According to an attorney representing Birdsall Services Director of Marketing Philip Angarone, a story stating Angarone's home was searched by law enforcement authorities Wednesday was incorrect.

We are proud to present PolitickerNJ’s 2011 Power List of the 100 most influential people in New Jersey politics.

For the first time, we are releasing the list as part of our annual Year in Review, where we recap the year in politics that’s coming to a close.

The only thing that could have topped the chaos of last week's overwrought pension and benefit reform vote was, well, this week's overwrought budget vote.

It was a week to remember and the denizens of the Statehouse, be they staffers, elected officials, press or police, will hobble off to celebrate our country's independence.  But before anyone gets too far into their cups, we present this week's Winners and Losers -  budget edition.

State Street Wire is reporting that a consultant who was connected to Wireless Generation, the consulting company connected to the failed federal Race to the Top application, will be  paid through private funds to run acting Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf’s transition to the DOE's top post.

The consultant, William Cox, of DSA Capital, has been studying issues affecting education in the state in an effort to aid Cerf in taking over the department.  Cox, who also consulted for Wireless Generation but was not part of the Race to the Top debacle, is being paid $60,000 for his work.

Cox's tab is being picked up by The Broad Foundation, which has been heavily invested in Newark schools.  Cerf is a 2004 graduate of the Broad Superintendent Academy.

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