YAEDE'S Dubious $$$ -Contracts-Conflicts of Interest

Ms. Yaede has been bragging about her tough stance on ethics in Hamilton.  But, there are multiple examples of Yaede’s questionable ethics that make us a bit squeamish.  Yaede has a clear pattern of rewarding large contributors with Township contracts and then skirting the Hamilton pay-to play laws and ignoring conflicts of interest.  Examine the contributions below from Yaede's ELEC reports:

August 31, 2011 – Sean’s Landscaping- $2,500 – to Yaede for Council

March 27, 2013 – Sean’s Landscaping - $2,500 – to Yaede for Council
March 25, 2013 – Central Jersey Waste - $1,000 –to Yaede for Mayor
March 25, 2013 –Rusling Hose Company- $400- to Yaede for Mayor
June 29, 2011 –   Sharbell Building Co. - $1,000 to Yaede for Council
April 4, 2013 -    Sharbell Building Co.-   $1,000 to Yaede for Mayor
April 13, 2013 – Brenda Hoffman -           $200 – to Yaede for Mayor
April 13, 2013–  Chief James W. Collins-  $200 -to Yaede for Mayor

Sean’s Landscaping was given a $40,000 Township contract on November 11, 2012.  Kelly Yaede voted for the contract benefiting her campaign donor rather than to disqualify herself; then Sean's donated another $2,500 to Yaede's Mayor campaign.  Central Jersey Waste was awarded a 5 year - $13.8 Million dollar contract on June 18, 2013, less then 2 months after donating $1,000 to the Mayor’s campaign.

Hamilton Fire Companies raise funds via a fire tax on its residents. Is it appropriate for Yaede to collect partisan political contributions from a public entity supported by your tax dollars? Brenda Hoffman is the wife of Hamilton Township Chief Municipal Judge, R. Douglas Hoffman. Should Yaede be accepting donations from the wife of the Chief Judge whose appointment is made by the Mayor? Hamilton’s website says the Hamilton Municipal Court is an “independent branch of government constitutionally entrusted with the fair and just resolution of disputes”. Than why is Yaede accepting monetary contributions from the Judge’s family. Chief James Collins is the highest ranking police office in Hamilton. He is entrusted with leading a police force to protect and serve all Hamilton residents. Is it appropriate for the interim Mayor to solicit or accept political donations from the Chief of Police?

Yaede was appointed to a Council sub-committee in 2012 by Council president Meara, to investigate the complexities and irregularities perceived by residents with the proposed Sharbell development of the Italian American Sportsmen Club. She accepted the appointment and co-authored a report beneficial to the developer. Sharbell had already donated $1,000 to Yaede’s campaign and after the report donated another $1,000 to her Mayoral campaign.  Shouldn’t Ms. Yaede have declined to participate in an investigation of her contributor?

Why is it that Ms. Yaede cannot seem to comprehend what a conflict of interest is?  Why does she consistently cast votes for and exercise judgments for her political contributors? If Yaede’s actions were acceptable to our current leaders; Hamilton’s Ethics rules and its pay- to play laws need to have a few more teeth put into them!!!!!!!!!

Kenny, Pone & Marliese Ljuba-Truth or Consequences

Dave Kenny is an attorney who has served on Hamilton’s Council since 2006 with his running mate Dennis Pone. Marliese Ljuba was the US government’s star witness in the corruption trial that resulted in the convictions of Mayor John Bencivengo and Hamilton Director, Rob Warney. Kenny and Pone were on Council during Bencivengo’s entire tenure as Mayor. They would have Hamilton voters believe that they never saw anything improper and were unaware of any of the illegalities relating to Ms. Ljuba’s bribery scheme that took down 3 Hamilton officials. Kenny and Pone have stated repeatedly that they never received any funds from Marliese Ljuba and were never influenced by any campaign donations from Birdsall Engineering.

Public records show that the Kenny, Pone 2009 campaign received $2200 of Illegal campaign donations funneled through Birdsall Engineering.  Despite their assertions to the contrary, NJ ELEC reports show the Kenny, Pone campaign received funds from Ljuba or someone residing in her home. A June 22, 2009 post primary filing by the Kenny, Pone campaign lists an April 2009 contribution received from a Bear Delaware address, the same address reported to Ljuba on numerous other ELEC filings. It is most interesting that the Ljuba name was omitted from the ELEC filing.

