Mims Hackett

The Assembly Clerk has received resignations from Mims Hackett and Alfred Steele.

Democratic County Committee members in the 27th and 35th districts must hold a Special Election Convention within the next 7-35 days to fill the remaining four months of their current terms.  Additionally, Democrats must hold a Special Nominating Convention to replace them on the November general election ballot.

Deputy Speaker Alfred Steele is expected to resign his seat in the New Jersey State Assembly on Monday, four days after FBI agents arrested him on bribery charges. Another Assemblyman Mims Hackett, indicated his intent to resign late Friday night.

Steele has stepped down as Passaic County Undersheriff, and Sheriff Gerald Speziale has not said if he would fire him.

Several hours after Mims Hackett resigned from the Legislature, one of his Democratic colleagues, Assemblyman Paul Moriarty, sent PoliticsNJ.com a press release demanding Hackett's resignation. 

Hackett may have caused Moriarty serious harm: after the arrests of eleven public officials on bribery charges yesterday, some Democratic leaders -- including Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan -- suggested that the Legislature may need to remove the grandfather clause on dual officeholding before the end of the year.  Hackett is also the Mayor of Orange, and Moriarty is the Mayor of Washington Township.

Assemblyman Mims Hackett says he will resign his seat in the New Jersey State Assembly and will withdraw his bid for re-election to a fourth term.  His announcement comes two days after his arrest in bribery charges, and one day after state Democratic leaders asked him to step down.

He will remain as the Mayor of Orange.

Members of the Essex County Democratic Committee from the 27th district will meet to hold two contests: a special election convention to fill the remaining four months of Hackett's current Assembly term, and to nominate a new candidate to run in the November general election.  While they could pick separate candidates in each race, Democrats are expected to give their candidate the advantage of incumbency.

adler: legislators charged with corruption should resign

            TRENTON –  Senator John H. Adler, D-Cherry Hill, today said Assemblymen Mims Hackett Jr. and Alfred E. Steele should resign from office after being arrested on federal corruption charges.

            “They (Steele and Hackett) have to make the public interest their first priority,” said Senator Adler, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Restoring public trust in the Legislature requires that they resign now.”

MCCULLOUGH FOR SENATE

POLISTINA AND AMODEO FOR ASSEMBLY

McCullough,Amodeo,& Polistina: Whelan is Savior of Corrupt Pensioners

(Atlantic County, NJ) Republican State Sen. James “Sonny” McCullough today described as “deceitful and hypocritical” the demand by his opponent, Assemblyman Jim Whelan, that the public officials arrested yesterday forfeit their pensions upon conviction since Whelan voted to preserve pension rights for corrupt public officials under certain circumstances.

Mims HackettGovernor Jon S. Corzine, Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts, Senate President Dick Codey and Assemblyman/Democratic Party Chairman Joseph Cryan have called on arrested Assemblymen Mims Hackett and Alfred Steele to resign by the end of the weekend, according to a statement issued by the Democratic State Committee this afternoon.

"I’m saddened that we’re at a position that we had to call for resignations. On the other hand, they had to be done. You can’t tolerate this stuff," the Democrats said in a statement.

Senate President Richard Codey, weighing the responsibility that comes with pushing his running mate Mims Hackett out of the 27th district race this fall, would have a tough time making Democrats happy with his replacement.

More than the quote of the day, this could be the quote of the year: 

"Mims is cool. ... He's gonna do it."  -- Assemblyman Alfred Steele, on Mims Hackett (U.S. Attorney complaint)

Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts said today that he has spoken to the two Democratic legislators who were arrested yesterday on bribery charges.  Roberts said that effective immediately, Hackett will step down as Chairman of the Assembly State Government Committee and Steele will give up his post as Assembly Deputy Speaker.  Both will also give up their committee assignments.