Reset the Corruption Calendar!

by: Scott Weingart

Tue Jul 08, 2008 at 09:28:44 AM EDT

Former state Sen. Joseph Coniglio collected $40,000 in consulting fees from the developers of Fort Lee's floundering Centuria project - a deal that is now part of U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie's influence-peddling probe of the plumber-politician.
[snip]
Coniglio received $5,000 a month over eight months for attending six meetings with the Bergen County Building and Construction Trades Council, an AFL-CIO group that represents 15,000 skilled workers.

Centuria paid Coniglio $6,666.67 a meeting for six meetings with a labor union. That's ridiculous, but certainly not surprising. Recall that Coniglio was indicted in February for steering state funding to Hackensack University Medical Center in exchange for $103,000 in plumbing consultant fees.

Bergen County Corruption Calendar
Corruption-free for 0 days
Longest corruption-free streak: 9 days
Running since June 22, 2008

Previous Stories
July 3: Another day, another BCDO corruption story
June 22: Ferriero's slush fund

Scott Weingart :: Reset the Corruption Calendar!

Tags: Joe Coniglio, corruption, Bergen County, (All Tags)

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Reset the Corruption Calendar! | 1 comments

No wonder (4.00 / 1)

the project went under. $5,000 PER MEETING for Coniglio? That is at least 8 times the going rate for folks who HAVE talent to represent clients in land use negotiations, or even testimony. The high priced attorneys only cost about $500 bucks an hour. The exhorbitant $5,000 amount has BRIBE written ALL OVER it. Especially when Oury had his octupus arms all around the project too.

I am reminded of the Majority Report joke about wherever there are wraps - you'll find smoothies. It seems wherever you find Oury - you'll find either Joe Ferriero, or one of Joe's ethically compromised State Senator flunkies - Coniglio - or someone like Sarlo (Mr. Encap).

Why do these guys need to always be involved in epic disasterous land use debacles that cost the taxpayer literally hundreds of thousands of lost tax dollars? It's not like Oury represents great projects to begin with. He usually represents sleazy go-go bars and oversized apartment buildings - and he usually has to get the area rezoned to do it. That isn't talent. It's called CORRUPTION.

One Vote. Yours. It really does matter.

by: carolh @ Tue Jul 08, 2008 at 14:42:50 PM UTC