Ljuba testified under oath during the Bencivengo trail that she funneled $11,000 to Kenny and Pone in a bag of cash. The Trenton Times reported on February 27, 2013, that Ljuba had entered into a Consent Order with the State of New Jersey wherein she admitted to wrongdoing and surrendered her insurance broker’s license. The Times reported that “In the consent order and during Bencivengo’s trial Ljuba said she funnelled $11,000 to the 2006 campaign of Councilmen Dennis Pone, Dave Kenny”.

Both Kenny and Pone have denied Ljuba’s testimony is true.  Why would a sworn witness, under the penalty of perjury lie about funneling cash to 2 Councilmen who were not even the subject of the government’s investigation?  If any of you were falsely accused of corrupt behavior wouldn’t you attempt to prove your innocence?  Would you sue the person making the allegation, particularly if you were a seasoned trial attorney?  If you were a public official like Kenny and Pone, perhaps you would even submit to a lie detector test to clear your name. To the best of our knowledge the Kenny, Pone response was to just shout loudly that they had never received money from Ljuba. At a minimum, the NJ ELEC records their campaign filed suggest they are wrong!

 

 

 

 

Yaede-Christie & Hamilton Police Manpower-Overtime

Governor Christie made a campaign stop in Hamilton Wednesday night doing a meet and greet at Jo Jo’s Tavern. So it begs the question why did Mayor Yaede order 15 Hamilton Township Police officers to work overtime from 6 -9 pm?  Our sources confirm that 15 Hamilton officers in 15 separate police vehicles were ordered to be in the Mercerville area during the period of the Govs Hamilton visit. The last time I checked the NJ State Police were responsible for the Governor’s security and by all accounts Christie’s security detail is quite able and competent.

Several important questions come to mind. Why were an additional 15 officers and vehicles required to be present for the duration of the Governors visit?  What was the cost to the Hamilton Taxpayers for paying 15 officers 3 hours of overtime pay?  Who directed the redistribution of police manpower? Is it appropriate to direct any taxpayer funded assets to benefit a partisan political function?  Finally, if Ms Yaede requested/demanded the extra police presence does she even have the authority to make such a decision as the Mayor and as a civilian Public Safety Director?  For this answer take a peek at our prior post as well as some of the authorities it references. http://hamiltonintegrity.blogspot.com/2013/10/yaedes-police-equipped-suv.html

In these tight budgetary times, less than a week before the election, should our appointed Mayor be wasting thousands of the taxpayer’s hard earned dollars for a political event?  We do not think so.  If Hamilton was spending overtime dollars to increase the police presence, might the manpower and funds have been better spent for township wide safety on mischief night and Halloween?  They could have been distributed to the South Broad St. and Park Ave area where there have been 2 armed robberies in 2 weeks.  Perhaps the extra police could have been placed in the Bromley area where there has been a wave of shootings in the past 6 weeks.  Or maybe the funds could’ve been used to fix the malfunctioning surveillance cameras in the Bromley area.  Our sources suggest that law enforcement may have had video of several of the Bromley shooters and hard evidence of those crimes, if those Bromley cameras were operating properly at the time of the shootings.

Ms Yaede, tell the truth to Hamiltonians about the rising violent crime and end your silence regarding the shootings, armed robberies, assaults and gangs in Hamilton. If, you are insistent on playing Public Safety Director, then lead, instead of being a mime in a silent film.


Ms Yaede, stop the partisan politics on the taxpayer’s dime!  Stop playing cop when you do not possess an ounce of law enforcement experience or police training and stop interfering in police operations.

