Joseph Ferriero

"The jury has spoken," says Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) about his onetime political mentor, former Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero.  Ferriero was convicted today on three of eight counts of corruption.

"I think it's a one day news story, and has no impact whatsoever on either the governor's race or the 36th District Assembly race," added Sarlo, who's backing his ticket mates, Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic) and Assemblyman Frederick Scalera (D-Nutley).

"We have polled it, and people are concerned about the economy and education. Joe Ferriero has no impact on their lives and now it's time to move forward."

With eleven days until Election Day, District 36 Democrats Assemblyman Fred Scalera (D-Nutley) and Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic) took in stride the news from a federal courtroom this afternoon that jurors found former Bergen County Democratic Party Chairman Joseph Ferriero guilty on federal corruption charges."

"We answer to three county chairs," said Scalera, speaking to the confluence of counties in the 36th, which includes Passaic, Essex and Bergen.

"I was never funded by the Bergen party at all," the Democratic assemblyman added. "I was never one of their inner circle by any means. I'm seen as an Essex guy, not a Bergen guy. It doesn't play as an issue in the race at all. Those fights between him and (state Sen.) Loretta (Weinberg), I never got involved because it really isn't my county."

The conviction of former Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero on federal corruption charges ends the political career of a man who led Democrats from perpetually minority party status to one that completely dominated politics in New Jersey's largest county.  Ferriero, 52, a onetime political prodigy who won a Dumont Borough Council seat when he was just 20-years-old, has resigned to fight a federal corruption indictment.  A conviction will mean a permanent end to his political career; an acquittal could - and likely would - mean a return to his position as one of the state's most powerful politicians.

 When Ferriero, wrestled the county chairmanship from Gerald Calabrese in June 1998, Bergen County Republicans had a 7-0 majority on the Board of Freeholders, and Republicans in the offices of County Executive, County Clerk, and Sheriff.  The only countywide Democratic official was Michael Dressler, who had won election as Surrogate in 1996.  Republicans held three of the five State Senate seats, and eight of ten State Assembly seats that included parts of Bergen County.

In a campaign largely engineered through Ferriero's strategic and fundraising skills, Democrats scored an upset victory in November '98.  Joseph Ciccone ousted GOP Acting Sheriff Jay Alpert, and Dennis McNerney and Douglas Bern were elected Freeholder.  (Barbara Chadwick, a Freeholder for twenty years, was re-elected, as was County Executive William "Pat" Schuber, who defeated then-Assemblywoman Loretta Weinberg, and County Clerk Kathleen Donovan.)  Ciccone gave Ferriero some of the patronage he needed to build a county organization. And the Freeholder Board moved from 7-0 to 5-2.

Republicans survived 1999, with incumbents James Sheehan and Anthony Cassano pushing back Ferriero's challengers, David Sivella and Jane Reilly.  But in 2000, Democrats won control of the Freeholder Board (4-3) for the first time since 1984.  Valerie Huttle, who had run an aggressive campaign for State Senator three years earlier, and Fort Lee Mayor Jack Alter defeated longtime incumbents Richard Mola and Bill Van Dyke. 

Former Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero, who was one of New Jersey's most powerful political leaders for a decade, was convicted of federal corruption charges today.  A jury found Ferriero guilty of one count of conspiracy - the most serious charge - and two counts of mail fraud.  He was acquitted on five other mail fraud charges.

Ferriero was accused of defrauding Bergenfield after he and Borough Attorney Dennis Oury obtained a contract for a grants writing company they owned.  Oury, who was Ferriero's co-defendant, pleaded guilty days before the trial was set to start, and testified against the former party leader.  The jury found that Ferriero defrauded the borough of Oury's "honest services."

"This case is a glaring example of someone who used his power and influence to corrupt a public official, and we are gratified that the jury saw it that way," said U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman. "This office will continue its tradition of aggressively investigating and prosecuting those who think that they can enrich themselves and their friends at the public's expense."

"The verdict puts an end to an era of abusive power and politics by Mr. Ferriero," said FBI

Special Agent in Charge Weysan Dun. "From this verdict, we learn again that the citizens of New Jersey must play an active role in their government and question their leaders. They must inquire who stands to profit from the deals and decisions off their leaders. If the answers to those questions don't add up or are unsatisfactory, then citizens must not be afraid to enlist the help of the FBI."

Ferriero and Oury were indicted last September on charges that they created a grants writing company to seek public contracts, and deliberately concealed their financial interests while Ferriero, a County Chairman, helped send new business to the firm.

The jury believed federal prosecutors who said that the Bergenfield Borough Council appointed Oury as their attorney and at the same January 1, 2002 meeting voted to give the grants writing firm a retainer and a percentage of grants or loans they obtained for the municipality.  Oury, who did not disclose his conflict, used his position as municipal attorney to add to the profits of the Bergenfield contract.

During the trial, prosecutors revealed that Oury and Ferriero took steps to conceal their personal financial interests in the grants writing firm, including an attempt to find others to act as public faces.

After two full days of deliberation, jurors in the federal corruption trial of former Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero are unable to come to an agreement on two of the eight counts, according to The Record.  They will return at 9:45AM tomorrow.

"Often, after further discussion, jurors are able to work out their differences," the newspaper quotes U.S. District Court Judge Stanley Chesler as saying. "Take as much time as you need to discuss things. There is no hurry."

As former Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero awaits a verdict in his federal corruption trial, Democrats are gathering in Hackensack - once his fiefdom - to welcome the President of the United States. U.S. District Court Judge Stanley Chesler is mulling a request from The Record for a list of the jurors, according to the newspaper's trial blog.

Jurors in the federal corruption trial of former Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero ended their first day of deliberations without a verdict today, and will return at 9:30 tomorrow morning.

Jurors in the federal corruption trial of former Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero will begin deliberation at 9:45 AM. 

Few corruption cases have actually gone to trial: it took three days to convict former Hudson County Freeholder Nidia Davila-Colon and former State Sen. Wayne Bryant (D-Lawnside), four days to convict former State Sen. Joseph Coniglio (D-Paramus), and six days to convict former Newark Mayor/State Sen. Sharpe James. 

If Ferriero is found not guilty, it would be the first acquittal on a federal corruption charge in more than eight years.

Lawyers wil make their closing arguments today in the federal corruption trial of former Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero.  After the Judge gives his instructions, the jury wil begin their deliberations.

Jurors are expected to begin deliberations on Monday in the federal corruption trial of former Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero.  The defense rested its case today, following Ferriero's own testimony.

From The Record's blog on the trial: