Well it's about time! I was starting to think this criminal was going to get the old political Jersey pass.

What's next: Sharpe James heads into judicial process

After years of FBI scrutiny, former Newark Mayor Sharpe James has entered the world of due process.

Charged Thursday in a 33-count indictment with steering discounted city land to a female travel companion and abusing his city credit cards for personal expenses, James, 71, could face more than seven years in prison if convicted.

The former mayor was fingerprinted and photographed before appearing in federal court for what's known as a first appearance, during which charges were read to him. Asked if he understood those charges, James, who was handcuffed and shackled, tersely answered, "Yes, I do."

He is prohibited from leaving New Jersey and must turn in his passport by this afternoon.

The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge William Martini, who will preside over the trial in Newark -- that is, if James elects not to enter into a plea bargain. Within the next two weeks, James will have to appear before Martini for an arraignment and enter a plea, which will undoubtedly be "not guilty."

Federal law stipulates a defendant is entitled to a speedy trial within 70 days, unless there is a continuance or a "complex case order." Nonetheless, James' case could come to trial around this time next year, said Michael Drewniak, spokesman for the U.S. Attroney's Office.

When your having a bad day... there's nothing worse than "Worst Western."
This psycho is losin' it!
LOL!

New Jersey State trooper and Union President David Jones avoids getting ticketed or tested for alcohol after being involved in a major car crash on Route 70 in Brick, New Jersey, in 2005.

Why would it take two years for the accident to became public knowledge?

Could it be:

• Because he is a NJ State Trooper?
  
• Because he and his kind are above the law?
  
• Because the local "Brick" police were told to lay off?
  
• or "D" All of the above?

Jones said that any effort to ask him about the accident was "nothing but an attempt to besmirch" him in a "smear campaign."

He called it a "smear campaign." Why? Because of the incident last month when he publicly threatened the "Jersey Guys" Graig Carton, and others working at the Radio station NJ101.5 FM, because they reported on an "alleged ticket-writing blitz" about to take place in New Jersey by the State Police?

It appears cut and dry to me.

• He was in an accident.
  
• He was the cause of the accident.
  
• He "had been drinking" prior to the accident.

But no ticket, no alcohol testing and a complete cover up for almost two years.

Where is the "smear campaign?" Shouldn't this information be public knowledge?

No ticket for trooper in crash.

BRICK — When State Police Trooper David Jones slammed a sport-utility vehicle into the back of a 40-ton tractor-trailer in 2005, the impact was so hard that it knocked the truck forward and then the truck driver was jolted back into his seat.

Brick police later stated in the department's official report that Jones "had been drinking." Jones is the president of the troopers union who recently railed against two radio talk show hosts claiming they endangered the lives of officers on the roadway.

Jones' "driver inattention" was the only apparent contributing circumstance for the accident, according to the police report.

Police did not conduct tests on Jones to determine the blood-alcohol level, if any, in his body. No summonses were issued in the Nov. 1, 2005, accident on Route 70 near the Manasquan River. Jones lives in Brick.

The GMC Suburban driven by Jones was owned by the Manasquan-based State Troopers Fraternal Association. It was totaled in the 10:48 p.m. accident. The Suburban struck the underside of the tractor-trailer before becoming airborne and spinning away.

Jones was extricated and transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, with a bleeding head wound, according to the police.

Brick Township police Capt. Douglas Kinney said the investigating officer at the scene, Patrolman Jeffrey C. Lindquist, would have arrested Jones if he'd been drunk.

"Everyone who has been drinking is not necessarily intoxicated. He made a determination that Mr. Jones was not intoxicated," he said.

That Jones wasn't given a summons, Kinney said, was within the officer's discretion. Kinney said it's common in Brick for officers to not issue summonses in traffic accidents.

Lindquist's report said that Jones was incapacitated by the accident, but the report did not say if Lindquist administered any field sobriety test to Jones. The Police Department declined to make Lindquist available for comment.

Read more about this story

Too many question... not too many answers.