 

 

 

 

ED GORE Ethical Failings & Censure- Part II

In Part I of our post regarding Ed Gore’s ETHICAL failings we highlighted the decision to publicly censure him for his actions as a member of the Hamilton Township Board of Education. In his appeal of the State Ethics Commission decision, Gore expressed concern about the Censure sullying his reputation in the Hamilton community.  He used every procedural ploy, twice filing appeals to delay the decisions for nearly 8 months. It shocks the conscience that Mr. Gore never grasped the nature and magnitude of his purposeful acts. Gore ever apologized for his actions and the negative impact his intimidating actions had on Hamilton BOE employees. Instead, Gore argued that the addresses of Board employees were public information and his 1^st Amendment right to free speech permitted him to send the intimidating letter in an attempt to sway votes and influence the election outcome.

The State School Board was so shocked by Gore’s behavior they said the following:

Gore obtained the information solely for his own political purposes....the inappropriateness of his conduct is aptly demonstrated by the fact that the letter was constructed so as to convey the initial impression that it related to official Board business and was sent out...over Mr. Gore’s signature as Vice President of the Hamilton Board of Education. The sanction is for using his position as a member of the district board of education to obtain the home address of vulnerable employees in order to send them a targeted letter to solicit votes for the candidates he supported.

Mr. Gore... has not yet acknowledged the impropriety of his conduct or comprehended its seriousness. It is critical that members of district boards recognize the importance of maintaining public confidence in them. Central to this is the ability and desire to conform their conduct to the standards set forth in the School Ethics Act. There is no question that Mr. Gore failed to do so in this instance and that the imposition of a sanction is necessary in order to impress upon him the seriousness of this failure.

Yet, at a recent debate, we are told that Mr. Gore said he was a little fuzzy about his public censure and that he thought his actions to help some people were misinterpreted. Are you kidding? That response was intentionally evasive and disingenuous. Can any reasonable, honest person misinterpret the scalding language of the sanction? Then the Hamilton Republicans have the nerve to have Gore speak about ETHICS in their online commercial!

Mr. Gore breached the public trust placed in him when he advanced his own personal political agenda. Mr. Gore, admit the TRUTH! Acknowledge your bad act!! And apologize to the victims of your actions & the voters of Hamilton!!!  Otherwise, you are not worthy of any public office!!!! Mr. Gore’s ethical failures, his refusal to acknowledge the seriousness of his wrongdoing and apologize for his actions, should render him unfit for any public office.

View the State Board of Education Gore decision by clicking the link below:

http://www.nj.gov/education/legal/sboe/1997/gore2.pdf

 

HAMILTON TAXES – Facts & Fictions

Throughout the campaign season there has been much discussion about the taxes in Hamilton, how they became so high, and where Ms Yaede and her Council friends project them to be in the not so distant future. Yaede, Kenny and Pone are fond of touting what they call the “tax stability” they have brought Hamilton residents over the past 5 years. A brief look back at history reminds us that in 2007 former Mayor Bencivengo, and Kelly Yaede were elected and Yaede joined Councilman Kenny and Pone on an all Republican Hamilton Council. That was 6 years ago.  So why do Yaede and her is designated spokesmen only refer to her 5 year record on taxes?

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  So here is the picture that will answer the 5 year question. 

In their first year of all republican control, Yaede, Kenny and Pone (Gore was not elected until 2010) raised your taxes by 46%!

The above chart is based upon the documented historical Hamilton Tax Rates.  You would think these rates would be available online at the Township website  http://www.hamiltonnj.com/, but no such luck.  The only rates posted by the appointed Mayor and her rubber stamping running mates are the 2010-2012 tax rates. Not even the current tax rate is available in this election year. I imagine the posted tax rates fit their 5 year argument better than if they provided us with all of the information.

The Bencivengo/Yaede/Kenny/Pone 2008 tax hike yielded the township over $13 Million in additional tax revenues. Mr. Joe Zannoni recently pointed out in his letter to the editor in The Times (see our previous post), the republican crew in our Municipal Building has accrued huge tax revenues on the back of Hamilton residents since the 2008 tax increase. The actual figure of $104,349,231 in budget revenues raised through higher taxation is astounding, particularly after hearing the Hamilton Republican campaign rhetoric of stable taxation.  REALLY?

 

Do Ms. Yaede, and her surrogates really believe Hamilton residents cannot count back 6 years?  We are still feeling the pain of the last major tax increase!!!

