Key Bergen Dems say Ferriero should stay
By Matt Friedman, PolitickerNJ.com ReporterThree top Bergen County Democratic officials -- Sheriff Leo McGuire, Surrogate Michael Dressler and Freeholder David Ganz -- are standing with indicted party chairman Joseph Ferriero, saying there is no reason for him to resign as County Chairman. Gov. Jon Corzine, U.S. Rep. Steven Rothman (D-Fair Lawn), Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan, and State Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck) have already said Ferriero should resign.
Ferriero, who has taken a leave of absence from his post, was indicted last week on federal fraud charges. His partner in a firm that helped local governments obtain grants, Dennis Oury, was also named in the same indictment.
McGuire confirmed that a group of Democratic leaders will meet tomorrow to discuss Ferriero's status. "I’m not sure who’s meeting tomorrow, but I think it will be larger than five or six," McGuire told PolitickerNJ.com.
All three officials pointed to a similar message: that Ferriero has only been charged with a crime, not convicted of one.
"We all have the presumption of innocence and I’m sure that this investigation will take its course and certainly we know that Ferriero is not an elected official," said McGuire. "It’s a little bit different from the Al Steeles, Wayne Bryants, Etc. who were elected by the people. This is a little more of a family matter.
Ganz, who is up for re-election this year, seemed particularly angry with the calls for Ferriero's resignation.
“Steve Rothman ought to know better. He’s a lawyer, a former surrogate, and he knows the constitutional presumption of innocence. A resignation implies guilt, and to that extent I’m surprised that the Governor and Cryan would say that as well. I don’t feel that way," said Ganz. "The Governor’s not a lawyer, but he should know better too. And I have to tell you, I feel very strongly about that.”
Dressler wants the Ferriero case to run its course. "When it’s finished we’ll determine where we are," he said.
"You get somewhat concerned when people start asking for resignations in a case like this. What makes this system here in the United States different than the British system – we fought a revolution for representative government. There’s a difference with our system and the British system – there’s a presumption of innocence until the person is proven guilty. We have a situation here where yes there’s been an indictment and the chairman has taken a leave of absence until he has his day in court, and he’s entitled to his day in court. Everybody’s presumed innocent, including the Bergen County Democratic Chairman," Dressler explained. "The revolution was fought over this, and for people to start saying this person should resign, that person should resign, there is the presumption of innocence."
Ganz was critical of the merits of Ferriero's indictment.
"I’ve read the indictment. Counts 2-8 seem to be “he mailed it, he mailed it again, he mailed it again, etc. It comes down to the first count… it seems to me the allegation is that somehow Joe Ferriero conspired to prevent Dennis Oury from releasing information in his grants firm," said Ganz. "If this is the best that he’s got after this long of an investigation and the thousands of dollars expended, I don’t think it’s very much.”
McGuire says that Lynne Hurwitz has been put in charge of the campaign, and that Ferriero is "no longer involved in the day-to-day operation."
"The campaign is continuing to do well. We have great candidates who have done a spectacular job," said McGuire.
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Syndicate
Democratic Delusion
The Three Stooges up there ought to know better. Even if Ferriero is innocent he should step aside to try to clear his name then come back. All this should really be duck soup for the GOP.
Leo in Wonderland
According to the Bergen Record, Sheriff Leo McGuire has stiffed his creditors $151,000 dating all the way back to his 2006 campaign. Now, our Sheriff publicly voices his opinion that Joe Ferriero need not resign just because a US Attorney with a 100% conviction rate has indicted him on multiple counts of conspiracy to defraud the public.
McGuire is the chief law enforcement officer of Bergen County.
You can't make this stuff up.
They can't think without him.
Like a chicken with no head, without Joe they would just flap their arms around and walk into each other. The body quivers, but the brain is gone.
(I ripped that one off from another consultant. It's a great line.)
"A Family Matter"? BULLSHIT!!!
This is a Democratic party matter!
Ferierro is not the "Godfather" of Bergen County.
The BCDO is not some kind of private social club where "good old boys" can hang out and cut deals....at least it's not supposed to be that.
The Bergen County DEMOCRATIC Organization should be about reflecting the values of, and meeting the needs of, the ordinary rank and file citizens of Bergen County.....when it does that well; those citizens will be more likely to vote in Democrats.
The money machine tactics of Ferierro are inherently corrosive to the democratic process, and in the long run, harmful to the Democratic party.
The fact that these key players are still pulling to keep Ferierro on board shows how out of touch they are with vast majority ordinary people who don't directly benefit from all the dirty dealing and patronage that are Ferierro's stock in trade.
The era of bossism/machine politics needs to be over.
We can't afford it any more. We never really could.
The county, state and nation will be facing some rough times ahead. We need decent honest people at the helm.
Even if Ferierro manages to "beat the rap"; his credibility is destroyed and Republicans will, rightly, hang him around the neck of any Democrat who is not demanding his resignation.
Of course Ferierro has the right to the presumption of innocence in court; but he does not have the right to keep his job for life, even when he's messed up!
Congressman Rothman and Governor Corzine have figured that out; it's sad that the these three officials feel the need to go "down with the ship".
One has to wonder what kind of hold Ferierro must have on these people to inspire such "loyalty", eh?
From Frederick Douglass
priceless...
A sitting sheriff and a freeholder up for re-election.
BRILLIANT!
Mc Pherson & Walton
where are they ?. They seem to be in hiding. At least Ganz wants to go down with the ship. I wonder how many he will take on board with him when the Ferrerio cruise to political defeat departs on the 25th.?
The Code of Silence
The DUMBocrats must be scared knowing that Ferriero will eventually roll over and take many other elected and party officials down with him to avoid a long drawn out trial and jail sentence....
\
Of Course They Are!
A police officer who never held rank above 3 stripes? A guy who cannot even get elected in his home town and they guy set to take his place??? They are puppets with Ferriero's hand up their u no what controlling them.
Ganz should go down for this blatant patronage.
Bodoc
They don't stiff their creditors, they simply launder contributions as 'expenses'. Imagine instead of making an in-kind contribution you simply send a bill with the understanding it never has to be paid.
Ethics, Schmethics who cares
Mrs Coniglio is still the Clerk of the board of Ferrieros Chosen Freeloaders. She and her husband Joe the plumber of Paramus had a dummy company just to park Joes ill gotten gains. She was even mentioned in her husbands indictment. So what gives here ? If she was a Republican she would have been gone long ago. Ganz, Mc Pherson and Wally Walton must go. They are the problem.
No Leadership, No ethics from this band of corrupt puppets.
Wrong!
The Sheriff is wrong to stand up for the Chairman. If one his his officers were charge with an indictable crime would he allow that officer to continue working or would he suspend him? The Sheriff needs to rethink this.
The inside scoop
Ferriero has helped each of these folks cover stuff up in the past. Some small - some not so small and everything comes out if they turn their backs on him now. This is like waiting for Gotti to finally get convicted and be sure his reach doesn't extend outsie the prison bars.
Of course Ferriero will spend time in a Federal Country club (pending the rape against an uderage woman charges) and will still have some control. These guys want to keep their positions so they will not "embarass" him by calling for his resignation.