NJ Corruption

[SuperScout]

ATTN: colmurph and Neil:

TRENTON, N.J. ? A psychiatrist who worked as an FBI informant in a criminal investigation of several northern New Jersey politicians has linked Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez to a scheme to manipulate government contracts, several published reports said Thursday.

In court papers filed in New Jersey in March, Oscar Sandoval said he was pressured in 1999 to hire a doctor Menendez preferred or he would risk losing $1 million in government contracts. Sandoval taped the 20-minute telephone call with Donald Scarinci, a longtime friend of Menendez who is also a powerful lawyer and has been a fundraiser for Menendez's campaign.

Scarinci allegedly told Sandoval that Menendez would consider it "a favor" if the doctor, Vicente Ruiz, was hired, adding that Ruiz would offer him "protection." If not, Sandoval would risk losing psychiatric-services contracts at various facilities, including the Hudson County Jail.

If he did not hire Ruiz, Scarinci allegedly said "the law of the jungle" would be put into effect. Sandoval hired Ruiz.

Scarinci did not immediately return a call for comment but in a statement said the tape has long been part of a civil lawsuit brought by Hudson County to retrieve millions of dollars from Sandoval. "I will clearly state that none of my dealings with Dr. Sandoval were either directed or requested by Bob Menendez," Scarinci said in the statement.

The tape was obtained by The Philadelphia Inquirer and a transcript of it was obtained by The Star-Ledger of Newark, those newspapers reported. Menendez campaign spokesman Matthew Miller said if the tape is accurate, Scarinci was using Menendez's name without his authorization or knowledge. He told The Star-Ledger for Thursday's newspapers that the campaign has cut its contact with Scarinci.

Republican Senate candidate Tom Kean Jr. has repeatedly attacked Menendez's ethics during the campaign, attempting to link him to a host of scandals that have brought down other Hudson County officials. The U.S. attorney's office is looking into a lease agreement Menendez had with a nonprofit organization to which he rented a house and for which he helped obtain funds. Menendez has said he has never committed any wrongdoing.

Sandoval was not immediately able to be reached for comment Thursday. He worked as an undercover FBI agent from 1999 to 2001.

[Advisor]

Awwww, it's a frame up. That durn vast right wing conspiracy again.

[SuperScout]

Your right - those wascally wepublicans, who control all the print media, the radio, the TV outlets, and the local McDonald's.

[Seascamp]

Looks like Sen. Robert Menendez is going to have to send the tombstone patrol to neighboring States and get a fresh batch of names in order to level the playing field and get back to status quo n? equilibrium.
Shouldn?t be any great shakes, apparently all the interned in that area are registered Demo activists in good standing.

Scamp

[SuperScout]

Senate Democrats said they won't try to replace Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, despite new accusations of corruption that surfaced yesterday in the Democratic incumbent's already tough re-election race. [How thoughtful of them: with just a few weeks until the election, they're going to keep the current suspect inside of appointing another!]

"We expect week after week they're going to throw these allegations around," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat and chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. [It's more than allegations, Chuckie Baby - it's dang near an indictment!]

Asked whether he is sure that Democrats will not replace Mr. Menendez, Mr. Schumer replied with an emphatic "yes." He cited new polls that show Mr. Menendez either slightly ahead of or tied with his Republican challenger, Tom Kean Jr. A Menendez fundraiser and confidant was heard on a newly released tape pressuring a government contractor to hire a person as "a favor" to Mr. Menendez, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported yesterday.

In the 20-minute taped telephone call, the Inquirer reported, lawyer Donald Scarinci tells contractor and former FBI informant Oscar Sandoval that agreeing to the hire would afford him "protection" and that failing to do so could result in "the law of the jungle." Mr. Sandoval, who taped the conversation in 1999, said the clear implication was that he should the hire the person Mr. Menendez wanted or risk losing $1 million in government contracts, the Inquirer reported.

Earlier this month, the Newark Star-Ledger reported that federal investigators are looking into a rental deal between Mr. Menendez and a nonprofit agency that received millions in federal funding while he was a House member.

Recent polls show that the New Jersey Senate race is very close. An Eagleton-Rutgers poll conducted Sept. 24 to 26 called the race a "virtual tie." Among 404 likely voters, Mr. Menendez was at 45 percent and Mr. Kean was at 44 percent, the poll found. A Quinnipiac University poll of likely voters conducted Sept. 13 to 18 found Mr. Kean at 48 percent and Mr. Menendez at 45 percent.

If Democrats lose Mr. Menendez's seat, it will all but kill their quest to regain control of the Senate this year, because they must have a net gain of six seats to end the Republican majority. "A Menendez loss is the ultimate insurance for Republicans that they won't lose control" of the Senate, said Republican pollster Scott Reed.