 

Hamilton Republicans have a pattern of delivering the bad news after their elections. After each of the past 2 Mayoral elections the Hamilton Republicans raised your taxes; 46% in 2008; 1.87% in 2012.  Will they raise your taxes again next year?  We will have more tomorrow on Yaede’s future tax plans for 2014 and 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hamilton Can’t Afford Republican Budgets

The following is a letter to the Trenton Times - Published October 26, 2013

I am struggling to comprehend the logic of the argument that the Republican politicians and supporters in Hamilton Township are making that they have held the line on property taxes. Republicans took control of local government in the 2007 election, based primarily on a claim that there was a $6 million budget shortfall in an $80 million budget. We were told that this 7.5 percent budget gap was caused by a $4 million increase in expenses and a $2 million shortfall in revenue. The Republican administration then raised the tax rate from 0.81 to 1.185. This tax increase resulted in a net inflow of an additional $13 million in tax revenue, an increase of 16.25 percent.

It seems quite disingenuous to now claim that the Republicans held the line on taxes since taking office, when the 2008 tax increase has generated somewhere between $70 million and $100 million in additional tax revenue in the past six years and a proposed $98 million 2014 operating budget. Reducing taxes by $1 million next year seems a rather weak accomplishment, given the budget is now $19 million greater than when they took office.

As an engaged, independent and concerned citizen, I have met and spent time with Democratic mayoral candidate Barbara Plumeri and I am convinced that she and her team are what Hamilton needs to bring honesty, transparency, accountability and integrity back to our local government. Ms. Plumeri owes no favors, is not a career politician and is dedicated to leading Hamilton into the future.

-- Joseph Zannoni,
Hamilton

 

HAMILTON POLS - I See Nothing!!!!

It is well documented that the FBI initiated an investigation into former Mayor Bencivengo, former Director of Engineering and Planning, Rob Warney and the bribes paid out by the government’s star witness and disgraced insurance broker, Marliese Ljuba.  That investigation led to the conviction and incarceration of Bencivengo and Warney, the firing of former Mercer County Republican Chairwoman and Hamilton Director of Recreation, Cathy Tramontana.

Literally, as our newly appointed Mayor was being sworn into office on November 30, 2012, cell phones were beeping with the news that another former Mercer County Republican Chairman, Hamilton Partnership member, Birdsall engineering executive, and nephew to Hamilton’s current Director Michael Angarone; Phil Angarone Jr. had pled guilty for a scheme to funnel illegal campaign donations  to elected officials.

With 3 prominent Hamilton Republicans marching off to jail; 2 former Mercer County Republican Chairs fired or jailed; one would assume that our remaining elected officials would be toeing the line and would be making every effort to appear squeaky clean and avoid any appearance of impropriety.  Well you know what they say happens when you assume?

We have now learned that Yaede, Kenny, Pone and Gore all were beneficiaries of Mr. Angarone and Birdsall engineering’s largesse.  Yaede’s 2011 campaign received $600 of illegal contributions. Pone’s personal campaign fund received $300 and the joint fund for Kenny and Pone received $2200 in illegal donations in 2009. Mr. Gore was not quite as popular, as he only received $250 in illegal Birdsall campaign contributions. The Hamilton Republican Committee was the big winner, receiving $16,750 in illegal donations.

Now put yourself in our stars’ shoes.  With 2 of your former colleagues currently occupying federal prison cells and the former county GOP chairman, veteran Hamilton Republican power broker, Phil Angarone Jr. awaiting his own state reservation; would it be time to fess up; admit to receiving the dirty money; maybe even return it or donate it to some charitable cause? Or would you just remain silent, do nothing and pray that the November 5^th election would hurry up and get here? 

 

What did the Sgt Schultz say?  “I see nothing”!  At least Hogan’s Heroes was a comedy.  This, I am afraid, is a tragedy for Hamilton and all of its residents that have watched the reputation of their hometown be severely besmirched. 

Verify the illegal donations to your Hamilton politicians by clicking on the Star Ledger Chart link to the left, under the heading Birdsall Illegal Contributions.  We will give you more of the story tomorrow.  Stay tuned!!

 

 

The YAEDE CIRCUS-When Will the Ringmaster Speak?

