Caruso says he had nothing to do with robocall

By Matt Friedman | November 24th, 2009 - 3:08pm
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Former assembly candidate Joseph Caruso said he had nothing to do with the robocall political consultant Kevin Collins was charged with yesterday.

“I had no clue about this until after it happened, and even when I found out about it I thought [Assemblyman Scott] Rumana did it… It hurt my reputation, not his.” said Caruso, who with running mate Anthony Rottino fought an unsuccessful primary against Rumana (R-Wayne) and Assemblyman David Russo (R-Ridgewood) in June.

Caruso said that he kept Collins “at arm’s length” during the campaign, but threw him some work as a favor.  

“People were telling me the guy was hard up, was going to lose his house – ‘Could you give him something?’ It’s the last time I’m going to be nice to somebody,” he said.

Caruso said Collins was primarily involved with GOP Strong, a splinter Republican group that supported Caruso and ran parallel campaigns against Rumana’s slate of county candidates and to knock him off as Passaic County GOP chairman.  

The robocall repeated points made in controversial flyer distributed by GOP Strong that criticized Rumana over his abstention on a bill that would allow people convicted of certain crimes to have their records expunged.  The flyer quoted Assemblyman Gary Chiusano, a conservative, saying “a vote against this bill means you are allowing the expungement of sex crimes.”  But Chiusano did vote against the bill.  Chiusano said his quote was taken out of context because he meant that, since the bill exempted sex offenders and terrorists from having their records expunged, a vote against expungement for other criminals could be construed misleadingly as a vote favoring sex offenders and terrorists.  

In June, Caruso disowned the flyer and told PolitickerNJ.com that there was “a little bit of a fight” over it.  

Caruso said that he cooperated with the Attorney General’s Office fully in their investigation of the robocall. .

But campaign finance reports filed with the Election Law Enforcement Commission show that a firm Collins is affiliated with -- Dylan, Drama & Miller – received almost $22,000 for “consulting” and “auto calls” from the Caruso and Rottino campaigns, while they do not appear to have been paid anything by GOP Strong.  The last payment was on May 18,-- two weeks  before Election Day, when the Attorney General’s Office said the calls were made.  

Caruso said that he never authorized the robocalls that landed Collins in legal trouble.

“At no time did I or anyone in our District 40 campaign authorize Kevin Collins or his associates to make and distribute a robo call on our behalf that featured an impersonation of our opponent or any member of his staff,” he said in a statement issued later.

GOP Strong Chairman Mike Mecca said that the group had “nothing to do with” the robocall and never paid Collins as a consultant.

“Why would Joe say that?” said Mecca.

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All we need now

Submitted by bitaryo on November 24, 2009 - 4:24pm.

are hookers, a goat, a rope and an hourly rate motel! NJ is a place where dreams come true.

When the lights come on, the cockroaches run!

Submitted by Captain Republican on November 24, 2009 - 4:39pm.

First, Joey Caruso denied being a front for Murphy and even tried to distance himself from Murphy when he gave them $7,000 in contributions through GOP Strong, but when he went to the restaurant to meet Senator OToole, he brought Murph and Mecca as tag-a-longs. Ok Joe, I guess you didn’t know.

Then he denied any knowledge about making defamatory comments about Semeraro, only when he was sued. That will be a more expensive error in calculation. Semeraro sued you and Rottino and when the case is done, you’ll be lucky if he lets you keep some cab money to high tail it out of town! Ok Joe, I guess you didn’t know.

Then GOP Strong puts out the Jesse Timmendequas disgraceful smear piece and Joe said it wasn’t him. So I guess there must have been other GOP Strong candidates running in the 40th district for them to put out political flyers, right Joe? Ok Joe, I guess you didn’t know.

Joey even went on Fox news with Neil Cavuto as “An Average Joe” to discuss his outrage over the federal bail outs and notwithstanding his role as former BCRO finance chair stated that he’s not a “finance expert” Ok Joe, I guess you didn’t know.

Now, we find out Joey and Tony paid Collins, who was former chief (?) to DiGaetano (who is business partners with Murphy in a restaurant) as a consultant. And wouldn’t you know it, Joey says he didn’t know what Collins was doing. Hell, on this one, Mike Mecca doesn’t even know why Joey doesn’t know!

So Joe, what else don’t you know?

One of two conclusions we must draw here:

1) Joe is (allegedly) dumber than a wet bag of hammers.
2) Joe is trying to cover himself to avoid being implicated as an alleged co-conspirator in the Collins Prosecution.

In any event, Caruso is clearly a road apple on a dead end to leadership on any level. Contributions don’t lie and Joey, you ran the primary, you paid the consultant. Own it and take it like a man. If you don’t know what your paid people are doing, you are nothing more than a marionette, the Manchurian candidate.

.

Submitted by Captain Republican on November 24, 2009 - 7:41pm.

.

Caruso

Submitted by VinCognito on November 24, 2009 - 5:19pm.

Is a standup up guy - too often in politics everyone tries to get theirs feeding at the money dispenser - heaven to Bob Schroeder running for Govoner. It will be a lesson well learned that you can't be out campaigning and watching the store that you need to put a person of trust into managing the campaign. Collins has had issue since the Talrico days, Lonegan seemed to have an issue, this very well may have been a rogue adventure.

Party Unity

Submitted by paramus on November 24, 2009 - 7:13pm.

Who ever filed this complaint must have very thin skin. To make a Federal case out of a stupid sophomoric prank by the King of
dumb pranks is a big mistake.

This will only guarantee future discord and future primaries in D 40 and in Bergen County. The Bergen GOP does not need this
next year.

Collins revenge 2010

Submitted by realbergendem on November 24, 2009 - 7:25pm.

is when the Caruso, Lonegan, Hermansen sponsored Freeholders and county slate mount a credible primary challenge next year

Lonegan/Hermansen/Thompson will take back party

Submitted by mahwahmartin on November 24, 2009 - 10:29pm.

The disgrace actions of the Bergen Republicans will only be cleared up, when we clense and pick true real God fearing Republicans to run. We will lead the way with Freeholder Minority Leader Hermansen and with support from county leaders like Steve Lonegan. We need a holy cleanse and pick the "right" leaders.

The clock is ticking also on Christie, conservatives better be picked and SOON!

There is a difference

Submitted by bitaryo on November 24, 2009 - 10:48pm.

between conservatives and rightwing loons and/or thugs.

Hermansen

Submitted by paramus on November 25, 2009 - 9:50am.

This guy has not even been sworn in yet
and he and Lonegan are sittng in Lonegans
Basement basement in Bogota in their underwear plotting the takeover of NJ and the World. You cant make this stuff up.

bottom line

Submitted by resurrectingreagan on November 25, 2009 - 11:30am.

Collins is an absolute moron.  I would not be surprised if he has some undiagnosed special needs.  Advice to all -- trust idiots and A-holes to your own detriment.

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