Mr. Schumer said yesterday that Democrats face an "uphill" battle to regain the Senate but that he is "feeling good" about New Jersey and the Senate races in general. He said that Democrats always anticipated Republicans would launch a "smear" campaign against Mr. Menendez but that Democrats will continue to repeat the theme that resonates most deeply in heavily Democratic New Jersey: "A vote for Tom Kean Jr. is a vote for President Bush." [Sounds like a great idea to me! And a vote for Menendez is a vote for the cut and runners?]

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), meanwhile, has a legal team ready to fight any last-minute Democratic effort to replace Mr. Menendez on the ballot, as the party did in 2002, when it ousted embattled Democratic Sen. Robert G. Torricelli in favor of Frank R. Lautenberg, a Democrat who went on to win the Senate election. "Democrats have a track record in New Jersey of pulling last-minute stunts," said William McGinley, NRSC's general counsel.

Mr. Menendez fought back yesterday with a new radio ad accusing his opponent of ethical hypocrisy, saying Mr. Kean is linked to two ongoing federal investigations. "Tom Kean Jr. is falsely attacking Bob Menendez. But Tom Kean Jr. is the one under the ethical cloud," the ad says. [And wher eis that cloud?]

[reconeil]

Brice,
Can't speak for colmurph even though realistically like-minded. Nor would I. He speaks quite well enough for himself.

However, and since only times of most entire life not residing in New Jersey were 7 months or so at Fort Riley, Kansas and 28 months in West Germany,...I consider myself somewhat of an expert on politically-dictatorial phonies posing as Representatives.

Regardless, can't get all that excited about the microcosm or tip of the iceberg over a million or few million$ politically ripped-off by career-political thieves, that you brought up. By typical New Jersey Political Standards,...that pretty-much: "Chump-change".
Thus, let's talk BILLION$ in rip-offs here, instead.

In fact, Political Dictates (standard policies NEVER VOTED on by The People) and/or Longtime Political Decrees by SCHNORRERS (roughly defined as: "Those living well off of labors of others"), actually describes New Jersey's quite insatiably greedy, despicable political lords and/or power & control freaks quite well.

When talking BILLION$, there just is no better example of the lordly dictated greed of New Jersey, than its longtime OUTRAGEOUS & ABSURDLY HIGH (highest in America) Property Taxes. Such represents the greatest: "Golden Goose" possible for Jersey's despicably dictatorial Democrat Political Machine, since penalizing EVERY HOMEOWNER & RENTER ALIKE, in New Jersey.

Plus, that longtime Property Tax: "Golden Goose" makes all other high taxes forced upon: "We The (Schnooks)" and/or Taxpayers of New Jersey, as for alcohol & tobacco products, gasoline & diesel taxes and Sales & Income Taxes,...pale in comparison or merely seem like tiny or mini: "Golden (chicks)", daily used by our typical political people-abusers.

So then, and other than an overall outrage displayed against Our Political lords & gods like: "Bring back the guillotine, Citizens" (about as likely nowadays as Snow in Hell),...what's one to do about despicably lordly and dictatorial State of New Jersey?
Complain to The World Court of The Hague in The Netherlands?

Whatever, so much for SUPPOSEDLY(????????) democratic and citizenry-friendly New Jersey. Still, and in fairness to Jersey's Politicos, no one can ever say that they don't REPRESENT their foreign nationals and/or beholding foreign ILLEGALS voter base quite well.

Regardless, glad seeing that SOME besides politicians and affiliated are actually REPRESENTED well here in New Jersey, anyway. Hey,...who knows? Maybe sometime The Citizenry will eventually be represented also?
Stranger things have happened.

Neil

[colmurph]

Menendez has a campaign ad airing on local TV here where he is standing in front of one of the ships my company handles up at Port Elizabeth, NJ. He goes on about Port Security and how "Bush tried to sell the Ports to the Arabs". What a fabulist! This scumbag wouldn't know truth if it hit him in the butt. He's extroted his way to millions while he's been a politician.

[Seascamp]

Surely now, people aren?t so gullible as to buy into such blatant dishonesty and vicious historical revisionism. As I recall the Brits had already sold the business to Dubai Ports and that included leased or owned wharfs and warehouses. Correct me if I?m wrong, but I don?t think the ports were or will be for sale. Perhaps State property, and kind of like a municipal airport that leases out facilities. And as I recall, the Guv. at the time didn?t know that the ultimate port authority was the Guv. and had to shift from an attack horse to a defense horse in mid-stride, now that was a major oops, hello. :ek:

Scamp

[colmurph]

Dubai was buying 50% interest in a Stevedoring Company not a Port. In addition to being a liar and a thief, Menendez is also stupid. He is catering to the huge hispanic voter base in Hudson and Bergen counies who for the most part don't read the news and don't speak enough english to understand what they hear.

[Seascamp]

Ok-ok Col., and like Oracle Jones, the blinding lights come on, a pipe organ booms out and ?I see it now?. Should have guessed the deal, but spaced the connection. Thanks for the reality fix, tiz much appreciated.
Hell sakes the disinformation flow to the literacy and language challenged out here is absolutely astounding, ay sus n? aarrgg.

Scamp