This week, Ms. Yaede has paraded her usual suspects before the online world to attempt to defend an indefensible record. Yet there still have been no responses to pressing township issues by anyone in the Yaede administration. The first mouthpiece to step up, former Councilman and your current Economic Development Director, Michael Angarone.  As noted in a prior post Mr. Angarone has quite a history in Hamilton Republican circles and a well documented proclivity for attacking those with alternative views to his business as usual mantra. It is actually somewhat surprising that he would choose to enter any spirited discussion on the ethical, honest, good government practices of the current administration.  Mr. Angarone was on the Hamilton Partnership with his nephew, former Mercer County Republican Chairman and recently convicted Birdsall executive, Phil Angarone Jr.  Yes, the same Phil Angarone that the NJ Attorney General says spread over $20,000 dollars of illegal campaign contributions to the Hamilton Republican Committee, Ms. Yaede and Messrs Kenny, Pone and Gore.

Just a thought for Mike Angarone, before he sanctimoniously lectures anyone on anything regarding Hamilton government; perhaps he should help the rest of our tight lipped officials find the illegal campaign contributions they received from Mr. Angarone’s Birdsall firm. I am sure all the Birdsall cash had nothing to do with the hundreds of thousands in township contracts our elected officials handed out to Birdsall. For extra credit they could begin to look for the contributions the star witness in the Bencivengo corruption trial, Ms. Ljuba, says she gave to Messrs Kenny and Pone.

Mr. Pone, surrogate #2, ditto for you!  The Hamilton is awaiting your Ljuba disclosure and an answer as to what you did with the $2,500 Birdsall illegally funneled into your 2009 campaign coffers.

Cashel Schmittinger Darvas, a good friend of Ms. Yaede’s, a former campaign aide, and campaign manager for Councilman Gore, now also weighs in as a Yaede surrogate.  I am sure the taxpayers are reassured that the Mayor’s secretary is articulating Township policy.  Not only has Ms Darvas been rewarded with a Township job so has her husband Bruce Darvas.  Mr. Darvas, who to date has not weighed in on behalf of his boss, was formerly a part-time Assistant Township Attorney.  Ms. Yaede saw fit to support his promotion to become the Township’s 2^nd full-time attorney after he also ran Councilman Gore’s campaign.  Just how much of the taxpayer dollars have been delved out to Yaede friends?

Perhaps we would all be better off asking the Mayor’s surrogates, or even her dad, former Township employee Fred Yaede, for our long sought answers.  They all seem to be readily available and slightly more inclined to speak.

 

 

THE YAEDE DELUSION & ILLUSION ON TAXES

Kelly Yaede is suffering from something when it comes to her representations regarding Hamilton Township Taxes. Hopefully, she is just unable to remember that she along with Mr. Pone and Mr. Kenny voted for the LARGEST TAX INCREASE in the history of Hamilton.  Ms Yaede continually refers to taxes over the past 5 years. Perhaps her memory only runs to 2009.  More likely, however, she is intentionally creating the illusion for voters that her tax record is that of a councilwoman that never voted for a tax increase.

In point of fact Yaede has supported 3 tax increases during the past 6 years. Granted the increases for 2012 (1.87%) and 2013 (.7%) were minimal. But, that is only because the 2008 Tax Increase was such a whopper – a 46.29% increase.  The 2008 increase yielded $13,324,000 in additional revenue for the township (see page 11 of the 2008 Budget that is conveniently not online at your Township website). Since 2008 Hamilton has accrued an additional $104,349,231 in tax revenues, on the back of Hamilton residents because it never returned the tax rate to 2007 levels.

Mr. Joe Zannoni submitted a letter to the editor recently pointing out the Hamilton Republican hypocrisy on taxes. Low and behold the Zannoni letter elicited a response from 2 Yaede administration officials. No response from our appointed Mayor, but from 2 of her attack dogs; former Councilman and Director of Economic Development, Mike Angarone, and current Councilman Dennis Pone. Both of Ms Yaede’s mouth pieces continue the effort to confuse the taxpayers. The fictional story continues! Now, according to Pone and Angarone, even though the all republican Council passed the 46% tax increase, it wasn’t their fault!  I have not seen them give it back, have you?

