resolution of no-confidence on City Council President Mariano Vega, who was arrested on corruption charges last week. Fulop was the only aye vote. The other seven members present, including Vega himself, voted no. One councilwoman, Viola Richardson, did not attend because she is on vacation. "I just want to say that, while I’m not surprised, I don’t think it’s in the interest of the city to pretend that this didn’t happen last week," said Fulop. "The standards of innocence until proven guilty doesn’t apply to public life that is based on the public trust.” Before voting, Councilman Peter Brennan said t he thinks Vega and the mayor "have to sit down and talk this thing out" regarding "the best interest of the people of Jersey City." A member of the audience yelled "Don’t we know what’s best?" Brennan then indicated that he was originally going to vote yes, but that the activists persuaded him to vote no. "By that interruption they just changed my vote. I vote nay… Thank you for being so rude," he said. Another Fulop resolution that opened the tax abatement committee’s meetings up to the public was passed 8-0. Fulop won’t call on Healy to resign
By Matt Friedman / PolitickerNJ.com Reporter JERSEY CITY — Councilman Steven Fulop today distanced himself from other anti-political establishment activists who have called for Mayor Jerramiah Healy to resign. Although Fulop, a constant thorn in the side of Healy and his allies, has called on arrested City council President Mariano to resign and will introduce a resolution of no confidence in him within minutes, he stressed that he has not called on Healy to resign. “I sincerely feel it’s not fair, it’s not reasonable, it’s not just,” said Fulop during today’s council meeting. ‘The fair thing is to respect the authorities who have more information than we have and have chosen not to arrest him.” Fulop said that nobody had more to gain than him politically for calling on Healy to resign, but concluded his remarks by saying “we shouldn’t’ be painting people with an entirely painted brush about what happens next week.” Vega, he said, is presumed innocent, but “the reality though is that while the assumption of innocence is the standard in our personal lives, the same standard does not apply to a role that is in the public trust.” Signs say: RESIGN!
Protests mount against those arrested; Elwell, Hoboken chief of staff step down by Timothy J. Carroll / Hudson Reporter
July 29, 2009 – 11:02 PM
Local mayors Peter Cammarano and Dennis Elwell were under pressure this week – internal and external – to resign their positions in Hoboken and Secaucus, as was Jersey City’s Council President Mariano Vega. All three were arrested on Thursday, July 23 as part of a statewide political corruption sting that netted 44 politicians, religious leaders, and consultants.
Elwell notified town administrators at 1 p.m. on Tuesday that he was resigning his position and turning control of the city over to Deputy Mayor John Reilly.
Cammarano had said before that he would refuse to resign, even though his chief of staff resigned on Tuesday and hundreds of people have protested on the City Hall steps.
Jersey City Councilman Steven Fulop called for Vega’s resignation and has organized a rally at City Hall on Tuesday during the “Night Out Against Crime.” A group of protesters planned to descend on a Jersey City council meeting on Wednesday.
One top-level Hoboken source said last week that it was an “impossible” situation for Cammarano to continue governing.
Subpoenas were sent to City Hall in Hoboken and Secaucus on Tuesday requesting records in conjunction with the investigation, according to city officials.
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office could not confirm or deny any subpoenas.
Corzine, Ramos, others: resign Gov. Jon Corzine publicly said this week that anyone involved in the allegations should resign his or her elected position for the good of the people. Since then, other Democratic leaders have piled on.
In Hoboken, Assemblyman and close Cammarano ally Ruben Ramos Jr. joined Democratic committee leaders in calling for the mayor’s resignation, as did City Council members Dawn Zimmer, Beth Mason, Ravi Bhalla, and David Mello.
Ramos said he was “wholeheartedly behind” the call for resignation.
“I just don’t see how he can govern under these circumstances,” he said in an interview.
All six Cammarano transition team chairmen sent Cammarano their resignations at noon on Tuesday, including Michael Novak, who had run as a City Council candidate on Cammarano’s ticket.
