UNCLE HARVEY'S FUGAZY FINANCE

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UNCLE HARVEY'S FUGAZY FINANCE

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Posted by UTN on May 20, 2003 at 19:16:31:

UNCLE HARVEY CAMPAIGN FINANCE RAISES QUESTIONS—MANY WAYS TO SKIN A KITTY

Steven Glazer email: sglazer@urbantimesnews.com

Jersey City—The State of New Jersey provides easy access to campaign finance reports to anyone with a computer, Internet access and a desire to see how things work. A quick review of campaign finance reports filed by candidate L. Harvey Smith raises more than few questions about the propriety of some of the dealings reflected.

The candidate uses no less than three different names in the filings making it difficult to understand to whom the entries refer. One particularly puzzling entry is dated April 13, 2002. Check 301 in the list of disbursements incurred by the campaign, in the amount of $2,827.23 is meticulously recorded as paid to Leonard Smith. Unlike every other check written on the list of 63 checks recorded, this one does not specify a purpose. Every other check of the 63 listed specifies a purpose for the use of the funds. Smith could not be reached for comment.

Every other check written in the numerous filings, of which this report dated June 6, 2001, is just one, is clearly marked with a purpose for the use of funds. There are nine other reports with hundreds of disbursements, yet this is the only exception lacking a clearly stated purpose. It is equally unclear who Leonard Smith is. L. Harvey Smith is the preferred name of Leonard Harvey Smith, better known as Uncle Harvey, Jersey City Council President. This is the only instance in which Smith refers to himself as Leonard Smith, if indeed that is himself. In person, Smith refers to himself and answers to Harvey.

Variously, Smith gives his name as Harvey Smith, L. Harvey Smith, Leonard Harvey Smith, and Leonard H. Smith. The printed name on this same report is Leonard H. Smith, yet the signature very legibly is that of L. Harvey Smith, raising the question, “Who is Leonard Smith, and why is he receiving a check for $2,827.23 from campaign funds with no purpose specified? Elsewhere in the same report, for the same period, filed more than 15 months late, the name L. Harvey Smith appears as recipient of check 340 for $1889.73 with the clear notation “expense.” There are any number of disbursement entries referring to L. Harvey Smith, like check 403 of March 16, 2002 in the amount of 2,035.00 made to the order of L. Harvey Smith.

That check made to L. Harvey Smith appears on the campaign finance report received by New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission on April 19, 2002. This check made to the order of L. Harvey Smith for $2,035.00 is for the curious purpose of “Fund raising,” though it decreases and does not increase the balance of the campaign fund. There are also multiple withdrawals of cash from an ATM machine giving at least the appearance that Harvey was using the campaign fund as personal pocket money.

Another item raising questions was check 223 written on January 6, 2001, payable to the order of “Friends of Harvey L. Smith” with the notation “Donation.” Check 223 was for the amount of $1,200.00. Clearly, it seems this was a transfer between the accounts of two different campaign organizations, yet it bears the legend “Donation,” raising still more questions. There are many other such puzzling entries but without comment from Smith, it is impossible to understand the financial juggling.

Some entries, however are crystal clear. One in particular jumps out at the viewer, being that of Harvey Shapiro. Shapiro’s check number 102 drawn on the account of Piermont Court Inc., no doubt a corporation owned or controlled by the developer, was dated June 1, 1998 and made payable to the order of Friends of Harvey Smith in the amount of $250.00. Smith was head of the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency at the time of the donation and Shapiro was redeveloping a property known now as Whitlock Cordage. An extensive search of campaign finance reports failed to discover any other campaign contributions by the developer to any other city official. Smith is well within his rights to accept contributions from supporters though they may give the appearance of screaming conflicts. But Smith may be guilty of incredibly poor judgment to accept money from a developer who needed Smith’s cooperation to go forward with his development project.

Shapiro became a name that causes city officials to recoil in horror until this day at the shenanigans associated with his name. Mostly, Shapiro left the city holding the bag for millions of dollars and could not possibly have done the things he got away with, without the active cooperation and support of council members and others.

Another aspect of Smith’s finance is how he has managed to maintain an office on Monticello Avenue with no record of disbursements for rent for that office. The office is in a building owned by a developer Orlando Bru. That question will also remain unanswered as Smith is not available to discuss the matter.

