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Sen. Bob Menendez found guilty on all counts
Sen. Bob Menendez was found guilty on all counts Tuesday, July 16, 2024, after a months long trial and will be sentenced on Oct. 29.
The homes of the top aides and confidants to New York City Mayor Eric Adams have been raided by federal agents in what appeared to be a major corruption probe.
One ongoing probe is looking into potential illegal foreign donations from Turkish officials during Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign. Others have resulted in raids on the homes of several of Adams’ top officials, including his first deputy mayor, the police commissioner and the schools chancellor. Since then, the police commissioner and the city’s top lawyer have stepped down.
In the 1980s, a corruption scandal derailed the third term of New York City Mayor Ed Koch and any potential reelection bid. Although never charged, Koch saw his political standing crumble under the weight of corruption cases involving key members of his administration.
More recently, former Mayor Bill de Blasio faced allegations that he granted favors to campaign donors seeking influence. No criminal charges were brought, however. Unlike Koch, de Blasio comfortably won reelection.
While the full extent of the investigations surrounding Adams remains uncertain, reports suggest that federal authorities are scrutinizing how city contracts were awarded in one instance. In another, there are questions about whether the former police commissioner’s twin brother profited from insider connections. So far, no formal accusations have been made against any of the individuals involved.
New York is no stranger to political corruption, but neither is New Jersey.
There have been dozens of Garden State mayors who have found themselves deep in the weeds of corruption. Mayors such as Frank Hague, who dominated Jersey City for 30 years, and much more recently, Paterson’s Jose “Joey” Torres and Passaic’s Alex Blanco, all saw their careers in city hall shadowed by corruption charges. It is no wonder that a spring 2023 poll conducted by FDU Poll found 80% of New Jersey residents believe the state’s politicians are at least “a little” corrupt.
Following is a list of New Jersey mayors who have been investigated.
Jersey City Mayor Frank Hague
Frank Hague is often regarded as the archetype of New Jersey’s corrupt political landscape. Serving as mayor of Jersey City from 1917 to 1947, Hague not only controlled the city’s political machine but also wielded influence over Hudson County, the governor’s office, and even the U.S. Attorney’s office and the presidency.
Allegations of electoral fraud followed Hague throughout his career, but some of his work to gain reelection was done by legitimate means. Under his leadership, the city was divided into wards and smaller districts, where local leaders distributed patronage in exchange for votes. Hague’s political machine became highly effective at employing tactics like door-to-door canvassing, providing transportation for voters to the polls and making calls to encourage voter turnout.
Despite multiple investigation, Hague was never charged with a crime. Allegations of bribery, kickbacks and corrupt real-estate deals nonetheless followed him everywhere. He lived a lavish lifestyle and retired a multimillionaire on a modest mayoral salary.
Jersey City mayors John V. Kenny and Thomas Whelan
Hague’s control of Jersey City ended in 1949 when John V. Kenny replaced Hague’s handpicked successor and nephew Frank Hague Eggers as Jersey City mayor. Previously one of Hague’s lieutenants, Kenny claimed to be a reformer. However, Kenny too would take advantage of the mayor’s office.
During a 1971 trial, Kenny and Thomas Whelan, another former mayor of Jersey City, were implicated in a massive corruption ring known as the “Hudson County Eight.” The city mayors and other city officials were accused of extorting money in the form of bribes and payoffs from contractors seeking to do business in the county.
Kenny pleaded guilty to income tax evasion, though he served less than a year of his 18-year sentence due to illness. Whelan, who served as mayor from 1963 to 1971, was also convicted in the kickback scheme. He spent around half of his 15-year sentence in a federal penitentiary.
Newark Mayor Hugh Addonizio
A former congressman turned Newark mayor, Hugh Addonizio just eight days before a mayoral primary runoff in 1970 went on trial on charges of conspiracy and extortion to procure $1.4 million in kickbacks from city contractors. His campaign continued, but Addonizio’s reputation among voters could not withstand the scandal and Kenneth Gibson was elected mayor.
After a two-month trial, Addonizio and four other defendants were found guilty on one count of conspiracy and 63 counts of extortion each. Addonizio was tied to organized crime in New Jersey, namely through personal links to Ruggerio Boiardo and his son Anthony Boiardo of the Genovese crime family.
Addonizio appealed his conviction but ultimately served roughly five years of a 10-year sentence.
Newark Mayor and state Sen. Sharpe James
Addonizio’s legacy as a corrupt mayor was later echoed in the scandals surrounding Newark Mayor Sharpe James. A prominent figure in New Jersey politics who was named “Mayor of the Year” by the New Jersey Conference of Mayors in 2001, James had for years billed travel and entertainment expenses to city-issued credit cards and in 2008 was convicted of helping his girlfriend purchase nine city-owned properties at discounted rates so she could flip them for profit.