Cammarano Chief of Staff Joe Garcia resigned his position on Tuesday after less than a month on the city payroll. He cited a lack of opportunity to achieve the goals for the city under present circumstances.
“I thought we would be finally able to tackle the problems of Hoboken,” Garcia said Tuesday. “I no longer believe this is possible.”
In Jersey City, Fulop introduced a resolution calling for Vega to step down and asked resident to attend a protest on this coming Tuesday night.
“The crime inside City Hall must be dealt with the same way as crime on the streets. Let your leaders hear your voice and know how you feel about their deception, their lies, their stealing,” Fulop said.
Vega maintained his innocence at the council’s caucus meeting on Monday.
“The events of this past Thursday were as shocking to me as they were to everyone else. I am not guilty of the allegations,” Vega said in a statement. “In our system of justice, we are presumed innocent until proven guilty. I do not intend to resign as council president, nor as councilman.”[...]
Read More at HudsonReporter.com Officials Investigate Death of Hudson County Political Consultant Charged in Corruption Sting
by Carly Rothman and Mark Mueller/The Star-Ledger
JERSEY CITY — A veteran Hudson County political consultant charged last week in a sweeping corruption sting was found dead today in his Jersey City home, and authorities were investigating whether he committed suicide. Jack Shaw, 61, was one of 44 people arrested in the federal probe, which ensnared elected officials, political operatives and members of the Syrian Jewish communities in Deal and Brooklyn. Authorities said Shaw accepted a $10,000 cash bribe from an FBI informant and suggested the informant give an additional $10,000 to a Jersey City official, later identified as Mayor Jerramiah Healy. The mayor has not been charged. A major player on the Hudson County political stage going back decades, Shaw was discovered dead shortly after 5 p.m. in his apartment at Portside Towers, an upscale waterfront complex in the Paulus Hook section. Jersey City police and Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio declined to characterize the death pending an autopsy, but three officials with knowledge of the investigation said multiple bottles of pills were found near Shaw’s body. One of the officials said that while investigators suspect suicide, they did not want to jump to conclusions because Shaw suffers from an unspecified medical condition. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the probe’s early stage. Shaw’s death came on the same day Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell, one of six elected officials arrested in the sting, resigned his post, saying he wanted to devote more time to his legal defense. Through his lawyer, the Democrat also said he would drop out of the mayoral race this November instead of seeking a fourth term. Elwell is the only elected official arrested to have resigned. "He’s going to focus his attention on the unproven allegations that are made against him," said Jeffrey Garrigan, one of Elwell’s attorneys. "He’s decided that he doesn’t want to be a distraction to the governing body." Shaw’s death brings a dark new component to the scandal. Friends and former associates said that for a time, he was a force in New Jersey politics, working with former Gov. James Florio and former Assembly Speaker Joseph Doria, among others [...]
Read More at NJ.com
Fulop: On Night against Crime, PROTEST THE CRIMES AT CITY HALL!
By: Ricardo Kaulessar / HudsonReporter.com Jersey City Councilman Steven Fulop announced on Monday that for National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 4, there will be a rally in front of City Hall that he is organizing regarding the recent arrests of political and religious leaders. The night is generally celebrated across the country in order to unite neighbors to band together against crime in their area. But Fulop is adding a new element in the wake of the recent FBI sting.
Here is his announcement:
"Friends,
"Tuesday, August 4th is National Night Out, a day where cities all across the country will bring together their leadership and their citizens to discuss and fight crime. In the past, Jersey City has sponsored individual ward block parties in each neighborhood for National Night Out. This year is different. In light of recent events that have shaken our city to the core, I invite you to save the date of Tuesday, August 4th for a city-wide rally on the steps of City Hall itself. "The crime inside City Hall must be dealt with the same way as crime on the streets. Let your leaders hear your voice and know how you feel about their deception, their lies, their stealing. We must send a strong message of one city, united in the belief that crime must be stopped wherever it happens. Bring a friend, tell your neighbor, join the Facebook group. For more information on this event and on what I am doing to prevent crime in our city, please visit www.stevenfulop.com" - Ricardo Kaulessar
Councilman Wants Indicted Jersey City Council President to Resign
Posted: Monday, 27 July 2009 11:16AM – Steve Sandberg reports "Every single vote going forward will be tainted, there is no question about that," Fullop said.
