October 22, 2009 - 4:18pm
News

Christie calls Ferriero a 'disgrace' and Corzine an 'enabler'

Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie struck a familiar tone today, trumpeting the conviction of a political figure indicted when he was U.S. Attorney – in this case former Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joe Ferriero. 

But the big difference between today’s press conference phone call and the seven years of pressers Christie held as the state’s top federal prosecutor was that he laid part of the blame for the state’s corrupt political culture on Gov. Jon Corzine.

Christie said Corzine "enabled" Ferriero  ecause Corzine gave Bergen County Democrats over $400,000 when Ferriero led the party.

“The Governor bears some degree of responsibility for this as well because, sadly, he gave over $400,000 of his own personal money to enable this felon to lead the Bergen County Democratic Organization— in fact to lord over the Bergen county political scene for  much of the last decade.”

Included in that figure were donations from Corzine’s mother, an Illinois resident, after Corzine maxed out.  

Ferriero, Christie said, had used money from Corzine and influential Democrats across the state to increase his clout not just over the BCDO, but county and local government.  In effect, according to Christie, Ferriero became  a “dictator” – as his conviction for a scheme to profit by using his influence to steer grant money to Bergenfield.  

“I’m not saying the governor knew this was a crook. What I’m saying is the governor enabled someone who was a dictator,” he said.

But what about Corzine’s endorsement of Loretta Weinberg for state Senate in 2005--  an unsafe political move that created a check to Ferriero’s power?  

“I think the checks continued to flow to Joe Ferriero even after he stood up for Loretta Weinberg,” said Christie.  “I think the checks continued to flow to Joe Ferriero even after he stood up for Loretta Weinebrg.  “If he wanted Joe Ferriero out of power, he could have closed his check book.”

Christie said that his campaign will not likely mention the Ferriero conviction in any campaign advertisements.

“This is not something that I think we have to put paid media behind,” he said.

Christie said Ferriero "is a disgrace" and that his conviction "should bring great joy to the people of Bergen County and the State of New Jersey."

"For New Jersey, today's verdict is as much about Jon Corzine as Joseph Ferriero. Ferriero's conviction is a disturbing refection on Governor Corzine, who has been a significant financier of corrupt party bosses and machines, including Ferriero. Corzine and his family donated over $440,000 to accounts controlled by Ferriero and disgraced former Senator Joseph Coniglio, also convicted of corruption," said Assemblyman Jay Webber (R-Morris Plains), the GOP State Chairman. "While Governor Corzine pays lip service to ethics reform, today's conviction reminds us that, as on so many issues, Governor Corzine's record doesn't match his rhetoric."

"Today's conviction of Joe Ferriero only further shows the high standard for conduct and accountability that Chris Christie will bring to Trenton as governor," said State Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Middletown), the Christie campaign chairman. "In contrast, Jon Corzine has enabled corruption by giving $441,600 to Joe Ferriero and his political operation in Bergen County. Over the last four years Governor Corzine has done nothing but give meaningless lip service when it comes to enforcing ethical standards, while he has been the number one financier of corrupt politicians and party bosses in New Jersey."

The Corzine camp, for its part, issued a general statement on the verdict.

"We believe that people who commit crimes, and those who violate the public trust, should be held responsible. We commend the jury and prosecutors for holding people responsible," said Corzine spokesman Sean Darcy.

Matt Friedman is a PolitickerNJ.com Reporter and can be reached via email at matt@politicsnj.com.

Comments

Is he freaking kidding me?


"Christie said that his campaign will not likely mention the Ferriero conviction in any campaign advertisements."

His candidacy is fading fast and a gift falls in his lap and he isn't going to use it?????!!!

Maybe he thinks kissing Obama's ass more and developing retarded environmental schemes will get him the votes he will need to win this election.

10/22/09 5:49 pm

NEW SURVEY USA POLL


10/19/09-10/21/09

Christie: 41%
Corzine: 39%
Daggett: 19%

http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=7db77e05-7dee-44e9-b5c...

10/22/09 6:30 pm

Ads vs. news media


This verdict is HUGE news and The Record newspaper will have continuing coverage for days. I'd be shocked if there isn't a big Sunday story about Ferriero, the Dem organization in Bergen County when he led it, and his sepporters who still are active in Dem politics and in this election cycle. This coming Sunday is 10 days to the election! That's lots of free, hard-to-miss negative coverage for the Ds and positive coverage for Christie and the GOP. The vote in Bergen County will be a huge factor in who the next Governor is and the Ds, despite their public comments, have got to be worried. The timing of the trial, and the verdict, stinks for the Ds. Still, even with all the news coverage, the photo of Corzine and Ferriero embracing would be one heck of an ad and mailer. Gov. Corzine surrounded himself with political insiders who broke the public trust and made money through corruption and malfeasance. Christie put over 100 of these crooks away. That's the message Christie should be hammering home.

10/22/09 7:11 pm

Please print that add


You really have to hand it to Chris Daggett. Not only did he stand toe to toe with Jon Corzine and Chris Christie he really nailed it to them in the 3rd NJ Gubernatorial Debate. Once again, for the third time in a row, I give this as a notch for Daggett.

