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.