Well, is Ms. Yaede delusional when it comes to taxes? Is she purposely pulling the wool over Hamiltonians eyes to create her illusion? Is she just unable to form an intelligent thought on this issue without fibbing; thus her continued silence. Or, is Yaede perpetuating the big lie to benefit her election and 2 of her running mates, which also voted to raise your taxes and slam your pocketbook in 2008; the 1^st year after the GOP gained control of Hamilton’s government?

By the way, Yaede’s own projections for 2014 and 2015 call for an additional $5.8 Million in tax revenue (see numbered page 1 in the proposed 2013 Budget in the link to the right).  I wonder where she proposes to get that money.  I hope all of your backs can bear even more of the tax burden if the republicans continue to run Hamilton!

 

YAEDE’S SILENCE ON CRIME – SHAMEFUL

Hamilton has had a well publicized rash of crime in recent months. Over 30 home invasions in the Golden Crest section; Ms. Yaede's response - NONE!  A string of armed robberies on  South Broad St.; the un-elected Mayor's response... NOTHING!! A tragic murder in the Deutzville area; Yaede's response - SILENCE!!! 13 shootings in Hamilton since Yaede was appointed Mayor;  the Yaede rsponse..."crime is down in Hamilton"; "Hamilton only has a gang presence not a gang problem".  Really Ms. Yaede??????

I know you are up for election and this time of year is often called the "silly season", but Hamilton residents do not think this is a comedy!  What in the world is a "GANG PRESENCE”?  If you really think that there is a difference between a GANG PRESENCE and a GANG PROBLEM, that alone causes me to question your competence to lead.  A gang presence in Hamilton is ok with you?  You have got to be kidding?

Neither Yaede nor her administration even notified the residents of Golden Crest that there were a rash of break ins in Golden Crest until more than 30 had occurred. Golden Crest residents were justifiably outraged!!  Why weren't flyers distributed in the neighborhood? Why wasn't the reverse 911 system used to notify residents of the crime and the impending danger?  A murder and 13 shootings since Yaede was appointed Mayor.  Her response has been predictable...just more SILENCE.  Shameful.

Hamiltonians are understandably outraged by the interim Mayors lack of comment and response to the crime in Hamilton.  An effective leader stands up and is heard in good times and bad. A leader inspires. A leader does not run and hide during critical moments. Kelly Yaede, you are no leader!!!  Perhaps if you spent more time fighting the crime instead of hiding the non functional Police SUV's , behind the Police Station, all of us would be better off.

 

YAEDE'S POLICE EQUIPPED SUV

Most Hamilton residents probably expect that their Mayor would be driving a township vehicle when on official township business. Would they be surprised, however, if their Mayor drove a police car? No not a marked Hamilton Township black and white, but how about a new SUV fully equipped with a police package. That’s right our newly appointed Mayor has a vehicle with a police radio and some.

Apparently, Ms. Yaede fancies herself as a Hamilton Police officer. The problem with  Yaede's illusion is she is not a sworn police officer and has zero law enforcement experience. Yaede has no training whatsoever with the FBI, NJ State Police, or even a local police academy. Kelly Yaede is a civilian who is completely unqualified to play cop. She just happens to have been appointed Hamilton’s interim Mayor by her 3 running mates, Messrs Kenny, Pone and Gore, who also approved the use of her police equipped vehicle. Ironically, Kenny, Pone, Gore and Yaede provided embattled Mayor Bencivengo with a new 2012 Chevy Tahoe just weeks after he had been arrested and charged with public corruption by the FBI.

Yaede has appointed herself as Hamilton’s Public Safety Director, following in the footsteps of her former running mate, and convicted former Mayor, John Bencivengo. NJ law appears to be abundantly clear barring civilian public safety directors, like Yaede, from having her play police car. The NJ State Association of Chiefs of Police has published a “white paper” outlining Limitations of Authority under NJ Law of Civilian Police / Public Safety Directors. That document sites NJ case law; opinions of the NJ Attorney General and NJ Statutes supporting the prohibition. N.J.S.A. 52:17B-67 specifies that a police officer is “any employee of a law enforcement unit…other than civilian heads thereof.” The Attorney Generals opinion also specifically lists many prohibitions for a civilian Police director, including operating a police vehicle or a vehicle equipped with a police radio.

