NJ official steps down amid corruption arrests

NEWARK, N.J. – A member of the New Jersey governor's cabinet has resigned amid a sweeping corruption investigation that has ensnared three mayors, two state legislators and several rabbis.

Speaking Thursday at a news conference, Gov. Jon Corzine said he asked Community Affairs Commissioner Joseph Doria to step down and that Doria agreed to leave office.

Among the 44 people arrested Thursday were the mayors of Hoboken, Ridgefield and Secaucus.

This is a breaking news update, this story is just unbelievable. The amount of politicians involved, and the crimes they were committing are scandalous.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The mayors of three New Jersey cities, two state legislators and several rabbis were among more than 40 people arrested Thursday in a sweeping corruption investigation that began as a probe into an international money laundering ring that trafficked in goods as diverse as human organs and fake designer handbags.

Human organs ! What the heck is wrong with these people ??? I never expected to see politicians involved in human organ traffickingThere were Rabbis involved, they used schools for their crimes. The amount of people (and their different proffessions) invovled in this is just mind boggling. They arressted so many people they had to use busses to transport them.


I guess this may help explain why our government is being run so poorly, they're all too busy selling human organs and laundering money.

See link for full story....

news.yahoo.com...


[edit on 7/23/2009 by chise61]

I can't speak about the rabbis but the politicians were the good people that the political parties gave you the option to vote for....

And this was the kind of person they put forth as 'good' and 'worthy'.

Anyone out there think any of the other politicians are any different?

How many more are there?

Do you think they'll all get 'caught'?

It's hard to convince myself that our politicians and their political party leadership aren't all just another form of organized crime.

wow this happened near my city, with all the crap happening the past 2 weeks, this is not surprising, but ORGAN trafficking? wow

Hope these guys get what they deserve.

this hit way too close to home.

reply to post by chise61


the question we should be asking is...How far up does the corruption go?
are the ones arrested just the disposable pawns?

reply to post by warrenb


That's exactly what i was wondering. I'm pretty sure that this thing goes up way higher than the ones caught. It's still a breaking story so maybe we'll find out that there were also some higher ups caught in the act also. I'm wondering if they caught anyone from other states.

"New Jersey's corruption problem is one of the worst, if not the worst, in the nation," said Ed Kahrer, who heads the FBI's white collar and public corruption investigation division. "Corruption is a cancer that is destroying the core values of this state."

Wow i wonder if they surpassed the corruption in Illinois. I think corruption is a cancer that is corrupting more than the core values of a state, it's corrupting the core values of this whole country.

Gov. Jon Corzine reacted to the probe Thursday morning by saying, "any corruption is unacceptable — anywhere, anytime, by anybody. The scale of corruption we're seeing as this unfolds is simply outrageous and cannot be tolerated."

Van Pelt is accused of accepting $10,000 from a cooperating government witness posing as a developer who sought help in getting permits for a project in Ocean County.

Smith, the Jersey City Council President, and several other current and former Jersey City public officials also are accused of accepting money to help the fake developer gain permits and approvals.

Beldini, 74, is charged with conspiracy to commit extortion by taking $20,000 in illegal campaign contributions. Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy said Thursday the charges were "a little shocking."

news.yahoo.com...

Wow i just can't get over how many people were invovled in this thing, and how many different crimes were committed, the list just goes on and on and on.

I hope they catch everyone involved in this and have enough evidence to put them all away for a long time.

There not going to catch anyone who isn't supposed to be caught!!!

The whole government is corrupt its disgusting, from the executive office down .................. to the bankers.

And you have to wonder why laws are only intended for the peasants!!!

DUDE they make the laws / rules for everyone to follow but them.

Hell Obama's grandmother is here ILLEGALLY and doesn't have to abide by the laws .... its everywhere and all over.

Have fun swimming upstream kiddies....

I wonder if anyone has considered the possibility that this action is to keep certain people away from some as yet pending legislation that needs to be pushed through, with out prejudice.
Hmm, I guess the right wheels were not greased.
Certain political figures asking others to step down, as if they had no idea?
Yeah right.
That is besides the fact that the FED can now step in and control those same areas, like what was done in Bergen County some years back.
What short memories they all seem to have.
I guess no one knew what was going on then either.