Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy this afternoon acknowledged that he is the person known as “Jersey City Public Official 4” in the federal criminal complaint against three Jersey City insiders.  

“Based on review of the complaint, it is clear that I am Jersey City Public Official 4. I did nothing wrong at anytime. Right now we are going to continue to conduct open and honest government and are focused on moving the city forward. In fact, yesterday we solicited instructions and advice from the U.S. Attorney’s Office on how to secure the offices and records of those officials who were charged and suspended,” Healy said in a written statement.  “We are complying with those instructions and will continue to cooperate. We will make no further statements at this time due to the ongoing nature of this investigation.”

Although a slew of public officials and political figures were arrested or charged yesterday -- including Healy’s two opponents from May mayoral election -- Healy was not.  

The complaint, however, casts political consultant Jack Shaw and Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini – who both were charged – as acting as middlemen for JC Public Official 4.  It even quotes Beldini telling Shaw that JC Public Official 4 would not be comfortable talking finances in front of co-defendant Edward Cheatam because there were “too many snakes.”  

The complaint says that at a meeting with JC Official 4 and the defendants, the cooperating federal witness -- who has since been identified as real estate developer Solomon Dwek --  told JC Official 4 that he had given $10,000 to Shaw, would give him another $10,000 after the meeting and another $10,000 after the May municipal election.

“To which, JC Official 4 responded, among other things, that hopefully ‘we’ could work ‘together’ and that this would be ‘mutually beneficial.’”