Harold Hodes, a lobbyist for the Hackensack University Medical Center, has retained legal counsel for the probe of State Sen. Joe ConiglioLobbyist 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 retained a prominent criminal defense attorney as part of the federal corruption probe of State Sen. Joseph Coniglio, according to several sources.

Public Strategies/Impact, Hodes’ firm, has represented Hackensack University Medical Center, which employed Coniglio as a plumbing consultant. The hospital received over $1 million in state grants while the Bergen County Democrat was on their payroll.

Hodes has not received a target letter from the U.S. Attorney’s office, according to people with knowledge of the Coniglio investigation, but is being represented by Justin Walder.  Walder’s partner, Joseph Hayden, said his firm does not comment on who their clients are.  Hodes did not return repeated phone calls to his office, home and cell phone over the last several weeks seeking comment.

After facing criticism for not being aggressive enough against Democrats, Republicans have coalesced around a new cause.

Although Republicans offered no comment on Sunday or Monday after The Star Ledger broke the story about Gov. Corzine’s $15,000 gift to ex-girlfriend Carla Katz’s brother-in-law Rocco Riccio, the GOP has now seized on this latest scandal to erupt over Gov. Corzine’s relationship with Katz in what appears to be a coordinated effort to turn it into a campaign issue.

In the latest twist involving Corzine’s monetary relationship with Katz, the governor gave Riccio $15,000 after he was forced to resign from a job at the Turnpike Authority, following rumors that he had looked into the tax record of Corzine’s political enemies. Corzine also promised to help find Riccio work in the private sector.

Toms River Council President Greg McGuckin, the GOP candidate for Mayor, "has more than $120,000 in federal tax liens filed against him," according to an Asbury Park Press report.  "The liens totaling $121,913.87, are for unpaid individual income taxes from the years 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005," according to the news story.  McGuckin faces Democrat Richard Strada, a former Mayor, and Carmine Inteso, a Republican Councilman running as an Independent.