Chris Daggett handed it to both Christie and Corzine for corruption saying to fight corruption you need to lead by example.

Daggett then cited specific corrupt activities that Christie and Corzine had engaged in, including illegal campaign finance and pay to play, and neither Corzine or Christie could defend themselves.

Instead, Corzine acknowledges that activity is going on and agrees with Daggett that it needs to stop.

Daggett also called for an investigation into $6 Billion missing from the NJ Schools Construction Fund to which Corzine replied he has already put in all of the controls and regulations he could. Christie replied that as governor of NJ he would launch the investigation.

My question to Chris Christie is why didn’t you launch an investigation while you where the US Attorney General for 7 years?

http://njelection.wordpress.com/2009/10/22/chris-daggett-nails-christie-...

10/23/09 4:37 am

Connections


Corzine tries to paint Christie as a Bush loyalist, because the former President was unpopular by the end of his term in office .. but what about Corzine's own connections & support of now-convicted Joe Ferriero?!

How many times does it have to hit the news, for even Democrats to accept that Corzine has a terrible record of picking or aligning himself with people who bring dishonor to their positions: Ferriero, former AG Zulima Farber, Carla Katz, ???

10/23/09 7:31 am

I was there!


I volunteered at the BCDO when Jon Corzine first ran for Governor. Ferriero helped Corzine about as much as he helped Obama, which ain't much.

Ferriero didn't help anybody unless there was something in it for him. And you can take that to the bank.

As Governor, did Corzine go along to get along? Somewhat. Did it help him get his agenda through? Definitely. Has he learned from his mistakes. I THINK SO! (or at least, so I'm told)

Best regards.

10/23/09 12:38 pm

I was not there


For a volunteer to assume that any corruption activities would be easy to see and hear is naive. These activities happen away from most volunteers, employees and mid-level staff. I was not there and I am glad to say that I will never be there when our elected representatives wheel and deal with corrupt political organizations. The truth about NJ is coming out and those who have benefitted by their criminal activities are being held accountable. We need new leadership. Either Governor Corzine was in on it, or he was not smart enough to recognize corruption. He should not be working for NJ residents any longer. We need new leadership.

10/23/09 2:53 pm

I Think NOT


Got Kids II, who tells us he was there, says:

As Governor, did Corzine go along to get along? Somewhat. Did it help him get his agenda through? Definitely. Has he learned from his mistakes. I THINK SO! (or at least, so I'm told)

How generous of you to "think so."

But as I recall, he was the "financial wizard" who:

a) promised to solve our state's fiscal problems, the ones primarily visited upon us by the immediate predecessor "split term" duo; and,

b) promised to give us "40 in 4" on top with a cherry!

So your "I THINK SO" amounts to an utterly unwarranted lifeline, doesn't it?

Face it . . . the man is out of lifelines. He didn't do the job. Time to go!

by Trochilus

10/23/09 4:06 pm

Torture US


When I said I missed you I didn't mean IT. And please spare me the spelling corrections. I can barely post before the refresh scrubs my prose.

Admittadly this is not my strongest argument for Corzine. But I suppose you think Christie will be an effective Governor with a scorched earth approach to Dem and Rep legislators alike.

And you conviently omit the play to play reform at the state level. Would I like to see it at the local level? Sure, and I think that's an argument in his favor.

Serve Others? Do you even remember 2004/5? Think George Bush real hard, think TORTURE, think WAR FOREVER and know that I volunteered my time to try to turn the ship. So far so good, thank you very much. Ask TortureUS how that worked out.

Look I don't wan to fight. But is it really fair to tie JC to Ferriero when 1. he did not help him get elected Gov in the first place and 2. Ferriero never even liked JC. But as I said at the top this is not my strongest agrument.

Fire away!

10/23/09 4:30 pm

I Get It Now


Got Kids II

Oh. I get it.

"When I said I missed you I didn't mean IT."

You meant that when you tried to counter my argument, you missed me -- i.e., failed to make your point, no?

And no, I suppose there is, as you suggest, any suggestion of a scorched earth policy with legislators . . . but it would be nice to have a Governor who had the integrity to appoint an Attorney General who would take some time and go after the blatant crooks.

The McGreevey AG, Peter Harvey was an embarrassing zero -- too busy engaging in self promotion and attending boxing matches.  He apparently thought being AG was a spectator sport.

Personally, I think Stuart Rabner, appointed by Corzine after his initial Zulima Farber fiasco, would have been a very good AG over time, but his elevation to the state's Supreme Court within 9 months disrupted that possibility.

by Trochilus

10/24/09 4:50 pm

Christie Was Never Serious About Corruption...


....133 conviction in a place like NJ over 7 years is a BS token effort.........Literally, the LEAST he could do. If Christie had really been willing (and allowed) to do a proper job he would have bagged at least a thousand convictions and it would have transformed the state.

10/26/09 1:13 pm