New Jersey Corruption Sting Nabs . . . 30, and Counting (UPDATED)

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Wow. Talk about a culture of corruption!

A New Jersey assemblyman and the mayors of Hoboken and Secaucus were among public officials arrested this morning by FBI agents in an international money laundering and corruption probe that includes rabbis in the Syrian Jewish communities of Deal and Brooklyn.

Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt (R-Ocean), Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano, Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell and Jersey City Council President Mariano Vega are among those already brought to the FBI building in Newark. Jersey City Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini has also been arrested.

The report helpfully lets us know that Van Pelt is a Republican.

Cammarano is a Democrat. "In 2004, Peter served as Hoboken’s coordinator for the Kerry-Edwards presidential campaign. In 2006, Peter was the statewide legal coordinator for Bob Menendez’s Senate campaign."

Dennis Elwell is a Democrat.

Jersey City deputy mayor Leona Beldini is a Democrat.

Jersey City council president Mariano Vega is a Democrat.

I understand former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich has offered the comment, "man, New Jersey politics are a cesspool!"

UPDATE: The morning continues:

Ridgefield Mayor Anthony Suarez [a Democrat] was among the officials charged in today’s corruption bust. Suarez was charged with extortion for accepting payments from a cooperating witness in exchange for help with a real estate deal.

Federal prosecutors have filed a criminal complaint against Assemblyman L. Harvey Smith (D-Jersey City), alleging extortion charges.

State Sen. Sandra B. Cunningham (D-Jersey City) confirmed that long time Jersey City Democratic strategist Joe Cardwell, a key advisor to public officials there over the last 20 years, was among those arrested in today’s wide reaching corruption bust.

07/23 11:38 AM Share