Fri Apr 17, 2009 at 06:24:30 PM EDT
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The verdict for Senator Coniglio in his corruption trial came this afternoon:The verdict, coming after four days of deliberations, found Coniglio guilty on five counts of defrauding the public of his honest services and one count of extortion. He was acquitted on two mail fraud counts; the jury said it was unable to reach a verdict on a third mail fraud charge. Assistant US Attorney Michele Brown had this to say following the verdict and the oath he forgot:"Sen. Coniglio sold his public office for his own gain," she said. And what does Coniglio have ahead of him:Each count comes with the potential penalty of 20 years in prison, but Brown said the U.S. Attorney?s Office would pursue sentencing of between 78 and 97 months. So it appears Coniglio will have at least 7 years to think about things. Chris Christie credited his former office, but then cast a wider shadow:I commend the U.S. Attorney's Office for its continued success in fighting political corruption," said in a statement released by his campaign today. "The result validates the confidence the office had in seeking the indictment in the first place. Senator Coniglio's guilty verdict is just the latest example of why a comprehensive reform plan is so badly needed in Trenton. Senator Codey, whose name came up frequently in the trial had this to say:The jury has rendered its verdict, and I respect it. I have always known Joe Coniglio to be a caring and dedicated individual, and this decision in no way changes my feelings for him. This isn't really about Senator Codey's feelings, but he's entitled to his opinion. With all due respect, I'd be more concerned with the ever growing list of Legislators that have been convicted on state or federal corruption charges. Even if there are no more revelations or charges against anyone, it's going to take a long time to change the perception of corruption created by many of these actions. And that's a big if. |
| Jason Springer :: Coniglio convicted on 6 counts of mail fraud & extortion |
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