"A county police officer racked up more than $1,000 in overtime while chauffeuring Bergen County Democratic boss Joseph Ferriero to Yankees games and to an Atlantic City casino, Police Department records show."

- The Record, Nov 6, 2004

The Record, Oct 29, 2004

Party boss had police chauffeurs, officers say; Ferriero taken to casino and stadium, they claim

By: Scott Fallon

Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero was chauffeured by county police officers to a Yankee playoff game and an Atlantic City hotel in the past month, according to police sources.

Ferriero was driven to the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa on Sept. 30 and to Yankee Stadium on Oct. 19 in an unmarked county sport-utility vehicle used to transport elected officials and visiting dignitaries on official business, the sources said. The officer who drove incurred overtime pay on both trips, according to one of the sources.

No elected officials were present in the SUV on either date, according to the sources - two county police officers who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Ferriero also traveled with Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney to another Yankee playoff game Oct. 20 in the vehicle, the sources said. Again, the officer behind the wheel put in for overtime, one of the sources said.

Ferriero did not return seven phone calls left at his law office or on his cellphone this week. Bergen County Police Chief John Schmidig was on vacation and unavailable for comment.

Bergen County Police spokesman Capt. Kevin Hartnett said he could not comment on the allegations.

The county freeholder chairwoman, Democrat Valerie Huttle, said she was unaware of the allegations, but said there is no policy that would allow a political boss to be transported by a county police officer. Such a privilege is limited even for elected county officials, she said.

"Only under extreme circumstances should elected officials get this," said Huttle, who said she has been driven by county police to official functions twice in her four years on the board.

Republicans have seized on the allegations as a turbulent election campaign for three freeholder seats and the sheriff comes to an end on Tuesday. Some called for an investigation by an agency outside Bergen County to avoid conflict.

"On the face of it, it's a misuse of public property and a breach of public trust," said Republican Freeholder Elizabeth Randall, who said she was told last week of the rides provided to the party chairman by "people who have firsthand knowledge" of the trips.

According to the sources in the department, a county police officer was dispatched on Sept. 30 in a county-owned Ford Expedition with tinted windows to a Hackensack restaurant to pick up Ferriero and take him to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark to pick up another passenger. The officer then drove them to Newark Liberty International Airport, where Ferriero and the other passenger were to board a helicopter to Atlantic City, the sources said. But helicopters weren't running that night for some reason.

Ferriero then told the officer to drive them to the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, the sources said.

On Oct. 19, Ferriero was transported by a county police officer to Game 6 of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, the sources said.

The following night, Ferriero traveled with County Executive McNerney to Game 7 of the series, according to the sources. McNerney, a Democrat, did not return several phone calls this week.

The Record, Oct 30, 2004

McNerney suspends courtesy rides; Tells county counsel to review practice

By: Scott Fallon

Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney ordered county police to suspend the practice of courtesy rides Friday, after The Record reported that he and county Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero had been chauffeured by police to a New York Yankees game.

The suspension will last until an investigation is completed by County Counsel Esther Suarez, who was told to review the past 14 years of courtesy transportation provided by county police and the Sheriff's Department, McNerney said in a short statement.

McNerney did not return phone calls Friday seeking additional comment on the trip to the Yankees game, and about another occasion on which Ferriero was chauffeured by police to Yankee Stadium, and a third in which the powerful party boss was driven by an officer to an Atlantic City hotel.

Ferriero said Friday through a spokesman that he is "sorry he utilized the county courtesy transportation program" and would reimburse all costs associated with the trips.

Meanwhile, Republicans called for a federal investigation into possible "misuse of public property," and Bergen County Police Chief John Schmidig defended the rides, saying they have long been a practice of the department.

"We know who the political players are and we try to accommodate them," he said in an interview from Florida, where he is on vacation. "I'm a loyal employee. When a request comes in, to the best of my knowledge, they are all fulfilled."

Police sources told The Record this week that Ferriero was driven to the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa on Sept. 30 and to Yankee Stadium on Oct. 19 in a county sport-utility vehicle used to take elected officials on official business and to transport visiting dignitaries.

No elected officials were present in the SUV on either date, and the driver incurred overtime on both trips, according to the sources, two county police officers who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Ferriero traveled with McNerney, a Democrat, on Oct. 20 to Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.

County Administrator Timothy Dacey said it was the only time McNerney used county police to be transported to an event that was not job-related.

GOP officials said they asked U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie, a Republican, to investigate the matter to avoid a potential conflict by county and state law enforcers appointed by Democrats.

Republicans said an investigation by Suarez would not be appropriate because of her ties to the Democratic Party. She was a former associate in the law firm of Democratic power broker Donald Scarinci.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney said he had not seen the letter and could not comment on the allegations.

"There is no possible justification that I can think of for what has happened here," said Republican Freeholder Elizabeth Randall.

Schmidig said Ferriero had offered to reimburse the county for the Atlantic City ride weeks prior to publication of The Record's story Friday. Schmidig said he told Ferriero that he would put together the cost when he returns from vacation next week.

