Joseph Roberts

Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone (D-Bayonne) today fired back at Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden), who yesterday called on him to resign after he was indicted for allegedly funneling his aides' state-issued checks into his personal and campaign bank accounts.  

“There is a ‘presumption of innocence’ which is a constitutional right of anyone charged.  In your capacity as Speaker, as a fellow lawmaker, you have chosen to ignore that basic democratic philosophy and constitutional right because of an assumption of guilt and not of innocence,” wrote Chiappone.

One day after being indicted -- but not arrested -- Chiappone was back in his legislative office.

“Of course working without pay and benefits,” he said in a phone interview.  Those were also suspended by Roberts, who took away his committee assignments as well.

Chiappone, who is serving his second non-consecutive term and running for reelection, proclaimed his innocence and said he will not resign.

In his letter to Roberts, he went on to say that “my years of service and dedication to the public that has voted me into office warrants that I receive that basic consideration, yes even in spit of the inconvenience and ‘embarrassment’ that the ‘party’ may have to endure… And while I respect you as the Speaker of the House, no one man should determine who should resign.  The directive to serve or not to serve should come only from the voters."

Assembly Anthony Chiappone (D-Bayonne), who along with his wife was indicted this afternoon for allegedly funneling staffer’s paychecks into his 2005 reelection campaign ad for personal use, declared his innocence and said he has no plans to drop his reelection campaign.

“I’m still running,” he said. I’m very upset and disappointed with the charges.  I’m still processing it at this time.  For me, quite honestly, nothing changes.  I don’t intend to resign.  I’m innocent of the charges.  I intend to not come off the ballot – I’m sure that’s what, god knows, who prompted this investigation wants, but that’s not happening.”

Minutes after Chiappone talked to PolitickerNJ.com, Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden) issued a statement announcing that he is suspending Chiappone’s salary and stripping him or his committee assignments.  Roberts ualso rged Chiappone to resign.

Gov. Jon Corzine has also called for Chiappone's resignation.

“This indictment is disappointing and disturbing and Assemblyman Chiappone should do what’s best for his constituents and the Assembly and resign from office,” said Roberts.  “The presumption of innocence is a foundation of our democracy, but serving in the Legislature is a privilege, not a right. It’s clear that Assemblyman Chiappone can no longer represent his constituents effectively.”

Jersey City attorney Irene Kim Asbury, the Republican candidate for State Assembly in the 31st district, addresses a group in Jersey City.

A first in New Jersey political history: the announcement that Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone (D-Bayonne) has been indicted on state corruption charges will be the first time two sitting Assemblymen from the same district will be charged with crimes at the same time.  Assemblyman L. Harvey Smith (D-Jersey City) was arrested in July.  Chiappone and Smith were running mates in the Hudson County-based 31st district in 2007.

Smith has refused calls by state Democratic leaders to resign, and Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts has suspended his pay and stripped him of his committee assignments.  Smith was not a candidate for re-election at the time of his arrest; he gave up his seat to run unsuccessfully for Mayor of Jersey City last May.  His term in the Assembly expires in January.  Last spring, Democrats picked Charles Mainor, a Jersey City police detective, to run for his seat.

But Chiappone is the Democratic nominee for Assembly, running on Gov. Jon Corzine's ticket, and faces no legal obstacle to remaining in the race.  Republicans have never won the 31st district since its creation in 1973, and the last time a Republican represented this part of Jersey City or Bayonne in the Legislature was in 1921.

Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts will have no problem keeping his job, if Democrats hold the Assembly and if he wants it. But there is some speculation that Roberts is eyeing Dana Redd's State Senate seat, which is almost certain to open up in January.

Some Democrats think Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden) might be interested in moving up to the Senate in January, if Dana Redd wins her race for Mayor of Camden.  Roberts has been Speaker for nearly four years, and while he is fully engaged in the campaign to retain the Democratic majority in the lower house, more than a few Democrats sense that he's ready to move on.  Redd is an almost certain winner.

Roberts move to the upper house would trigger an election for Assembly Speaker, with Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing), Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan (D-Union), and Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville) as the leading contenders. 

Sources say that Louis Greenwald (D-Voorhees), Nellie Pou (D-Paterson), and Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) are also possible Speaker candidates, although clearly in a third tier category.  Even below them on the list are John McKeon (D-West Orange) and Vincent Prieto (D-Secaucus), who fancy themselves as future Speakers, but appear to be just pretenders to the throne.  (Prieto's own Assembly seat could be in danger in 2011 if Democrats fail to win the Secaucus mayoral race following the arrest and resignation of Dennis Elwell.)

Part of the race for Speaker will be influenced by the results of the gubernatorial campaign and closely tied to the potential contest for Senate President between incumbent Richard Codey (D-Roseland) and Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford).

***MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE***

ROBERTS / VOSS / PRIETO ON NEW LAW PROVIDING INSURANCE COVERAGE OF AUTISM, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY TREATMENTS

(TRENTON) - Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr. and Assembly members Joan M. Voss and Vincent Prieto today issued a multimedia package on a new law they sponsored to make New Jersey the 15th state to mandate health insurers cover treatments for autism and developmental disabilities.

