Joseph Ferreiro

MINNEAPOLIS - Already the subject of an FBI probe into his party activities, Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero is now being investigated by prosecutors for allegedly assaulting a woman who was a guest at a barbecue at his house, according to the Star-Ledger.

The Ledger reports that the incident is alleged to have occurred on Labor Day at Ferriero's home in Old Tappan, according to the Ledger’s sources, "who requested anonymity because of an ongoing investigation by prosecutors."

Ferreiro's lawyer denies it happened.

"There is absolutely no truth to the allegation that Joseph Ferriero engaged in any inappropriate conduct towards a guest at a family barbecue over the Labor Day weekend at his home," attorney Joseph Hayden, told the Ledger. "This was a family event hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Ferriero and their children, which was attended by friends of all members of the family. The Ferriero's host this event for friends and family every year."

According to The Record, a Superior Court clerk in Bergen County described the allegation as a "sexual charge."

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ): Politicker file photo 

DENVER - When Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) attended his first convention, he was running for Congress and serving as a Bill Clinton delegate in 1992.

"It was interesting," Menendez recalled in a phone interview with PolitickerNJ.com. "We invited this little known Southern governor to Hudson County, to our Hudson County dinner. He lost his voice that night, but he was very earnest in his effort, and he went on to become our president."

Fifteen years later, Menendez supported Bill Clinton’s wife for president in what was ultimately her unsuccessful bid for the White House.

Now Menendez, vice chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), backs Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL.), and wants an all-out Democratic Party takeover of not only the executive but the legislative branch.

When everyone else in the Congressional delegation went with backyardU.S. Rep. Steve Rothman (D-9) pick Sen. Hillary Clinton, U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman (D-9) instead stood with Chicago newcomer U.S. Sen. Barack Obama for president.

"If you’re the only one to endorse a candidate like that, you could stand to be in line for a cabinet position or something else," said Ray Durkin, party elder and former State Party chairman, who went way out of the box and against the establishment grain when he endorsed New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson last year.

"You never know, Durkin said.

Unlike Richardson, who belly-flopped early in his presidential bid, Obama ascended to become his party’s presumptive nominee. Now, as the exodus of Clintonistas makes its way over to Obama, they already find Rothman among the handful of New Jersey for Obama diehards.

It was a big happy event, by the looks of it from the outside. They looked like an extended family in there, with the Jets game on in the background and a few of the men shamelessly turning sideways in their chairs as they watched Gang Green lose.

But when Assemblyman Robert Gordon stood at the podium and accepted their unanimous backing to succeed District 38 Sen. Joseph Coniglio, Bergen County Democrats emptied their seats and gave him their face-forward attention amid sustained applause.

Gordon had some longtime allies in the Sunday evening crowd at party HQ in Hackensack, guys with whom he went back a long time.