Lobbyist/cable TV host Jim McQueeny is strongly denying an Inside Edge report that he was one of three people who worked on a plan for U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg’s campaign to buy premium seats to a Bruce Springsteen concert for $108 and resell them to campaign contributors for $1,500. "This story is utterly and completely untrue, but you don't have the balls or the ethics to print the retraction it requires,” McQueeny wrote in a statement, printed in its entirety, to PolitickerNJ.com. “Wally was obviously using this political science fiction in an obvious competition with the X-Files movie opening for bizarre plots. Congrats, Wally, you won!"
Despite McQueeny’s denial, The Inside Edge stands behind our original report – based on several reliable sources -- that McQueeny, who served on Lautenberg’s Senate staff in the 1980’s,
worked on the event with Dan Katz, the Senator’s Chief of Staff, and Samantha Maltzman, the campaign finance director. The Lautenberg campaign declined numerous requests for comment on McQueeny’s involvement.New Jersey Network reporter Zachary Fink was named on Friday as the new statehouse correspondent for NJN News. Fink replaces Jim Hooker, who ... >
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fishy
that's a pretty strong statement and denial by McQueeny. I hope Wally has some good sources on that one.
Yes
Yes, very strong sources. Very strong.
These denials, strong as they are, aren't always true. When The Inside Edge reported Tricia Mueller being picked as Obama's state director eleven days before the official announcement -- again with excellent sources, the Obama campaign out out a statement denying it, even though they knew it was true. They just didn't want to say it yet.
But what can you do -- as Hyman Roth said, "this is the business we've chosen!"
Ahhhh - the ever trusted anonymous source.
We will never know and of course, like any purported news site, they will always "Stand behind their story."
I ask "Wally," why didn't the originial story once mention anonymous source. Your headline is incriminating but does not mention a source at all. You first sentence should end in, "According to an anonymous source." You are stating something as fact and not giving attribution to the source by even calling them an anonymous source.
You've been around NJ politics long enough to know you should not trust anonymous sources. It is not uncommon for these "sources" to tell you something intetionally false knowing full well you will run with it to try and break some news.
Great Job in Keeping the Story Alive
I don't know who is telling the truth, but I do know that a good PR guy and lobbyist would have killed this story instead of keeping it alive.
I hope you give better advice to your clients than this!
Enough!!!!!!!
Wally, please tell Bob Sommer to settle whatever jealousy has has for McQueeny outside this forum.
You cant blame Jim for the fact that people like him and he's doing well. I know being liked in this industry is tough -- not everyone masters it....right Bob?
And congrats on getting a Hyman Roth quote in!!!
Did Frank fire them yet?
Jim McQueeny, Dan Katz, Samantha Maltzman, did you remind Frank to fire you? The old man will not remember what it was all about.
Did Frank fire them yet?
Jim McQueeny, Dan Katz, Samantha Maltzman, did you remind Frank to fire you? The old man will not remember what it was all about.