Joseph Ferriero

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With nothing in the Bergen County Democratic Organization’s bylaws that gives authority to oust a sitting chairman, the party’s general counsel is working on a legal opinion to see if there is a mechanism to oust indicted Chairman Joe Ferriero.

“I’m working on a legal opinion right now, actually as we speak,” said counsel Paul Kaufman, who had no further comment on the matter.

An opinion is expected to be given to the party’s executive committee --  who voted for a resolution calling on Ferriero to resign by January 15 if he is not cleared on all eight corruption counts before then -- within the next several days.

Cid Wilson

With Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero facing corruption charges, party leadership in flux and rivals on both sides of a party divide at least paying lip service to unity, there’s less appetite in the county’s Democratic organization for more intra-party fights.

But Cid Wilson, a financial analyst from Leonia who with Hackensack Police Chief Ken Zisa last year waged a Ferriero-backed primary campaign against incumbent Assembly members Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Englewood) and Gordon Johnson (D-Englewood), said that he is still leaning towards a re-match.

“That has not changed. I am exploring all my options, and that includes exploring my options to possibly be a candidate,” he said.

Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire, with Freeholder David L. Ganz, is a possible candidate for U.S. Marshal in the Obama administration

Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire is actively campaigning to become New Jersey's next U.S. Marshal when Barack Obama takes office as President next month.  McGuire, a two-term Sheriff and former policeman, has been using his political contacts to seek support from the two voters who will ultimately decide who Obama picks: U.S. Senators Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg.  McGuire's resume was submitted to the transition office last week.

Sources say that Gov. Jon Corzine, who does not have a vote in this election, is actively pushing Samuel Plumeri, a former Mercer County Sheriff who now heads the police force of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. 

Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero will be forced to fight for his job at a meeting of the party executive board on Monday.

There is some speculation among Bergen County Democrats that U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman will take the lead and move to oust Joseph Ferriero as County Chairman during a meeting on Monday. Ferriero is expected to attend the meeting and make his case to the Executive Committee.

Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero has been on a leave of absence since September.

On Monday, the executive committee of the Bergen County Democratic Organization will meet, ostensibly to talk about finances, review and renew party bylaws.  But there's little doubt that the main topic of conversation will be what to do about their County Chairman, Joseph Ferriero.

Ferriero has taken a background role in the party since being indicted on eight corruption counts in September, after which he took a leave of absence as chairman.  But Ferriero has stayed involved in the party's inner workings, and, according to several sources, is confident that he will be able to beat the charges against him and wants to keep his post.

Several prominent Democrats who have long been allied with Ferriero defended him in the immediate aftermath of the indictment, and many still insist that it appeared politically motivated.  Still, even Ferriero's staunchest backers are said to be coming around to the idea that his leadership of the party is politically untenable in a potentially dangerous electoral climate next year.

Getty Images Photo

Gov. Jon Corzine likes Joe Hayden, one of New Jersey's best criminal defense attorneys, for U.S. Attorney. Corzine also likes Sen. Frank Lautenberg's choice, Paul Fishman, and Attorney General Anne Milgram.

Gov. Jon Corzine is meeting with President-elect Barack Obama next week (along with several other area Governors) and could bring up his short list of three candidates for U.S. Attorney: the Governor likes Paul Fishman and Joseph Hayden, and Attorney General Anne Milgram.  And there are two names -- both former federal prosecutors -- sources say, that Corzine opposes to replace Republican Christopher Christie: Essex County Prosecutor Paula Dow and Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis Valentin.   

It's possible that none of Corzine's three picks will get the job: Milgram would be opposed by some serious Democratic players, and Hayden has some pending legal matters -- he's the attorney for Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero who is under federal indictment and awaiting trial.  Fishman, who reportedly has the backing of U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg, is an interesting pick for Corzine: he's representing labor leader Carla Katz, the Governor's former girlfriend, in a lawsuit about private emails between the two. 

The Hudson County Prosecutor has dropped his investigation of Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero.

A nearly three month investigation into whether former Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero committed any type of sexual misconduct during a Labor Day BBQ he hosted has been closed and no charges will be filed, according to Hudson County Prosecutor Ed DeFazio.

DeFazio told PolitickerNJ.com the allegations were "ambiguous" as to what was said to have occurred at Ferriero's Old Tappan residence, but that after conducting formal interviews with the accuser, party attendees, and even a voluntary interview with Ferriero himself no crime could be substantiated.

"We are pleased that after a thorough investigation by the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office during which both Mr. Ferriero and his wife, Diana, gave full statements this matter has been closed and no criminal charges will be filed," said Joseph Hayden, Ferriero's attorney, in a statement released today.  "As we stated at the outset, this was an annual family barbecue involving three generations of the Ferriero family and their friends and there wa snever any inappropriate conduct by anyone at the family event."

With Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero on a leave of absence, Democrats missed a deadline to file for a recount in the Closter Council race, where their candidate lost by just three votes.

Bergen County Democrats missed the November 19 deadline to request a recount, taking away their chance to win a Council seat in Closter where their candidate lost by just three votes on Election Day.  GOP Councilman John Kashwick's received 1,726, beating Democrat Leonard Asch, who won 1,723 votes.  There were 364 absentee ballots and 28 provisional ballots cast.   Once Democrats woke up and filed for the recount, a Superior Court Judge ruled that it was too late.