Several other Jersey City officials were named in the indictment including Mayor Jerramiah Healy, who is referred to in the federal complaint as "JC Official 4," though he has not been charged. Read more at www.1010wins.com/
Arrested Jersey City council president shows up to caucus meeting, vows not to resign
By Matt Friedman, PolitickerNJ.com Reporter JERSEY CITY — Four days after his perp walk was splashed across newsprint and tri-state area television screens, Jersey City Council President Mariano Vega showed up to this morning’s City Council caucus meeting and took his place at the head of the table. Vega started the meeting with a statement. ‘The events of this past Thursday were as shocking to me as they were to everyone else,” he said. “I am not guilty of the allegations. In our system of justice we are presumed innocent until proven guilty. I do not intend to resign as council president, nor as a councilman." Vega said the council is developing an ordinance – to be voted on at its meeting on Wednesday – to create of president pro-temp. Whoever gets that title will take over Vega’s role while he deals with his criminal case. He also relinquished his chairmanship of the Tax Enhancement Committee. “Public service is the profession I have chosen, and I am proud of my service ot he people of my beloved Jersey City. I am thankful that I have the support of my wife, children and most importantly, I have the support of the facts. I look forward to putting this all behind us as quickly as possible," he said. Councilman Steven Fulop – the one council member who is not aligned with Mayor Healy – is introducing a resolution of no confidence in Vega, which calls on him to resign. He also wants to open the Tax Enhancement Committee’s meetings to be open to the public. Fulop issued a statement just minutes prior to the scheduled start of today’s meeting demanding that Mayor Jerramiah Healy also call on Vega to resign, and essentially tying Healy in to the corruption scandal that has struck at the heart of Jersey City politics. “While Mayor Healy, who has acknowledged being JC Official #4, has not been arrested to date, his refusal to comment on whether Councilman Vega should resign, and his continued support for Deputy Mayor Beldini, shows a complete lack of leadership. At the very least, his silence on the issue is seen by many as a tacit acceptance of ongoing corruption in Jersey City. Mayor Healy has no problem suspending seven low level city employees, but seems to have no opinion about Councilman Vega or Deputy Mayor Beldini,’ he said. At the start of the meeting, Fulop recounted a list of proposed ethics reforms he introduced that were rejected 8-1 by the council members. ‘The list goes on, and the comments you made at each of those meetings was that I was not a team player, which today I look at as a compliment,” he said. Municipal Clerk Robert Byrne and most other council members rebuffed Fulop’s attempt to move Wednesday’s council meeting from 10am to 6pm, which would allow more residents to attend. Byrne cited difficulty publishing notice of the time change, while council members said they did not see a need to change it. Only Ward C Councilwoman Nidia Lopez said she would be open to attending the meeting at night.
Fulop plans to introduce resolutions regarding council president Vega
By: Ricardo Kaulessar / HudsonReporter.com At the Jersey City council meeting scheduled for July 29, Councilman Steven Fulop plans to present two resolutions before the City Council regarding City Councilman Mariano Vega, who was one of the 44 people arrested on Thursday as part of federal investigation into money laundering and public corruption. The first resolution will be a no confidence vote asking the rest of the City Council to support a formal request for the resignation of Councilman Mariano Vega. Fulop stated the second resolution will formally request that Mayor Healy amend his executive order regarding the closed-door abatement negotiation committee to which Healy appointed Mariano Vega as chairperson. “In light of yesterday’s arrests, there is a cloud over these closed backroom meetings. The public is rightfully concerned about them," Fulop said. "There has never been a more appropriate time for the mayor to open these meetings so the public can see how the city negotiates their tax dollars.”
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