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Posted by Manolo on April 15, 2003 at 05:48:22:
HUDSON COUNTY CAMPAIGN BEGINS IN EARNEST WITH SMEAR CAMPAIGN Urban Times News
April 11-April 17, 2003 UTN NEWS ANALYSIS JERSEY CITY "I would like
nothing better than for the so-called organi-
zation to come at us with everything they
think they have," said Mayor Glenn
Cunningham is response to a press release
from the Hudson County Democratic
Organization hinting at irregularities in his
campaign fundraising.
"The best thing that could happen
is for a state investigation of the campaign
finance of Cunningham for Mayor and
other committees," said Cunningham.
"This is a farce. Just look what we have
here. Just the stationary is hysterical. The
list of committee officers reads like the
Hudson County payroll and the Hudson
County Improvement Authority. This is
exactly what I have been talking about.
Most of the persons who have obstructed
the operation of good government in Jersey
City are listed as some officer, and almost
without exception, they all have jobs as well
with the County of Hudson or The Hudson
County Improvement Authority. That is the
'organization.' "Please note who is 'treasur-
er' " said Cunningham, pointing to the name
of Donald Scarinci.
Scarinci was recently implicated
in the scandal involving the State Parole
Board's release of Genovese crime family
Capo Angelo Prisco. Prisco was denied
parole twice, but then hired Scarinci and
was then paroled and released shortly after
retaining Scarinci's legal services. Scarinci
denied that there was any impropriety or
undue influence involved in the Parole
Board's decision. But the office of US
Attorney Christopher Christie has begun an
investigation into charges that the Parole
board was pressured by Governor
McGreevey's office to grant the parole after
Prisco retained Scarinci to represent him.
State Senator Robert Martin R-Morris said
that there had not only been interference
from the Governor's office in the Parole
Board's decision on Prisco's parole, but in
other cases as well.
Scarinici is an attorney who is
paired with Congressman Bob Menendez
D- 13 and is also Treasurer of Menendez for
Congress. Together the two are sometimes
referred to as the Don and the Donald, hav-
ing risen ranidlv together over the last 15
years through Hudson County politics to
become power figures on the state and
national level. Scarinci founded his law
firm at the same time Menendez began his
political career and has grown his shop to
one of the top law firms in the state in a phe-
nomenally short time, and now including 46
attorneys with annual billings in excess of
$20 Million. Menendez followed a parallel
track simultaneously mirroring the ascen-
dancy of his high school pal in public life
and is now considered the third ranking
democrat in the House of Representatives.
"I wonder if either of them could have done
so much in so short a time with out a little
help from the other, one hand washing the
other."
Ed Cheatham is the supposed
source of all the comments in the so-called
release from the HCDO. It is doubtful that
Cheatham has had as much to say in his
entire public life as is quoted in the release.
The normally taciturn Board of Education
member happens to be African American
and can disparage Cunningham at will with-
out risk of even the appearance of racism
from the white-dominated Hudson County
Democratic Organization. Cunningham's con-
stituency is widely diverse, but centered in the pre-
dominantly African American Ward F of
Jersey City at the center of the 31 st District
Senate Race. "By using Cheatham, it's like
they use Uncle Harvey, trying to make it
look like different members of the commu-
nity are against Glenn," said Cunningham's
advisors. "It is exactly like Harvey-another
case of biting the hand that fed you.
Cheatham may have forgotten but we did
not. Maybe this would be a good opportu-
nity to remind him of the real reason that he
"resigned," from the Port Authority."
The real reason Cheatham left the
Port Authority was that a locker search
turned up a quantity of contraband, accord-
ing to those unimpeachable sources, who in
fact advised Cheatham at the time of the
incident. Cheatham was given the opportu-
nity to resign with benefits and without
scandal, or if he chose to fight, he would
risk termination, loss of all benefits, and
even prosecution on drug charges.
Cheatham wisely took the deal and left the
Port Authority without a commotion but had
always remained guarded about his true rea-
son for leaving
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