 How much did our unelected mayor’s perk cost the taxpayers? Why does she insist on travelling in a vehicle prohibited by law? Remember... that absolute power corrupts absolutely!

ED GORE CENSURE by STATE ETHICS COMMISSION - Part I

Ed Gore is a Republican, Hamilton Councilman seeking his 1st full term on Council.  Prior to completing an unexpired term on Council, Mr. Gore previously served on the Hamilton Board of Education. When one reads about Mr. Gore there is little mention of his BOE tenure.  I think we have figured out why.

Mr. Gore was the subject of a formal Complaint to the NJ School Ethics Commission regarding his official behavior while a member of the Board. On November 26,1996, the Ethics Commission determined that Gore while a member of the Hamilton Bd of Ed had violated NJSA 18-A:12-24b of the School Ethics Act by using his position on the Board to secure the home addresses of district employees for the purpose of sending employees an intimidating letter advising them that their jobs could be in jeopardy if they did not vote for the Board candidates Gore had endorsed.

The Ethics Commission recommended that Gore be censured and the NJ Commissioner of Education adopted the Commissions finding & directed that Gore be publicly Censured as a school official having violated the School Ethics Act. Rather than admitting his error and apologizing for his acts, Mr. Gore continued to deny that he had committed any impropriety and appealed the decision to the Commissioner of Education and the State School Board.  Both parties rejected Gore's analysis and affirmed the ethical failings and Ordered that Mr. Gore be Censured and that the censure be read at a Hamilton Township Board of Education meeting.

Do you think Ed Gore learned from his ethical failing?  Does the extreme nature of his abuse of his public office render him unfit to serve the citizens of Hamilton?  Tune in to Part II for the rest of the story.

Here is the link to the full body of the Gore Censure decision.

http://www.nj.gov/education/legal/sboe/1997/gore2.pdf

BIRDSALL'S ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN $$$ to REPUBLICAN COUNCIL & COMMITTEE

Birdsall is a NJ engineering firm that often sought engineering work in Hamilton Township and received contracts between 2008 and 2012 that totaled more then $275,000. Over the course of the past year the Birdsall  has become the poster child for campaign finance abuse and illegal campaign donations to New Jersey politicians. The State's investigation into Birdsall's scheme uncovered evidence that it was filtering corporate political contributions through its employees and soliciting unlawful contracts. 

Birdsall has been funneling illegal campaign donations to Hamilton Council members and the Hamilton Township Republican Committee since at least February of 2008. Birdsall continued to execute its scheme to avoid New Jersey Campaign Finance laws and the Hamilton Pay to Play ordinance each year through March 3, of 2012. Throughout the 49 month period Hamilton's Council awarded Birdsall with at least 8 engineering contracts with a total value exceeding $270,000.

Council members Yaede, Kenny, Pone and Gore all voted to give Birdsall substantial contracts, and why not, each of their campaigns had been greased with illegal Birdsall donations. The Friends of Ed Gore received $250 of illegal Birdsall contributions. The committee to Re Elect Dennis Pone received $300; the Election Fund for Bencivengo Yaede received $600; Friends of Goodwin, Kenny and Pone collected $2,200; Friends of John Bencivengo accepted $3,512 and the Hamilton Township Republican Committee received over $16,000 in illegal Birdsall donations.

It would be incredible for any of the recipients to suggest they were not aware of these ill begotten donations, as the primary orchestrator of the gift giving was reported to be Phil Angarone Jr.  For those of you unfamiliar with Mr. Angarone let's take a moment to review his Hamilton Republican's bona fides. Mr. Angarone was the Director of marketing for the now indicted Birdsall engineering firm. He is also the nephew of former Republican Councilman, and current Hamilton Economic Development Director Michael Angarone. Phil Jr. is also the son of Phil Angarone Sr., the campaign manager for Benvivengo and Yaede's re-election campaign; and the former Deputy Chief of Staff for Gov. Whitman.  Phil Jr. also previously served as Mercer County Republican Chairman and chaired both Mayor Bencivengo's Ball and add committee. So you see Mr. Angarone was not exactly separated from Yaede, Kenny, Pone and Gore by 7 degrees of separation.  Rather, he was an intimate member of the Hamilton Republican family.