UPDATE - FYI: Time off, reprimand for trooper union chief

State troopers union President David Jones was suspended for five days without pay and reprimanded Tuesday after a report from the attorney general said he "brought discredit to himself" and the State Police by releasing personal information about New Jersey 101.5 FM radio host Craig Carton.

Jones also was ordered to undergo conflict resolution counseling, according to two law enforcement sources who would not discuss the discipline publicly.

State Police Superintendent Col. Joseph "Rick" Fuentes handed down the punishment, hours after Attorney General Stuart Rabner issued a report and statement criticizing Jones' actions at a May 3 news conference in which the union leader held up a paper showing Carton's home address and the make, model and license plate number of his car.

Rabner's investigation found Jones did not obtain Carton's information through law enforcement databases. But Rabner wrote that Jones' actions "created an inappropriate perception that law enforcement would harass a citizen whom they have a grievance against."

"This perception harms law enforcement. In the case of the State Police, it undermines the good will that professionals have earned," Rabner wrote.

Big Deal!

Certain comments appearing on the New Jersey State Troopers' Fraternal Association web site and then aired by NJ 101.5 radio hosts, the "Jersey Guys," have caused the NJ State troopers Union president, David Jones to lose total control of his mental faculties. In a completely unbelievable tirade in front of television cameras, Jones not only threatens Craig Carton of the Jersey Guys, but he threaten to "crush like a bug," the State trooper "girl scouts" who leaked the information to the press.
Jones also promised to reveal personal information about Carton's co-host, Ray Rossi, and other 101.5 executives starting today.

It all started with some anonymous postings on the web site about the alleged ticket-writing blitz about to take place in retaliation for the seemingly harsh criticism state police faced in the wake of Governor Corzine's recent auto accident:

• "Great idea, Absolutely hammer everyone (obviously except cops and family) who does 1 m.p.h. over the limit., Let's really give them something to complain about."
  
• "I am all for the May 1st blitz, Better start pre-signing my summonses."
  
• "Everyone has to take part in this, We are taking an absolute beating from the public and media, and so-called officers are doing nothing about it to protect or support us in any way. May 1st, spread the word. It's go time."

UPDATES BELOW:

Trooper union chief attacks radio hosts, newspapers

Angered that a popular radio show drew attention to police message board posts calling for a ticket-writing blitz, the head of the state troopers' union said the show had endangered police and showed rolling television cameras the home address and license plate number of New Jersey 101.5 FM personality Craig Carton Thursday.

In a blistering news conference, State Police union leader David Jones said more motorists have been confrontational during traffic stops since Carton, and then Gannett New Jersey newspapers, publicized the chatter about stepped-up ticket writing, which anonymous posters discussed on a password-protected message board for union members.

Jones opened his news conference by holding up a paper with Carton's home information, which he held in front of him for the duration of his remarks.

"I'm going to release the names and addresses of these people and then their sponsors, and all of the car dealerships and everybody else that sponsors that show is going to have to deal with the reality that they're putting public servants and the public in general in harm's way, and I'm going to make sure that everybody knows, until they get their act together, who these people are, where they live, what they do and how it is that they're misleading the public and creating this furor," Jones said.

He later said he wanted to show that a host of the "Jersey Guys" lives in Pennsylvania.

Jones said there is no ticket-writing campaign occurring and that the story has been stoked by a "a couple of clowns on a small radio station" and Gannett State Bureau chief Bob Ingle. He threatened to "crush" the people who leaked the anonymous posts to the media.

AUDIO: Trooper union leader's May 3, 2007, news conference (Part I)
AUDIO: Trooper union leader's May 3, 2007, news conference (Part II)

In a public statement, Craig Carton said, "My safety and more importantly the safety of my family is paramount to me and I can not and will not allow them to be put in harm's way because of the misguided rantings of a powerful police figure."

Rogue state troopers in New Jersey are not uncommon. If I were Craig Carton... I'd be scared, very scared. Let's remember, this is NJ, and we all know people don't care about the law, especially people of power.

Update: May 5, 2007
Trooper holds off against 'Jersey Guys'

The head of a State Troopers union yesterday suspended his campaign to publicize the home addresses of radio personalities critical of the State Police pending a meeting Monday with State Police Superintendent Rick Fuentes.

