No Fear in Fort Lee

by: Thurman Hart

Fri Aug 01, 2008 at 06:22:33 PM EDT

Christine Rossi reports:

Mayor Mark J. Sokolich said regarding the reappointment,  "At this point it would be detrimental to change ships in midstream. Mr. Oury knows this file backwards and forwards. To train someone else at this sensitive stage could take three to five months." He described the action as "logical."  
  Also in May, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Newark subpoenaed documents including contracts and invoices with Mr. Oury's firm-The Law Office of Dennis J. Oury-which serves also as Planning Board attorney.
 At that time, Mayor Sokolich said the dual appointment was made because Centuria requires Planning Board approvals and it would provide "a level of consistency."

Why doesn't Mayor Sokolich just admit the truth?  "Dennis Oury won't let us fire him."  Apparently, it is more important to get the Centurion project done quickly instead of making sure that nothing crooked is going on.  

But here's the thing - Oury is getting paid $22,500 for his work on behalf of the Borough of Fort Lee.  If there is no conflict of interest, then he would also be getting paid to do the same thing for the Planning Board.  If, on the other hand, there is a separate payment from the Planning Board, then that would indicate the presence of a separate interest that needed legal representation.

Or am I missing something?  Nope.  I don't think so. Either Oury is double-billing or he is in violation of his professional ethics - which is, of course, a redundant statement.