"There have been other non-elected officials, but he's the first who has volunteered to reimburse the department," Schmidig said.

Schmidig said driving non-elected officials has been common during his 32 years with the county police. He cited examples of driving religious leaders and foreign dignitaries to events in the area.

"It's so ingrained in the department," he said. "When we get the request, we deliver on the request. We do it routinely. No one has ever been denied. It's always been this way.

"When the Republicans are in, we accommodate their requests," he added. "When the Democrats are in, we accommodate them."

Schmidig said he transported other party officials, including deceased Bergen GOP Chairman James Sheehan, to and from Newark Liberty International Airport when his predecessor, Republican Joel Trella, was head of the department.

Schmidig also said he personally drove Randall's family members to Trenton when she was sworn in as state banking and insurance commissioner. But Randall said she took the oath of office at the old county administration building in Hackensack from former Gov. Christie Whitman in February 1994.

Democrats said the Republicans are using the allegations as campaign fodder as a heated election season for three freeholder seats and the sheriff winds down. They say Trella, the county sheriff, who is running for reelection Tuesday, authorized "countless courtesy rides."

"You might say Mr. Trella served as the conductor of the Schuber Shuttle," said Ben Feldman, spokesman for the county Democrats, referring to former Republican County Executive William "Pat" Schuber.

But Trella denied that he ever ordered police to chauffeur non-elected officials who were not visiting dignitaries or transport elected officials to events not related to their jobs.

"We have on many occasions driven elected officials in a variety of circumstances consistent with what they're doing for the county," Trella said. "To use this police department as a limousine service is disgraceful."

Trella said courtesy rides were a waste of manpower. Schmidig said that the trips never interfered with his department's ability to respond to crime.

The Record has requested overtime records and any vehicle logs from the county for the dates in question, but has yet to receive a response.

"It's been done so frequently that I can't give you times or dates," Schmidig said. "I don't have the documentation. It's been such a common practice that we don't keep it."

The Record, Nov 6, 2004

Chauffeuring party boss cost over $1,000 of overtime

By: Shannon D. Harrington

A county police officer racked up more than $1,000 in overtime while chauffeuring Bergen County Democratic boss Joseph Ferriero to Yankees games and to an Atlantic City casino, Police Department records show.

The Record cited two police sources last week who said Ferriero was driven to the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa on Sept. 30 and to Games 6 and 7 of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium last month. County Executive Dennis McNerney was with Ferriero during Game 7.

The Police Department, at The Record's request, released its overtime logs this week. The officer identified as the driver during the three trips logged 20.5 hours of overtime the three nights Ferriero made the trips.

The logs make no mention of the trips, only saying that the officer was on "special assignment" - although other overtime reports filed by officers those days offered specific details of their duties.

The hours logged by the $64,000-a-year officer suggest that Ferriero - and McNerney for the second game - not only had the officer drive to Yankee Stadium, but had him wait around until the game was over, then drive back to Bergen County.

Ferriero has not returned repeated phone calls from reporters. But a spokesman has said the party leader was "sorry for utilizing" the police courtesy rides.

Ferriero also said through a spokesman Friday that he called Bergen County Police Chief John Schmidig directly to arrange the ride to Atlantic City and the police escort to and from the first Yankees game. McNerney said in an interview that he believes his staff arranged the ride to and from the second game.

Ferriero "has known Jack Schmidig for a better part of three decades and had a relationship to call him directly," Democratic Party spokesman Bill Maer said on behalf of Ferriero.

Ferriero sent the county a $1,000 check to cover the officer's overtime and other expenses related to the first two trips, Maer said. McNerney said he did not think Ferriero should have to reimburse the costs for the second ride to and from Yankee Stadium.

"That was with me," McNerney said.

The county executive said he was a guest of Ferriero's at the game.

"Joe is a season-ticket holder," he said. "And in return, we went to the Stadium Club, and I bought food there with him. Rather than me paying for the ticket, I paid for the food and drinks."

Republican officials, meanwhile, continued to call for a federal investigation of the trips, calling them a misuse of public property.

"I'd like to know if those are the only trips that Chief Schmidig has supplied to any private citizen - Mr. Ferriero or anyone else," said Republican Freeholder Elizabeth Randall, who has sent a letter to U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie asking for an investigation.

Schmidig said in interviews last week that giving rides to elected officials and "political players" is a long-standing practice in the county Police Department that started long before he became chief.

"I'm a loyal employee," he said last week. "When a request comes in, to the best of my knowledge, they are fulfilled."

Schmidig said Republican leaders received rides to airports and to events when they were in power. He also said that he personally gave a ride to elected officials and friends of Randall to watch her being sworn in as state banking and insurance commissioner in Trenton in 1994. Randall said that was false, pointing out that the ceremony took place in Hackensack.

After The Record's story, McNerney said he had suspended the department's so-called courtesy rides.

McNerney also ordered County Counsel Esther Suarez to investigate the courtesy ride service, although Republicans have said that investigation should be done outside the administration.

Suarez is a former associate in Democratic power broker Donald Scarinci's law firm, where Ferriero is a partner.