"I made a promise to the Colonel (Rick Fuentes) that I would stand down until Monday," said David Jones, head of the State Troopers Fraternal Association.

Notice the phase "stand down until Monday." (emphasis are mine)
Of course! That's when the underground strong arming will begin. You don't think he is going to fight this fight in the public arena do you? Hell no!

We the taxpayers of New Jersey are sick and tired of being ripped off by the politicians in Trenton and it's about time we stand up and do something about it.

The U.S. Attorney, Chris Christie has started the clean up process with his recent indictment of Senator (Wayne) Bryant on mail fraud, wire fraud and bribery charges for taking salaries from UMDNJ, Rutgers University-Camden and the Gloucester County Board of Social Services.

Determined to facilitate the process with the cleanup of the cesspool in Trenton are a couple of local radio personalities from 101.5 FM, "The Jersey Guys." They have put together this program that will allow New Jersey residents the opportunity to help rid the state of the ingrained corruption machine that has been steaming along through the State House, seemingly unchecked for decades.

Coalition Against Corrupt Politicians (CACP)

New Jersey – The “Coalition Against Corrupt Politicians” will unveil an information program for the people of New Jersey to report politicians taking part in despicable acts such as bribery, fraud, pension padding, nepotism, cronyism and other mischievous acts.

The Jersey Guys from New Jersey 101.5 are already receiving support in their efforts. The coalition was formed after reports of investigations by U.S. Attorney, Chris Christie who said, “We always have an open door for people who want to come in and provide us with further information. That’s the way we build cases.”

In an interview with New Jersey 101.5, Rider University Political Science Professor, Dave Rebovich pointed out, “Veteran Legislators know what once passed for harmless quid pro quo, doing this for that, making a deal with another Legislator . . . all of a sudden now may be the subject of an investigation. The change in attitude at the State House is palpable.” He continues by saying, “The swagger in the Legislature is gone. The bravado is gone.”

All information provided will remain anonymous to protect the privacy of individuals. The Jersey Guys will use this information to conduct investigations and share this information with proper authorities. Acting on the information provided by their listeners, they intend to use New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act to the fullest extent possible to ferret out the waste, fraud and abuse that has plagued the State Government for far too long.

So come on New Jersey, step up to the plate and help.
If you know something... share it!

To report any information on any wrongdoings, email CACP at: cacp@nj1015.com

Politicians, Community Leaders and Organizations can join the coalition
by Emailing CACP at cacp@nj1015.com!

During a hearing in a U.S. District court, Judge John Hughes, told New Jersey senator Wayne Bryant that he faces 150 years in prison on federal charges of mail fraud, wire fraud and bribery charges for taking salaries from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Rutgers University-Camden and the Gloucester County Board of Social Services.

Also in court with Bryant was Michael Gallagher, the former dean of UMDNJ who is looking at 220 years for his part in the scheme against the taxpayers of New Jersey.

Asbury Park Press

Making his first public appearance since being indicted on charges that he parlayed his powerful position in state government into several no-show jobs that boosted his pension, Sen. Wayne Bryant quietly strode into the federal courthouse Tuesday without addressing the allegations.

"No comment," Bryant, D-Camden, said as he and his lawyer, David Poplar, walked past a crowd of reporters into the Clarkson S. Fisher Federal Building and United States Courthouse.

Inside, Bryant and R. Michael Gallagher, a former dean at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge John J. Hughes, who released them each on $250,000 personal recognizance bonds.

Bryant and Gallagher were each named in 13 counts of a 20-count indictment Thursday that al-leges they schemed to get Bryant a $35,000 job at UMDNJ. In return, Bryant, who was longtime Senate budget chairman, is alleged to have increased the institution's state funding.

The indictment also accuses Bryant, 59, of Lawnside, of similar no-show jobs with Rutgers University and the Gloucester County Board of Social Services to illegally boost his projected pension from $28,000 a year in 2002 to $81,000 in 2006.

Gallagher, 59, of Haddonfield, is also accused of doctoring books at UMDNJ's School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford to qualify for bonuses.

