October 1, 2009 - 7:19am

Inside Edge

Ferriero trial set to start today

By Wally Edge

The federal corruption trial of former Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero is scheduled to begin today in Newark. Jurors were picked last month. But there is speculation that the one-powerful party leader might seek a deal with prosecutors now that his co-defendant, Dennis Oury, has pleaded guilty. Neither side will say if Oury, the former counsel to the Bergen County Democratic Organization and allegedly Ferriero's partner in a grants-writing business, will testify. Ferriero's lawyer, Joseph Hayden, is one of the best white collar criminal defense lawyers in the state; Hayden gets that the U.S. Attorney's office has an undefeated record in political corruption prosecutions. The sense among mere mortals is that if Oury - a man who must definitely knows stuff - testifies against Ferriero, the chances of a conviction go up. So it's decision day for Ferriero, if in fact a deal is on the table.

A tie in to the 2009 campaign: if Ferriero stands before a federal judge and admits his guilt (hypothetically, of course), it takes some steam out of claims by Bergen County Democrats that his prosecution was politically motivated. That could taint their money a bit and give Republicans, particularly the prosecutor who originally charged him, a message to Bergen voters during the final five weeks of the race for governor.

Wally Edge can be reached via email at politicsnj@aol.com.

Related topics: Joseph Ferriero, Dennis Oury, Joseph Hayden

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