Harold Hodes

Barack Obama has pledged to ban lobbyists from holding positions in his administration, something that is the norm in New Jersey politics.  According to documents filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, 226 different lobbyists serve as members of governmental authorities, boards and commissions at the state and local level.

Like predecessors from both parties, Gov. Jon Corzine has appointed numerous lobbyists to state positions.  His possible Republican opponent, former U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie, would not dismiss the idea that he would put lobbyists in his administration.

"The test is a conflict of interest," Christie told PolitickerNJ.com's Max Pizarro today. "If there is a specific conflict of interest, that person shouldn't be on a board or commission."

The Record’s Charles Stile reported today that federal agents searched the Paramus home of State Sen. Joseph Coniglio, the target of a federal criminal investigation.  That will almost certainly create some chatter at Hillary Clinton’s national campaign headquarters, where a senior campaign official had a “conversation” in recent weeks about the Coniglio probe with lobbyist Harold Hodes, an advisor to the New Jersey Clinton campaign.

The Clinton campaign, sources say, wanted to hear from Hodes about his grand jury appearance, in response to a federal subpoena, regarding allegations that Coniglio obtained state funds for Hackensack University Medical Center while working as a paid consultant. At the time, Hodes’ firm, Public Strategies/Impact, was the HUMC lobbyist. The hospital received over $1 million in state grants while Coniglio was on their payroll.

Sources say Harold Hodes testified in Coniglio grand jury probeLobbyist Harold Hodes, a top advisor to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in New Jersey and one of the state’s most powerful political insiders, has spent several hours testifying before a federal grand jury probing State Sen. Joseph Coniglio, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

Hodes, appearing in response to a federal subpoena, testified about appropriations Coniglio allegedly obtained for Hackensack University Medical Center while the two-term Senator was working as a paid consultant. At the time, Hodes’ firm, Public Strategies/Impact, was the HUMC lobbyist. The hospital received over $1 million in state grants while Coniglio was on their payroll.

Joshua Zeitz, a former aide to Governor Jim Florio and U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli, is expected to run against fourteen-term Republican Congressman Christopher Smith. Zeitz has raised $43,032, while Smith, a traditionally anemic fundraiser, has $204,161 cash on hand. Zeitz actually outraised Smith during the last quarter.

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.

Harold Hodes, a lobbyist for the Hackensack University Medical Center, has retained legal counsel for the probe of State Sen. Joe ConiglioLobbyist Harold Hodes, a top advisor to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in New Jersey and one of the state’s most powerful political insiders, has retained a prominent criminal defense attorney as part of the federal corruption probe of State Sen. Joseph Coniglio, according to several sources.

Public Strategies/Impact, Hodes’ firm, has represented Hackensack University Medical Center, which employed Coniglio as a plumbing consultant. The hospital received over $1 million in state grants while the Bergen County Democrat was on their payroll.

Hodes has not received a target letter from the U.S. Attorney’s office, according to people with knowledge of the Coniglio investigation, but is being represented by Justin Walder.  Walder’s partner, Joseph Hayden, said his firm does not comment on who their clients are.  Hodes did not return repeated phone calls to his office, home and cell phone over the last several weeks seeking comment.

The conventional wisdom had been that Harold Hodes would lose his very lucrative contract as a lobbyist for the City of Newark after Cory Booker replaced Sharpe James as Mayor. Sources say that Hodes got Senate President Richard Codey, Essex County Democratic Chairman Philip Thigpen and others to intervene, and now that Hodes has formed a "joint" venture with Thigpen's son, Rick Thigpen, it now looks like the contract will remain intact -- albeit with a little bit less of a profit margin.

The Newark lobbying deal might be one of the reasons Rick Thigpen spent so much time with his cousin, Donald Payne, Jr., who serves as a Newark City Councilman and Essex County Freeholder, at the New Jersey League of Municipalities Convention in Atlantic City this week. Payne, Jr. is the son of Congressman Donald Payne, the nephew of Assemblyman William Payne, and the cousin of Assemblyman Craig Stanley.

For extreme political junkies: read Thigpen's analysis of a Fairleigh Dickinson University poll on the Newark mayoral race.