The first of, (hopefully) many federal indictments of the members of the New Jersey State senate are in.

The first fat cat is senator Wayne Bryant, the former chairman of the State senate Budget Committee has been indicted on corruption charges for allegedly bilking the New Jersey tax payers out of millions of dollars. He used his position on the State budget committee to steer millions of dollars to UMDNJ's School of Osteopathic Medicine and others in exchange for no-work jobs in order to triple his taxpayer-funded pension.

Millennium Radio New Jersey

"When you read this indictment" says U-S Attorney Chris Christie, "you will see the lengths to which Senator (Wayne) Bryant went to be able to defraud the New Jersey taxpayers of their money in order to put it in his own pocket…, what you see in this indictment is unparalleled greed bore naked for the public to see."

Christie says Bryant faces mail fraud, wire fraud and bribery charges for taking salaries from UMDNJ, Rutgers University-Camden and the Gloucester County Board of Social Services for allegedly doing little to no meaningful work, "all to feed his own insatiable desire for more public money to put in his own pocket."

The jobs helped Bryant boost the pension he would receive from $28,000 to $81,000, prosecutors allege. Mark Perkiss, a spokesman with the State Department of Treasury says Bryant is not currently collecting a pension. He has applied according to Perkiss, but the pension board has not yet acted on the application. Typically, if charges are pending against an applicant, a pension decision will not be made until such time the case is adjudicated.

Christie says, "He (Bryant) leveraged his position as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and the power that was given to him by the senate leadership to distribute money in order to put money in his own pocket." He adds, "This is pretty brazen conduct….every time I think I can no longer be shocked in this job it seems like somebody else comes along to shock me." Christie explains, "As the evidence was unfolding in this case, I found it just incredible that someone would act in such blatant and brazen way, such a transparent way for his own self-enrichment."

The indictment says UMDNJ created the job for Bryant in 2003 and that he showed up only one morning per week at most and did little more than read newspapers, yet earned up to $40,000 per year and brought millions in state money to the school. The charges also claim Bryant worked just 14.8 hours for Gloucester County Board of Social Services over four years, yet received about $200,000, largely by billing the board for work performed by others. He is also alleged to have done little work in exchange for the income he received from Rutgers-Camden.

The most serious charges against Bryant carry maximum penalties of 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. A 20 count indictment adds up to about 275 years in the slammer.

It's about time. These slugs have to go to jail.

Could the federal investigation into the New Jersey Legislature's budget process be the cause for the sudden exodus of Senators from the New Jersey State Legislature?

More than likely if you ask me.

The deplorable trough swilling may be drawing too much attention now for some of the thieves Senators in Trenton, with the people of New Jersey finally getting their heads out of the sand and speaking up with strong demands for ethics and property tax reform, along with the Federal government looking over their shoulders and into the outrages and illegal things they have done to the State's budget over the past years.

Retiring senators remaking Trenton

By '08, 11 of 40 seats are sure to change.

State Sen. William Gormley's announcement in January that he was leaving the Legislature hardly seemed the start of something seismic.

The South Jersey Republican had, after all, mixed it up for three decades in what he called the "contact sport" known as Trenton politics, and with a primary challenge looming, he wanted to go out on his own terms, with his legacy and winning streak intact. Two other veteran senators had already made it clear for more than a year that they were serving their last terms.

But then came another retirement. And another. By the time Senate Majority Leader Bernard Kenny announced Monday that he, too, would call it quits at the end of his term, the ripples had become a political tsunami.

Eleven senators -- more than a quarter of the 40-member upper chamber -- have now said they will not seek re-election in November, ensuring the biggest turnover in the Senate since the Watergate era, when voters swept 13 Republicans from office.

The number could grow even higher before next month's filing deadline: There's been no word on re-election yet from Sen. Sharpe James (D-Essex), the subject of a federal investigation, and several other senators face pressure from their parties to move on.

The departing politicians and political observers say the exodus has been driven by a confluence of factors: aging lawmakers, political infighting, a sense that politics has become too nasty a game in Trenton -- and the cloud of a federal investigation into the Legislature's budget process.