The bill was signed Aug. 13 by Gov. Jon S. Corzine during a public ceremony at PSE&G Children's Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick.

The United States Attorney’s Office and State Attorney General’s Office prefer that the Assembly does not start expulsion proceedings against its members who were recently indicted or arrested on corruption charges, according to Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden).  

“As you know, prior to any expulsion hearings, Rule 7:6 requires that the committee ‘serve written charges on the member, provide an opportunity for the member to be heard, to present witnesses, testimony and other evidence, to cross examine witnesses and to be represented by counsel,’” wrote Roberts (D-Camden) to Assembly members Dawn Marie Addiego (R-Evesham) and  Scott Rudder (R-Medford), who had requested in an August 1 letter that Roberts call an emergency legislative session to begin the process.   

“Given that our rules would require the formation of a parallel investigation to the ongoing criminal inquiry, I immediately consulted with the State Attorney General and the United States Attorney concerning the expulsion of these members and the due process proceeding required by our rules.  They advised that moving forward with the expulsion proceedings could significantly threaten their ongoing criminal investigation of these members and conveyed to me their strong inclination that I not move forward with any proceeding that could in any way hamper their investigation.”

Since the three assemblymen who were charged with corruption this year have so far refused calls to resign, Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden) today took it upon himself to suspend their pay and benefits.  

Roberts said that his legal counsel informed him that he does have the authority to strip Assemblymen L. Harvey Smith (D-Jersey City), Daniel Van Pelt (R-Ocean Twp.) and Joseph Vas (D-Perth Amboy) of their $49,000 per year salaries and health benefits.    

“The right to the presumption of innocence is a hallmark of our democracy, however, serving in the Legislature is a privilege, not a right. The Assembly is often referred to as the ‘People’s House,’ and I want the people to have full confidence in the integrity of its members,” said Roberts.

Van Pelt and Smith were netted in last week’s huge federal corruption bust for allegedly taking bribes.  Vas has been charged by federal and state authorities who allege that, during his time as Mayor of Perth Amboy, he used city funds for personal benefit, rigged an affordable housing lottery, and used his insider status to flip his own property at a huge profit.

STATEMENT OF ASSEMBLY SPEAKER ROBERTS

(TRENTON) - Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr. today released the following statement:

"I wholeheartedly agree with the Governor's call for Assemblymen Smith and Van Pelt to do what is best for their constituents and the Assembly and resign from office.

"I commend the Governor's quick response, as the scope of the allegations made today are shocking and disgusting.

"I am immediately removing Assemblymen Smith and Van Pelt from their committee assignments."

When the Legislature passed the bill that initially proposed the creation of the Lt. Governor post, some Democrats jokingly referred to it as "Bonnie's Law" - a reference to the early front runner status of Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing) as Gov. Jon Corzine's 2009 running mate.  For the last 3 ½ years, news stories on the new LG post mentioned Coleman, an African American woman and a former Democratic State Chairman, as a top contender.  Coleman is well-liked by the governor, and is a solid Corzine ally in the Legislature and in Democratic politics.

But even as Corzine launched a search for an African American running mate, the highest ranking Black and highest ranking woman in the Legislature received no real consideration for the post.  Since claims that she was not interested in running for Lt. Governor are not especially credible, some insiders are left to wonder if Watson Coleman did not survive the vetting process and why.

A Corzine campaign spokesman said that Watson Coleman took herself out of contention.

"The Majority Leader took herself out of consideration immediately because she is most interested in maintaining her position within legislative leadership," said Sean Darcy. "She has been working directly with the Governor, along with Dick Leone and Assemblyman (Joseph) Cryan, during the review and selection process."

Back when Bill Castner was running Joe Roberts' team, there was never any question that the Assembly Democrats dominated Dick Codey's Senate Democratic staff.  But now that Castner has moved to the Executive branch, Team Codey has so obliterated the Assembly Dems that officials were forced to invoke the "mercy rule" to limit further embarrassment to the lower house's majority staff.

Last night, Senate Democrats defeated Assembly Democrats 27-10 in a Golden Dome league softball game that was cut off after five innings because they were leading by more than fifteen runs.  The Senate Democrats scored eleven runs in the second inning alone, and held the Assembly team scoreless for the 3rd and 4th innings. Yoshi Manale, Matt Halpin, Todd Leon and Jay Gonzalez all hit home runs.

Sources say that Castner, now Gov. Jon Corzine's chief counsel, witnessed the carnage as a spectator.

"This win has been a long time coming for our team," said team captain Doug Wheeler, a former Senate Democratic staffer who remains loyal to Codey.  "Every year, our match-up with the Assembly Dems is one of the most intense games of the season, with the Assembly eking out a win by a couple of runs each time.  This year, we jumped to an early lead, made some great plays in the field, and came away with a little slice of retribution."