James was ordered to serve 27 months in prison and pay a $100,000 fine. He ended up serving 19 months in federal prison and was also ordered to repay over $86,000 to his campaign committee for improperly using campaign funds to cover his legal expenses.
Ocean Township mayor and state Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt, Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell and Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano III
Operation Bid Rig III, a sprawling federal investigation involving corruption, money laundering and human organ trafficking, took down more than two dozen public officials in 2009. Among them was state assemblyman and former Ocean Township Mayor Daniel Van Pelt, who was sentenced to 41 months for attempted extortion and bribery following charges that he accepted a $10,000 bribe to secure environmental permits for a development project in Ocean Township.
Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell, Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano III and Jersey City Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini were also convicted of corruption-related crimes as a result of the investigation. Ridgefield Mayor Anthony Suarez, on the other hand, was acquitted of charges that he accepted a $10,000 bribe for assistance in procuring construction permits.Bid Rig III followed two prior “Bid Rig” investigations into developers soliciting public officials. They resulted in charges against several other mayors, including Ocean Township Mayor Terrance D. Weldon, West Long Branch Mayor Paul Zambrano, Hazlet Mayor Paul Coughlin and Keyport Mayor John Merla.
Passaic Mayor Samuel Rivera and Orange Mayor and state Assemblyman Mims Hackett Jr.
Operation Broken Boards uncovered a bribery-for-contracts scheme involving 11 elected and appointed officials. Among them were Passaic Mayor Samuel Rivera, Orange Mayor and state Assemblyman Mims Hackett Jr. and Assemblymen Alfred E. Steele, who accepted bribes in exchange for awarding contracts for services including insurance brokerage and roofing.
Rivera pleaded guilty to attempted extortion in federal court and in 2008 was sentenced to nearly two years in prison for accepting a $5,000 bribe from a government informant posing as an insurance broker. Rivera had promised to deliver contracts from various city-affiliated organizations in exchange for cash.
Hackett, the mayor of Orange, admitted to accepting $5,000 in bribes, while Steele, a Baptist minister and Passaic County undersheriff, admitted to taking $15,500. Hackett also pleaded guilty to state charges related to fraudulent expenses billed to the city. Passaic Councilman Marcellus Jackson was also implicated in the scandal.
Paterson Mayor Martin G. Barnes
A few years earlier, in 2003, former Paterson Mayor Martin G. Barnes was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for accepting bribes and gratuities from city vendors almost as soon as he took office. The list of bribes included free trips, home improvements and a swimming pool in exchange for awarding contracts, federal records show.
Federal prosecutors said Barnes’ extensive corruption netted him between $200,000 and $350,000 in benefits, primarily from officials with the United Gunite Corporation. During the case, Barnes pleaded guilty to mail fraud and tax evasion. His sentence included a $1,000 fine and 200 hours of community service.
Like Sharpe’s case, Bid Rig III and Operation Broken Boards, Barnes’ investigation was also led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey under future Gov. Chris Christie.
Paterson Mayor Jose “Joey” Torres
In 2017, Paterson Mayor Jose “Joey” Torres pleaded guilty to second-degree conspiracy to commit official misconduct, forfeiting his position as mayor and permanently barring himself from public office in New Jersey. Investigators found Torres had been using city employees to perform private work at a warehouse leased by his daughter and nephew, all while the workers were on the city’s payroll.
Between 2014 and 2015, Torres directed city workers to renovate and maintain the warehouse while being paid by the city, federal records show. The warehouse was intended to be used as a wholesale liquor distribution facility, but the business venture ultimately failed. Torres was sentenced to five years in state prison and ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to Paterson for the misappropriated funds.
Passaic Mayor Alex D. Blanco
In 2017, Passaic Mayor Alex D. Blanco was sentenced to more than two years in prison for pocketing $110,000 in bribes from developers eager to build low-income housing in the city.
Blanco, who became mayor in 2008, admitted to soliciting illegal payments from 2010 to 2012 to ensure two developers’ housing projects would proceed. In exchange for the bribes, Blanco facilitated the release of $216,400 in federal funds, much of which came from from Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds intended for city housing projects, federal records show. In addition to the prison term, Blanco was given three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $110,000 in restitution.
Atlantic City mayors Michael Matthews and James Usry
Atlantic City’s history of political corruption stretches back to the days of Prohibition, but legalized gambling introduced a new era of scandals. Mayor Michael Matthews, elected in 1982, admitted to taking a $10,000 bribe from a federal agent posing as a businessman seeking to buy city-owned land zoned for casinos. He was sentenced in 1984 and spent roughly five years in prison.
Matthews’ successor following a recall election, James Usry, faced his own legal troubles. A former assistant superintendent for the city’s schools, Usry pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations after being indicted on charges of conspiracy and bribery in 1990. Usry evaded the major charges and was sentenced to 60 hours of community service.
