DeCROCE: LATEST PLEA SHOWS THAT CORRUPTION CONTINUES TO FLOURISH UNDER CORZINE'S WATCH

PROMINENT BERGEN COUNTY DEMOCRATIC LAWYER ADMITS IN COURT TO ILLEGALLY PROFITING FROM TAXPAYERS

    The guilty plea of Dennis Oury, the close ally of former Bergen County Democratic chairman Joseph A. Ferriero, is yet another example of how Governor Corzine and his party have allowed corruption, which robs money from the state's honest residents, to fester in New Jersey, Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce said today.

    "It is unconscionable that some in public office believe they can use their political connections to deprive hard-working families from their tax dollars and legitimate programs from resources for personal ill-gotten gains," DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic, said. "The only thing surprising about this latest chapter in New Jersey government's sordid history is how so-called Democratic leaders such as Governor Corzine can continue to watch their friends parade into prison without acting to clean up our state."

    Oury pleaded guilty this morning to federal charges of defrauding Bergenfield residents, conspiracy to commit mail fraud and failing to file a 2006 tax return. Oury and Ferriero, once one of the most powerful figures in New Jersey Democratic politics, were accused off using their influence to steer money to their private grant-writing company.

    "Governors Corzine, Codey and McGreevey, and the Democrats who have controlled the Legislature, have turned their backs on our calls and proposals to tighten ethics laws in New Jersey while several public figures - from power brokers to prominent state Senators - have been given the power, sway and sense of entitlement to steal tax dollars from hard-working families," DeCroce said.

    "We have offered a comprehensive package of legislation that would suspend indicted officials, take away pensions from those convicted and eliminate the corrupting influence of campaign contributions from government contractors," DeCroce continued. "But Governor Corzine and his allies think they have done enough to curb corruption even as more than 100 public officials since 2002 have been convicted."