Carla Katz

Carla Katz is one of the ten most powerful people in New Jersey politicsCWA Local 1034 President Carla Katz says that the National union's filing of an amicus brief arguing that her participation in the collective bargaining agreement with the state violated union policy is a "thinly veiled political hatchet job for our Local's vocal opposition to a bad contract which we saw as going way too far in health care cutbacks."

"Now that members have seen those hurtful cutbacks take effect and are rightfully angry, Chris Shelton and those who supported this bad deal, have chosen to attack me and my Local to create a diversion from what they did. It's reprehensible and the members will not be fooled," said Katz.

There's a new twist to the lawsuit to force Governor Jon Corzine to release his personal emails to his ex-girlfriend, CWA Local President Carla Katz. The national Communications Workers of America union is filing an amicus brief arguing that Katz's participation in the collective bargaining agreement with the state violated their own union policy. The national union prohibits labor leaders from any private contact, on business matters, with management -- which could include Corzine.

For much of the year, it appeared that New Jersey was a two-party state -- the problem for the Republicans is that they weren't one of the two parties.  But suddenly, just after Labor Day, it looks like the NJ GOP hibernation may have ended.  Between reports that Governor Jon "Hold Me Accountble" Corzine gave a $15,000 cash gift to the brother-in-law of his former girlfriend, CWA President Carla Katz, and the arrests of eleven public officials (all but one were Democrats) that included two Democratic Assemblymen, the Republicans had a good week.  And now, Republican State Chairman Tom Wilson, Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance and Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce, have been on fire . 

State Sen. Gerald Cardinale wants the Senate Judiciary Committee to hold up on the confirmation of Matthew Boxer as State Comptroller until a Special Prosecutor is named to review Rocco Riccio's acceptance of a $15,000 cash gift from Gov. Jon Corzine.  Riccio is the brother-in-law of Corzine's ex-girlfriend, CWA President Carla Katz. 

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is scheduled to address the New Jersey Democratic State Committee's Annual Conference in Atlantic City on Friday -- the day after two Democratic Assemblymen, the Democratic Mayor of Passaic were arrested on federal corruption charges.  She comes to New Jersey the week that her state campaign leader, Governor Jon "Hold Me Accountable" Corzine is dealing with the revelation that he gave a $15,000 cash gift to the brother-in-law of his former girlfriend, CWA President Carla Katz, and amidts news that one of her senior state campaign advisors, lobbyist Harold Hodes, has retained legal counsel in the federal corruption probe of State Senator Joseph Coniglio.

If Democrats are successful in bucking the trend of mid-term elections going against the party that controls the governorship, as they were four years ago, it might be a signal of just how blue a state New Jersey has become -- or evidence that Larry Bartals' 2001 redistricting map was, as the GOP claims, truly one-sided.

What makes this interesting is that Democrats bucked the tradition and picked up three Assembly seats in 2003 even though Democratic Governor James E. McGreevey was largely unpopular -- a September 24 Quinnipiac University poll showed McGreevey's approvals upside down, 35%-52%.  The only Republican challenger to win was Bill Baroni, who was the only candidate not to run a campaign that focused on McGreevey's record.

The last time all 120 legislative seats were in play, back in 2003, Gov. James E. McGreevey, who was suffering from low poll numbers, made himself scarce on the campaign trail.

Although Gov. Jon S. Corzine doesn’t suffer from the same upside-down poll numbers as McGreevey did, he doesn’t appear to be a hot commodity with Democratic legislative candidates running in the fall mid-term elections.

While Democrats aren’t running away from Corzine, they’re not exactly tripping over themselves to get him on their campaigns. As of right now, aside from a couple bill signings, none of the Democrats who are in competitive races -- districts one, two, seven, eight, 12, 14, 38 or 39 -- have any rallies or fundraisers planned with Corzine.

Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance
Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance today called on Attorney General Anne Milgram to investigate the role Rocco Riccio was playing as an analyst in the state’s Human Services Department.

"Tax records are sacrosanct," said Lance. "Any information that someone on the public payroll might be pouring through them for political reasons is disturbing, and the attorney general should flesh out the facts of this case as quickly as possible."

CWA President Carla Katz is Gov. Jon Corzine's former girlfriendIn response to the Star-Ledger story this weekend that Gov. Jon Corzine gave $15,000 to the brother-in-law of his ex-girlfriend after he said he’d severed financial ties with her, Republican State Chairman Tom Wilson says Corzine is involved in a cover-up of "Watergate" proportions.

"At virtually every turn, Jon Corzine has been dishonest about his ties to Carla Katz," said the state Republican chairman.

In March, Corzine had told the newspaper that he didn’t have any financial ties with Carla Katz, head of the state Communications Workers of America (CWA), or her family.