GOP STRONG

 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT – 

 To avoid appearance of impropriety -- three state legislators from Morris County, decided to move their offices because the landlord has been charged in an  11 county indictment Meanwhile in Passaic County Republican Assemblyman and County GOP Chairman Scott Rumana continues to keep Jonathon Soto in place as the Passaic Municipal Chairman even though he is now on trial in a 23 count federal corruption indictment. In fact Rumana had Soto call a special count committee meeting on the eve of his federal trial in a distasteful attempt to fill county committee seats with people who would support Rumana's faltering chairmanship in June.  

If Assemblymen Alex DeCroce, and Jay Webber and State Sen. Joe Pennacchio understand appearances of impropriety -- why doesn't Rumana get it? 

Could it be he wants to try to win at all costs and will continually put his career ahead of the  god of the party? Could be that Rumana the self-anointed Reformer is a fraud?  And to think, that GOP Minority Leader  DeCroce so loves Rumana and wants him unopposed in a June Primary that he has been threatened to cut off funding for District 36 if Bergen Republicans don’t back Rumana.  Maybe DeCroce should examine his candidate a little more carefully.  What do you think  

Three Morris legislators move from office space owned by developer charged with bribery

by Lawrence Ragonese/The Star-Ledger

Tuesday February 24, 2009,

Three Morris County legislators plan to move from a long-shared Parsippany office partly because the space is leased from a developer facing federal bribery charges.

The legislators said Mosberg has been a good landlord and stressed he has only been charged and not convicted of any crimes. But they said it made sense to move their legislative to avoid any appearance of impropriety.

The Republican trio will split up into two separate new offices, breaking up a two-decade 26th District tradition of having all of the district's legislators housed in one shared location. Pennacchio will to move to an office on Changebridge Road in Montville, while DeCroce and Webber will move to a business complex on Route 10 in the Whippany section of Hanover Township.

"In fairness to Mr. Mosberg, he has been very fair to us. We have had no problems with him," said Pennacchio. "But we are in a world of politics. We live in a glass house. So our standards have to be a little higher than some others. It's probably better than we move."

An 11-count indictment handed up in September accused Mosberg of paying thousands of dollars in bribes through $15,000 to $20,000 discounts on homes he sold to Parsippany Planning Board attorney John Montefusco Sr. and Montefusco's family. In exchange, Montefusco sought official favors from 1987 to 2007. Mosberg, a Holocaust survivor, received preferential treatment before the planning board and in lawsuits against the township, authorities contend. Mosberg has pleaded innocent to the charges. "Mr. Mosberg is absolutely innocent until proven guilty," said Webber. "

But we are in a position of having to remove any shadow of doubt from our operation. He is under indictment for allegedly bribing a public official, so it's better to remove ourselves from close proximity to a situation like that."

 The legislators said there also are practical reasons for a move that will likely cost taxpayers a bit more money to finance two offices. Webber said Pennacchio would be based closer to his dental practice in Montville, allowing him to spend more time at his legislative office. Also, he said the two offices would be more centrally located in the 15-town district in Morris and northern Passaic counties. Assemblymen Robert Martin and Ralph Loveys moved to the Powder Mill complex in Parsippany in 1988 and were joined there by Rep. Dean Gallo.

In 1993, when Martin moved up to the Senate, DeCroce and Assemblywoman Carol Murphy set up shop at Powder Mill, a location that will remain home to the district's legislators until the current roster moves in June. Pennacchio took some heat today from former Democratic Montville Committeeman Daniel Grant, who questioned why he is moving into a Montville office owned by developer Ron Soussa, who has been involved in litigation with the township regarding that office complex.

"With all of the space available in the county, he could have found another place," said Grant. But Pennacchio said he is not involved in that legal issue and said the state Office of Legislative Services is handling his pending rental.