Republican Councilman Kevin Meara was quoted as saying that "he believes Township Council has awarded Birdsall several no-bid contracts". Incidentally, it would appear that all Birdsall contracts were awarded while our fearsome foursome (Yaede, Kenny, Pone and Gore) were all seated on Council. 

Did any of our highly ethical Council members alert authorities about this illegal campaign donation scheme? Not that I've read in any media report.  Did any of our crusaders for justice return any of the donations or even donate them to charity?  Apparently not, in any event it is not apparent from reviewing their current and past ELEC reports.  Did any of our fearless leaders report the donations to NJ ELEC.  Apparently not, although Ms. Yaede did promise full disclosure of all her campaign funds, yet continues to ignore her pledge and has never disclosed the donors of some $20,000 she transferred into her campaign coffers.

Do we have a pay to play problem in Hamilton?  Why were the illegal Birdsall contributions never disclosed by our elected officials?  Why didn't our Republican elected councilpersons return the tainted funds? Why would Hamilton councilmen Pone, and Kenny both vote for a Birdsall contract the last time it came before Council, just days after Angarone Jr. plead guilty?  Even former Republican Senator Bill Schulter, a former State Ethics Chairman said "the money is an ill-gotten gain". "Maybe they did not know at the time what Birdsall was doing , but they know now and should give it back".  Apparently, not in Hamilton Republican circles!

Houston, I think we have a problem!!!!!!

 

BARON HISTORY RELEVANT to BENCIVENGO LJUBA Scandal?

Well, the leaves are changing color and dropping daily.  The mums are in full bloom and "silly season" has clearly arrived. 

This year’s race for Mayor of New Jersey's 9th largest municipality is unlike any other. Sure the Baron AA story gently rocked the Hamilton political scene after the club was raided in 1998. After the Baron publicity mounted for months, longtime Hamilton Mayor, John "Jack Rafferty, announced that he was retiring from politics and would not seek a 7th term.  Somewhat predictably, the Democrats easily won the 1999 election and assumed control of the Hamilton Municipal Building.

Despite the magnitude of the Baron scandal, Hamilton had never seen a sitting Mayor indicted, convicted and jailed, until former Mayor, John Bencivengo, disgraced "America's Favorite Hometown" in 2012.

The Baron episode played out for well over a year during 1998 and 1999.  The news media's appetite for recounting the well known membership, gambling, and the Attorney General's investigation seemed insatiable at times.  The Bencivengo scandal also received the bright light treatment from the media.  Locally, however, there seem to be several significant differences.  One obvious difference is the involvement of the FBI in the Bencivengo matter.  A second difference is that the Bencivengo - Warney - Ljuba scandal dealt directly with political corruption and bribes rather then alleged gambling activities. The 3rd and perhaps most significant difference is that in the late 1990's Hamilton had its own local cable news outlet, WZBN, which drove and reported the story virtually on a daily basis.

So, Hamilton Mayor, John Bencivengo was arrested and charged with 5 Federal crimes on April 26, 2012.  A United States District Court Grand Jury indicted Bencivengo on 5 counts of corruption on June 21, 2012.  A jury of his peers heard riveting testimony from Ms. Marliese Ljuba and listened to dozens of surreptitious recordings of Bencivengo's discussions. Then Bencivengo was convicted on all counts of the indictment on November 20, 2012 and resigned his office the following day.  On March 13, 2013, Hamilton's former disgraced Mayor was sentenced to 38 months of imprisonment.

 Will the results of the 2013 election mirror that of the 1999 election?  Will the scandal of the prior year once again sweep out an incumbent Republican Administration?  It is interesting that the two largest scandals ever affecting the Hamilton political scene both occurred in the midst of a perceived Republican stranglehold on the Township government.

Does absolute power really corrupt absolutely?  I imagine that at 10 pm, on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of this November, most of these questions will be answered by the voters of Hamilton Township.