WEINBERG, HUTTLE IGNORE PAY TO PLAY ABUSES THAT EXIST UNDER THEIR NOSES

NIBOT FOR SENATE            

WEINBERG, HUTTLE IGNORE PAY TO PLAY ABUSES THAT EXIST UNDER THEIR NOSES

BERGENFIELD – The husband of Sen. Loretta Weinberg’s running mate Valerie Huttle is one of the worst pay to play abusers in the state, but has been ignored by the senator and her so-called reform platform, said Republican Senate challenger Clara Nibot.

Huttle’s husband Frank Huttle is a partner in the Teaneck law firm of DeCotiis Fitzpatrick Cole and Wisler, which, according to state documents, donated more than $190,000 to political candidates in 2006 and received in return more than $12 million in public contracts.  

“It is the height of hypocrisy for Sen. Weinberg and Assemblywoman Huttle to call themselves reformers and yet ignore the pay to play abuses that exist right under their noses,” said Nibot.  

“I guess the reform movement stops for Weinberg and Huttle when it starts interfering with their income,” said Nibot. 

Records from the Election Law Enforcement Commission show that Huttle’s husband’s firm has received lucrative contracts from a host of governments and government agencies stretching from Bergen County to Wildwood.

DeCotiis’ firm took in nearly $1.4 million in fees last year from three different contracts with the Union County Improvement Authority;  $371,399 from the Mercer County Improvement Authority; $371,943 from Atlantic City and $34,69 from Atlantic County government --  and $24,788 from the NJ Healthcare Financing Authority, an entity whose operations come under the oversight of Sen. Weinberg’s senate health committee.  

DeCotiis also received $539,239 in fees from the New Jersey Attorney General’s office and $550,000 from the town of Fort Lee and $250,000 from Edgewater in Bergen County.   

In return for those government contracts and scores more, partners in the DeCotiis firm lavished money on political campaigns across the state, including: The Democrat Assembly Campaign Committee, The New Jersey Democratic Organization, the Bergen County Democratic Organization’s Victory 2006 campaign and numerous donations to the Committee to Elect, Scanlon, Mirabella and Holmes – Union County’s Democrat freeholders.

Lawmakers such as Middlesex County State Sen. Bob Smith and Assemblyman Gary Schaer also benefited from DeCotiis’ generosity. 

“Obviously the $190,000 investment made by the DeCotiis firm paid off handsomely for Assemblywoman Huttle’s family,” said Nibot. “I didn’t see Sen. Weinberg raise any concerns about the DeCotiis firm when she suddenly announced two weeks ago that she was a reformer willing to root out corruption?” 

“The key question is can you trust Sen. Weinberg and Assemblywoman Huttle to be government watchdogs when they can’t address the mess in their back yard,” said Nibot.  

 “What incentive is there for government officials like Sen. Weinberg and Assemblywoman Huttle  or the Union County Freeholders to demand that government contracts to firms like DeCotiis are examined carefully to make sure that the contracts are necessary and that the taxpayers are not being gouged?” stated Nibot. 

“Obviously if your family or your running mates are making money from the pay to play system, there is little incentive to protect the taxpayers.” 

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