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: UNCLE HARVEY CAMPAIGN FINANCE RAISES QUESTIONS—MANY WAYS TO SKIN A KITTY

: Steven Glazer email: sglazer@urbantimesnews.com

: Jersey City—The State of New Jersey provides easy access to campaign finance reports to anyone with a computer, Internet access and a desire to see how things work. A quick review of campaign finance reports filed by candidate L. Harvey Smith raises more than few questions about the propriety of some of the dealings reflected.

: The candidate uses no less than three different names in the filings making it difficult to understand to whom the entries refer. One particularly puzzling entry is dated April 13, 2002. Check 301 in the list of disbursements incurred by the campaign, in the amount of $2,827.23 is meticulously recorded as paid to Leonard Smith. Unlike every other check written on the list of 63 checks recorded, this one does not specify a purpose. Every other check of the 63 listed specifies a purpose for the use of the funds. Smith could not be reached for comment.

: Every other check written in the numerous filings, of which this report dated June 6, 2001, is just one, is clearly marked with a purpose for the use of funds. There are nine other reports with hundreds of disbursements, yet this is the only exception lacking a clearly stated purpose. It is equally unclear who Leonard Smith is. L. Harvey Smith is the preferred name of Leonard Harvey Smith, better known as Uncle Harvey, Jersey City Council President. This is the only instance in which Smith refers to himself as Leonard Smith, if indeed that is himself. In person, Smith refers to himself and answers to Harvey.

: Variously, Smith gives his name as Harvey Smith, L. Harvey Smith, Leonard Harvey Smith, and Leonard H. Smith. The printed name on this same report is Leonard H. Smith, yet the signature very legibly is that of L. Harvey Smith, raising the question, “Who is Leonard Smith, and why is he receiving a check for $2,827.23 from campaign funds with no purpose specified? Elsewhere in the same report, for the same period, filed more than 15 months late, the name L. Harvey Smith appears as recipient of check 340 for $1889.73 with the clear notation “expense.” There are any number of disbursement entries referring to L. Harvey Smith, like check 403 of March 16, 2002 in the amount of 2,035.00 made to the order of L. Harvey Smith.

: That check made to L. Harvey Smith appears on the campaign finance report received by New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission on April 19, 2002. This check made to the order of L. Harvey Smith for $2,035.00 is for the curious purpose of “Fund raising,” though it decreases and does not increase the balance of the campaign fund. There are also multiple withdrawals of cash from an ATM machine giving at least the appearance that Harvey was using the campaign fund as personal pocket money.

: Another item raising questions was check 223 written on January 6, 2001, payable to the order of “Friends of Harvey L. Smith” with the notation “Donation.” Check 223 was for the amount of $1,200.00. Clearly, it seems this was a transfer between the accounts of two different campaign organizations, yet it bears the legend “Donation,” raising still more questions. There are many other such puzzling entries but without comment from Smith, it is impossible to understand the financial juggling.

: Some entries, however are crystal clear. One in particular jumps out at the viewer, being that of Harvey Shapiro. Shapiro’s check number 102 drawn on the account of Piermont Court Inc., no doubt a corporation owned or controlled by the developer, was dated June 1, 1998 and made payable to the order of Friends of Harvey Smith in the amount of $250.00. Smith was head of the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency at the time of the donation and Shapiro was redeveloping a property known now as Whitlock Cordage. An extensive search of campaign finance reports failed to discover any other campaign contributions by the developer to any other city official. Smith is well within his rights to accept contributions from supporters though they may give the appearance of screaming conflicts. But Smith may be guilty of incredibly poor judgment to accept money from a developer who needed Smith’s cooperation to go forward with his development project.

: Shapiro became a name that causes city officials to recoil in horror until this day at the shenanigans associated with his name. Mostly, Shapiro left the city holding the bag for millions of dollars and could not possibly have done the things he got away with, without the active cooperation and support of council members and others.

: Another aspect of Smith’s finance is how he has managed to maintain an office on Monticello Avenue with no record of disbursements for rent for that office. The office is in a building owned by a developer Orlando Bru. That question will also remain unanswered as Smith is not available to discuss the matter.

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