Mr. Sweeney How Much Did You Know?

According to many press accounts a Democrat controlled slush fund was recently discussed from the stand in the political corruption trial of Sweeney associate former state Senator Wayne Bryant. Reports state that George LeBlanc, the Senate Democrats' budget officer, admitted during testimony that the $40 million grants program lawmakers added to the state budgets in 2004 and 2005 was given to individual lawmakers for them to spend on pet projects.

Because Stephen Sweeney in a recent debate with Gloucester County GOP candidates said there were certain benefits to holding dual offices, the candidates are asking Sweeney to tell the voters if one of those benefits was tapping into the $40 million Property Tax Assistance and Community Development grant program.

"Given this Freeholder Board's close ties to Wayne Bryant and Sweeney's stature in Trenton I find it hard to believe he didn't know anything about the slush fund," said Republican Freeholder candidate Phyllis Scapellato. "Sweeney kept quiet while Bryant got paid $200,000 for only 15 hours of work in Gloucester County, the least he could do is talk now. It's time Mr. Sweeney tell Gloucester County everything he knows."

GOP Freeholder candidate Larry Wallace added, "If Sweeney didn't know, certainly his buddy Warren Wallace knew. He and Bryant are related and even shared the same lawyer for a while. The point is someone on this Freeholder Board knows something about the slush fund and they have to come clean to the voters of Gloucester County."

"This is not a time for Mr. Sweeney to try to claim innocence," said Republican Freeholder candidate Dan Roberts. "Sweeney said in our debate that holding dual offices benefits Gloucester County. He needs to tell the voters if one of those benefits included tapping into the Democrats' slush fund at the expense of the taxpayers."

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Visit www.responsiblefreeholders.com for more information about Phyllis Scapellato, Larry Wallace and Dan Roberts and their campaign for Gloucester County Freeholder.

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