Joseph Ferriero

Paul Sarlo, a three-term State Senator with close ties to indicted Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero appears to be the leading candidate for chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to sources close to Senate President Richard Codey, who has not made a final decision on one of the state's most powerful committee chairmanships.  Codey must decide by January who will replace John Adler, who was elected to Congress.

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The Record is reporting that FBI investigators raided the home of Bergen County Utilities Authority Executive Director Leonard Kaiser, a partner in a grants consulting firm owned by Joseph Ferriero and Dennis Oury.  Federal agents executive a search warrant at 7AM this morning at Kaiser's North Arlington home, where he was the longtime Mayor.  Kaiser, a former Republican Freeholder, allegedly owns a 23% share in Governmental Grants Consulting, which was founded by Ferriero, the Bergen County Democratic Chairman, and Oury, the BCDO Counsel.  Both were indicted in September.

CLICK HERE TO READ CHARLES STILE'S OCT. 15 COLUMN ON KAISER

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One campaign certain to get underway soon is the race for U.S. Marshal, a post that will flip from Republican to Democrat next year.  James Plousis, a former Cape May County Sheriff who was named U.S. Marshal by George W. Bush in 2002, is expected to follow tradition and offer his resignation effective with the start of Barack Obama's presidency on January 20, 2009.  Plousis' predecessor was Glen Cunningham, who was a former Jersey City Police Officer and City Councilman before Bill Clinton named him in 1996.  New Jersey's two United States Senators, Frank Lautenberg and Bob Menendez, will effectively pick the next federal marshal.

One Democratic leader close to the senior U.S. Senator suggests that Lautenberg's choice could be Mitchell Sklar, his former Legislative Assistant who is now the Executive Director of the New Jersey Association of Chiefs of Police.  Lautenberg is also backing Paul Fishman, a former Justice Department official in the Clinton administration, for U.S. Attorney.  Menendez has not reportedly not yet focused on this particular position.

Cunningam was the only African American to serve as New Jersey's U.S. Marshal.  All his predecessors where white men.

While the shot list has not yet developed, expect several names to come off quickly: Democratic insiders say it won't be Atantic County Sheriff James McGettigan, who lost his bid for re-election to a sixth term last week and needs a job.  And it is not likely to be Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire, whose ties to indicted Democratic County Chairman Joseph Ferriero won't help his chances (and besides, he wants to run for County Executive in 2010 when Democrats dump Dennis McNerney). 

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Receiving huge plaudits this week in Bergen County is Lynne Hurwitz, who ran the Democratic campaign for Bergen County Freeholder. Three incumbents thought to be in trouble were re-elected despite the indictments of Democratic County Chairman Joseph Ferriero and Democratic party lawyer Dennis Oury. With Ferriero out of the picture for now, Hurwitz took a leave from her post as Deputy Chief of Staff to County Executive Dennis McNerney to run the day to day campaign. While Democrats lost the County Clerk race, they held their 7-0 majority on the Board of Freeholders.

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Embattled Paramus Council President Frank Ciambrone lost his bid for re-election by more than 1,000 votes, with Republicans picking up two seats in this Bergen County swing town.  Ciambrone  is being sued by the state Attorney General for allegedly scamming homeowners using “bogus foreclosure rescue schemes” won’t help the already embattled Democrat win re-election in November. He was already in trouble for his close ties to Dennis Oury, the former Paramus Borough Attorney who was indicted on federal corruption charges. Oury has billed Paramus nearly $800,000 in legal fees since Democrats took control, and has been one of the top donors to the local Democratic organization.Republicans have criticized him for taking nearly $300,000 in legal fees from the Bergen County Utility Authority over the last four years. And Paramus is one of the towns the received subpoenas as part of the federal probe of Oury and Democratic County Chairman Joseph Ferriero, who is also facing federal corruption charges. Ciambrone and his running mate, Councilman Michael Blitzstein, lost to Republicans Maureen O'Brien and Catherine Bentz.

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There's no question that 5th District congressional candidate Dennis Shulman is benefiting from a national environment that favors Democrats.  But in his native Bergen County, which holds about 65% of the district's voters, he's faced with what could be a less hospitable environment for his party.

Last month, Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero was indicted on eight corruption counts.  So was the less-known but extremely influential general counsel of the party, Dennis Oury.  The investigation continues, with subpoenas continuing to land in towns and agencies across the county, and Republicans think they actually have a shot at picking up at least one freeholder seat on the all-Democratic board.

Ferriero did endorse Shulman in the primary against attorney Camille Abate, which led to him getting the coveted organization line.  But while the Democratic brand in Bergen may be tarnished, Shulman may be lucky to not be tied too closely with it.  In fact, he said it's never been raised once to him by a constituent on the campaign trail.

"Not a single person I've spoken to throughout the district, when I go to the fairs or football games... have ever referred to it. My race is a national race with national issues," he said. Read More >

Published reports that Paramus Council President Frank Ciambrone is being sued by the state Attorney General for allegedly scamming homeowners using “bogus foreclosure rescue schemes” won’t help the already embattled Democrat win re-election in November.  Ciambrone is already in trouble for his close ties to Dennis Oury, the former Paramus Borough Attorney who was indicted on federal corruption charges.  Oury has billed Paramus nearly $800,000 in legal fees since Democrats took control, and has been one of the top donors to the local Democratic organization.Republicans have criticized him for taking nearly $300,000 in legal fees from the Bergen County Utility Authority over the last four years. And Paramus is one of the towns the received subpoenas as part of the federal probe of Oury and Democratic County Chairman Joseph Ferriero, who is also facing federal corruption charges.

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As Barack Obama hovers around the 60% mark in New Jersey, Democrats could be the beneficiary of some significant coattails. While Democrats are already favored in two key congressional races where Republican incumbents are retiring, an Obama landslide could offer coattails in several other competitive races: in Bergen County, where County Clerk Kathleen Donovan is seeking a fifth term, and where Democrats are defending three Freeholder seats following the indictment of County Chairman Joseph Ferriero; in Monmouth County, where Democrats need to win one Freeholder seat to win majority control; in Somerset County, where Democrats now have an edge in voter registration for the first time in state history; in races for County Clerk and Freeholder in Burlington County; in races for Atlantic County Sheriff and Freeholder; and in Freeholder contests in Cumberland and Salem counties.

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The Record is reporting that federal prosecutors have sent subpoenas to fiive North Jersey towns regarding contracts with John Carrino, a web developer reportedly connected to indicted Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero.  Carrino, who told The Record that he has also received a subpoena, also works for State Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean, Jr. 

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The announcement that an eclectic group of lawmakers have introduced a bill to require legislators to disclose their person income from public sources was a direct shot at Senate President Richard Codey.  The proposed law would force legislators, their spouses and their dependent children to report direct and indirect financial stakes in no-bid public contracts -- something Codey has been strongly opposed to.  The bill has the backing of Gov. Jon Corzine, South Jersey Democrats allied with party leader George Norcross, Bergen County Democrats opposed to indicted County Chairman Joseph Ferriero, and several key Republican Senators.

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