Grand jury hears Hodes testify in Coniglio probe
By EditorLobbyist Harold Hodes, a top advisor to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in New Jersey and one of the state’s most powerful political insiders, has spent several hours testifying before a federal grand jury probing State Sen. Joseph Coniglio, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
Hodes, appearing in response to a federal subpoena, testified about appropriations Coniglio allegedly obtained for Hackensack University Medical Center while the two-term Senator was working as a paid consultant. At the time, Hodes’ firm, Public Strategies/Impact, was the HUMC lobbyist. The hospital received over $1 million in state grants while Coniglio was on their payroll.
Coniglio is the target of a federal criminal probe.
Hodes did not return calls seeking comment.
Hodes, 65, served as Executive Assistant to Newark Mayor Kenneth Gibson before becoming Chief of Staff to Governor Brendan Byrne. He was the first President of the New Jersey Devils before starting his lobbying firm in the 1980’s.
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Syndicate
and?
Aside from the US Attorney trying to smear Hodes by continuing to leak information what else is the point here?
There's as much chance of Harold Hodes doing something ethically wrong as there is of Christie reporting how much money these "investigations" have cost on his first ELEC report.
It's called, "News"
You are upset about this being reported why? It's amajor investigation into how a major hospital put a key budget committee senator on their payroll for obvious reasons (real reasons). You should be excited that someone is actually looking into how big institutions engage in legal or sometimes illegal bribery by giving legislators joke jobs in retrun for influence. I think it is great that someone is finally paying attention to when plumber/senators are given $5,500 per month contracts with no real essential responsibilities. You like having your Legislature stacked conflicts that pervert how your money is spent and how policy is set? I don't and I am thnakful someone cares enough to focus energy on something that matters a lot.
And do you really think every time someone goes before a grand jury,the only way it gets out is thorugh leaks from Christie, as though he is sitting around in a dark office somehwre calling reporters? Believe it or not, reporters are at Fed's place of business all the time and they see people coming and going. They recognize figures like Hal becaseu he has been a public person for 40 years. They ask questions. People talk. Sometimes it could be a moron defense lawyer who loves to blab to show how much they know... sometimes it could be law enforcement. Did you think it could perhapos be Coniglio or his lawyer who blabbed to deflect attention away from their own problems and suggest that someone else is really the target? Hal is one of the nicest guys I know and I sincerely hope he did nothing wrong, but do you really think this is not news or the only way it comes out is if there are leaks from Chirstie?
Coniglio, Bryant, James, Steele, Hackett... when does it end? Not until some people start to care, that's for sure.
one last question... how many people have been indicted by Christie who were acquitted? Christie is not a guy who runs around and throws stones without reason.
Announcement:
US Attorney to make Hodes Grand Jury testimony available on YouTube. It will not be available on iTunes until next week.
Also, subpoenas to be dropped on politicsnj.com for identities of message board poster identities.
Same news as last month
No big deal here. Same news we read last month. Why re-hash old stew? Are they going to indict Coniglio or what? Until that happens, stop boring us with the same old, same old.
Squeal Piggy
Let's hope Hodes didn't squeal like a stuck pig like Sarlo did.
And then Sarlo gets all miffed when someone leaked to the newspaper he is a Rat.
Sarlo the Rat Squealing like a Stuck Pig?
Benedict, you must be hearing the same thing that everyone else has. Senator Sarlo squealing under pressure, cornered like a rat who lost his cheese.
If I were the state's other politicos I wouldn't be too quick to take Sarlo into my confidence. Especially since he may be doing the Ellen Karcher routine.
The guy's fast becoming a pariah with his fingerprints all over the imploding EnCap deal and with his pal Coniglio caught in the sights of the U.S. Attorney.
On The Waterfront since 1954
Terry, just Encap?
Encap is the least of Sarlo's worries. The Hackensack University Hospital indictment had to hit too close to home for him.
Sarlo works as an Engineer for Sanzari and Co, a state contractor (draw your own conclusions), but the owner of the company, (where Sarlo picks up his 4th paycheck, the other 3 are DIRECTLY publically funded), is on the board of directors for Hackensack Hospital.
There is no evidence that Sarlo was directly involved with the Coniglio case, but if Sarlo also voted on these funds to go to the Hospital like Conigilio did, then couldn't that been seen as a conflict of interest for Sarlo since his boss not only is on the board of directors, but has a wing named after him at the Hospital?
No wonder why Sarlo got miffed when it was leaked he squealed to the Grand Jury like a stuck pig, or was it more like a little girl? ... ratting on her friends.
If anything the Grand Jury made Sarlo sweat.. alot!
Overheard by former Senator John Lynch to his son coming out of a court room after his son had been sentence to jail time. "At least you don't rat on your friend's son, they can't say that about you"
Sarlo is no Lynch
Benedict, thanks for enlightening everyone about Senator Sarlo. Paul Sarlo is not worthy of shining the shoes of John Lynch. John Lynch may have been a Super Boss and master of his domain who made one too many corrupt insider deals but the guy had character.
After sweating under the Grand Jury inquiries and singing like a soprano at the opera, it is clear that Sarlo can dish it out but cannot take it.
Paul Sarlo is a man obsessed with his own ambition. And in his mind, that ambition means he has to send his friends down the river. That's the Sarlo M.O.
On The Waterfront since 1954
Agreed
Agreed Sarlo is not the brightest bulb in the box and will never fill Lynch's shoes.
However the distinct difference is, right or wrong, Lynch was political aware that his kid was no rat and he instilled that in his children.