"I can't recall this ever happening in modern times," said David Rebovich, a Rider University political science professor and longtime observer of Trenton's machinations. "It's unprecedented that there would be so many voluntary retirements."

I'm sure most are saying to themselves, there is no sense in staying now with many changes imminent. They already have their double and triple state pensions guaranteed to them for life, not to mention the fat bank accounts they managed to acquire for themselves, while draining the purses of the people of the State.

Get out while the gettin's good! Right?

Great job guys! Don't let the door hit yah...

Will the real Jon S. Corzine please stand up.

That's right, this past Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs that bought his way to the Governor's office to "Save our State" from the crooks and liars running Trenton, seems to have fallen prey to the corruption machine already.

He did little for New Jersey as our state Senator, and is doing less now as Governor. Go figure!

Gov. Corzine's budget stunts just delay day of reckoning

The trouble with Gov. Corzine is you never know which of his two faces is talking.

He came into office saying he would end one-time budget stunts. Page 66 of his new budget lists $301 million in diversions from dedicated funds. But if you throw in the $672 million they're grabbing from the surplus and $668 million in sales tax money they put in reserve that won't exist next year, the grand total of one-shot sources comes to more than $1.6 billion.

Corzine said we desperately needed a one-cent hike in the sales tax last year. Half was put into reserve — and then he allowed the Legislature to blow half of the other part on last-minute items added to the budget. U.S. Attorney Chris Christie is handing out subpoenas to find out who benefited. As a result, the rumor mill is abuzz that the FBI wired a legislator, and as many as 15 "public servants" may go down.

You hear a lot about monetizing state assets — that's like selling or leasing the Turnpike for quick cash. The idea's not going over well, so emphasis shifted to securitizing. That's like using Turnpike tolls as collateral to borrow a boatload of money. That's exactly what got this state into a mess, borrowing massive amounts. That's what Corzine promised to end.

The big ol' property tax rebates are an election-year gimmick to make you think long enough that they've reformed things so you'll re-elect the Legislature, or at least what's left after Christie does his thing. But wait till next year when there are no one-shot fixes. Big-time hurt.

Corzine promised an open, transparent administration in which appointees were vetted and squeaky clean and all would follow a high standard of ethics. Apparently, the rules don't apply to Corzine himself or selected appointees, mostly leftovers from the McGreevey era.

Two audits show the BPU is in sad shape. Corzine looks the other way.

Lobby this: Corzine hired a New York-based lobbyist, Eric Shuffler, for a few of his major speeches. What other U.S. governor would have someone lobbying state government on behalf of private interests serve as his speech writer? The conflict is obvious to all but Corzine.

Transparent? When questioned about the budget speech, Press Secretary Anthony Coley was more oblique than transparent. He said the governor wrote it.

Read full article.

Well it's about damn time this state of New Jersey gets investigated for corruption. If the investigation is honest and accurate most of the politicians in Trenton will end up in jail where they belong.

U.S. attorney says corruption fight goes on

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- A day after sending subpoenas to Gov. Jon S. Corzine's office, U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie on Thursday vowed to continue combating public corruption no matter where it might be found.

''I do not believe that any public corruption in the state of New Jersey by any public official is acceptable,'' Christie said. ''So whether it is a zoning board member in Monmouth County or whether it's someone high up in state government, and everything in between, no public corruption is acceptable and we're going go after whatever we can find and we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt.''

Christie's office has delivered seven subpoenas to the administration as part of an investigation into how the state budget has been developed since 2004, including subpoenas delivered Wednesday to Corzine's office and his chief counsel's office. Corzine's office has said it would cooperate fully.

The grand jury subpoenas request documents relating to grants that have typically been placed in the budget without public review just before the spending plan is adopted. Christie declined to detail the inquiry Thursday, but said, ''I think the public already knows everything it needs to know about the integrity of the budget process.''

Christie has also subpoenaed budget documents from Democratic and Republican legislative leaders and their staff offices.

We the people of NJ are really sick and tired of getting ripped off by these thieves.