Though never a mayor, Atlantic City’s most notorious corrupt political figure was Nucky Johnson. Atlantic City’s political boss during the 1920s and the inspiration for “Boardwalk Empire,” the Atlantic County sheriff from 1908-1911 was convicted of income tax evasion in 1941 and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was paroled after four years.
Wayne Mayor Louis Messercola
Wayne Mayor Louis Messercola was arrested in 1988 outside a supermarket parking lot in Wayne and charged with violating the Federal Hobbs Act by accepting a bribe. Law enforcement officials accused Messercola of scheming to extort developers. FBI investigators had been monitoring Messercola following an extortion complaint filed by a local development company seeking Wayne Planning Board approvals, federal officials said.
Messercola eventually pleaded guilty to two separate sets of charges and was sentenced to a total of 48 months in prison. Five other Wayne officials were also charged in the bribery plot.
Passaic Mayor Joe Lipari
In 1993, Passaic Mayor Joe Lipari was convicted alongside Passaic Housing Authority Director Paul A. Marguglio for conspiring to extort $100,000 from a local towing contractor, John Rainieri.
Lipari received a 42-month prison sentence and was fined $186,000, while Marguglio also served time. The convictions were the result of a four-year undercover investigation into corruption in Passaic, led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The probe exposed widespread corruption, leading to the convictions of Lipari, Marguglio, and 13 other individuals connected to the city government.
Camden Mayor and state Sen. Angelo Errichetti
In more Hollywood fodder, the Abscam scandal, which later inspired the movie “American Hustle,” entangled several high-profile New Jersey politicians, including Camden mayor and state Sen. Angelo Errichetti.
Revealed to the public in 1980, the scandal involved FBI agents posing as wealthy Middle Eastern sheiks offering bribes in exchange for political favors, including access to casino licenses and building permits. Errichetti, a Camden native who took office in 1973, served nearly three years in prison on bribery and conspiracy charges after being caught on camera picking up a bribe.
Also involved in Abscam was U.S. Senator Harrison Williams, who was convicted on nine counts of bribery and conspiracy and served two years of a three-year sentence before resigning to avoid expulsion from the Senate. U.S. Rep. Frank Thompson from Trenton was similarly convicted. He went to prison on the heels of a losing reelection bid.
Camden Mayor Milton Milan
Milton Milan, Camden’s mayor in the late 1990s, was convicted on 14 counts of corruption in 2000, which included laundering drug money, accepting bribes from the mob and taking kickbacks from city contractors. A political newcomer who grew up in North Camden, Milan also used campaign funds for personal expenses, including a vacation to Puerto Rico.
Read More: Corruption charges against Sen. Bob Menendez add to NJ’s colorful political history
A jury ultimately convicted him of 14 of 19 counts of mail and wire fraud, conspiracy and money laundering following a trial that included testimony from Ralph Natale, a former Philadelphia and South Jersey crime boss who became a government informant. Milan became the third Camden mayor in two decades to be found guilty of corruption, following his predecessor Arnold Webster, who pleaded guilty in 1998 to federal wire fraud charges, and Errichetti.
Union City Mayor and state Sen. William Musto
Union City Mayor William Musto, a 35-year state legislator, was convicted of federal racketeering charges in 1982. The trial revealed that Musto and others had taken hundreds of thousands in kickbacks from contractors building school additions.
One of the key witnesses was Musto’s former aide Robert Menendez, the former U.S. Senator who resigned in August 2024 on the back of a conviction on federal corruption charges. Incredibly, Union City voters re-elected Musto the day after his sentencing, though he was barred from serving his term. His wife, Rhyta, was elected in his place. Musto served more than three years in prison.
Trenton Mayor Tony Mack
Tony Mack, who was elected mayor of Trenton in 2010, was found guilty in 2014 of taking bribes from developers in exchange for his assistance in developing an automated parking garage on city-owned land. Federal records show he had taken in $54,000 of a $119,000 bribe before FBI officials placed him under custody. Mack’s brother, Ralphiel Mack, was also caught up trying to conceal the scheme that federal officials said started within three months of Mack taking office.
Mack was indicted at the end of 2012, convicted of bribery, extortion and fraud and sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison in 2014. He was released in 2018 and barred from running for political office.
Hamilton Twp. Mayor John Bencivengo
John Bencivengo served 18 months of a 38-month prison sentence after being convicted in 2012 of extortion, money laundering, and other charges related to accepting $12,400 in bribes during his time as Hamilton Township’s mayor.
Federal records alleged Bencivengo took the payments from the school district’s health insurance broker in exchange for using his influence to help her retain her position.
Bencivengo was sentenced to prison and three years of supervised release, a $3,000 fine, and $12,400 in restitution. He was released to a halfway house in at the end of 2014.
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Publish date : 2024-09-24 13:00:00
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