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Coniglio’s troubles could boost Colletti
State Sen. Joseph Coniglio is the target of a federal corruption investigation
The news that State Sen. Joseph Coniglio received a target letter from federal prosecutors can’t hurt Republican Robert Colletti’s chances to win a state Senate seat, but Bergen GOP leaders are responding to the news cautiously.
“It's always sobering when there are serious accusations that an elected official has violated the public trust, but we'll wait for the legal process to play out,” said Bergen County GOP Chairman Robert Ortiz, who was elected earlier this week.
Colletti is running a shoe string campaign in the 38th District, which normally leans strongly toward the Democrats. But Coniglio’s potential legal troubles may give the campaign a boost -- even if Coniglio is replaced by another candidate, according to Colletti’s campaign.
Star-Ledger: Coniglio is target of federal probe
State Sen. Joseph Coniglio is the target of a federal corruption investigation, the Star-Ledger reported today. Coniglio “was issued a so-called ‘target letter’ as part of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney's office into the senator's dealings with Hackensack University Medical Center.”
The hospital had received over $1 million in state funds while Coniglio, a two-term Democrat from Bergen County, was their $55,000-a-year plumbing consultant.
Read More >Lawyer says McGettigan knew he represented porn industry
The “porn lawyer” that James McGettigan criticized Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson for hiring is actually McGettigan’s labor counsel.
Yesterday, Atlantic County Sheriff James McGettigan, who is Levinson’s Democratic challenger this fall, said he was “outraged” that the county hired a lawyer who advises the adult entertainment industry. But the lawyer, Eric Bernstein, said he was hired by the county to work primarily on McGettigan’s behalf.
"I cannot understand the Sheriffs issues with me as I have, and still serve him as his labor counsel. I personally advised him of my involvement in the adult entertainment industry years ago", said Bernstein.
McGettigan’s press release, which stated that “the public has a right to know why and how the Levinson Administration hired this porn lawyer, and whether he’s representing us on our dime, not pornographers” was just the latest salvo in what has become an especially nasty race.
GOP leader says no to Cavicchia
Sussex County GOP Chairman Richard Zeoli says that he would not consider supporting Sparta resident Peter Cavicchia II for Congress next year.
"Contributing money to John Kerry makes him a non-starter in a Republican primary, and we could not support anyone who was for Kerry before he was against him," Zeoli told PoliticsNJ.com.
Read More >McHose irritated by clean elections program
Assemblywoman Alison McHose says the Fair and Clean elections program is a big government, Democratic Party scheme.
"This program uses taxpayers' money to fund political campaigns in New Jersey," McHose writes in a July 6th letter of the program that requires candidates in three legislative districts to collect 800 individual contributions of $10 each in order to be eligible for state funds.
Read More >
Democrats see opportunity in Eighth District
South Jersey Democrats have their eyes on a coveted prize: overtaking the most staunchly Republican district in Burlington County.
Eighth District Democratic candidates Tracy Riley and Chris Fifis are running on an ethics platform, sounding themes of fiscal responsibility that ring of conservatism and putting the blame for high taxes squarely on the shoulders of local Republicans. They’re facing off against three new Republican candidates – Burlington County Clerk Phil Haines for state Senate and his Assembly running mates, Dawn Addiego and Scott Rudder.
But while lowering taxes and cracking down on corruption may resonate with local voters, the candidates may also have a hard time figuring out how they will reconcile their support for Gov. Jon Corzine with popular opposition to the governor’s toll roads privatization plan.
Read More >The Back Room
Obama to tour the Jersey Shore with Christie
President Barack Obama will return to New Jersey next week to tour the Jersey Shore with Gov. Chris Christie.
Read More >Wake-Up Call
Morning News Digest - May 24, 2013
Christie cuts Jersey Shore reopening ribbon on “Today’ Show Gov. Chris Christie is walking the Jersey shore Friday morning along with members of the TODAY show. The governor is appearing on the morning news program ahead of the Memorial Day weekend. The TODAY show appearance is the first of...
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Op-Ed
Time to have the talk we hope to avoid but can’t
By Tedford J. Taylor No topic is a less likely conversation-starter than our eventual deaths. Still, there is a lot to talk about. When polled, about 90 percent of people presented with end-of-life scenarios prefer the prospect of dying at home with... Read More >
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