Joe Ferriero dipped into a private, unregulated campaign stash to pay for automated robo-calls, slick fliers and other expenses in his lopsided June 10 reelection victory as Bergen County Democratic Organization chairman.
The Ferriero for County Chair account is a little-known arm of the Ferriero fund-raising machine. It is stocked, in part, by contributions from companies that have lucrative contracts with the Democratic-controlled county government and agencies, state records show.
Donors include Maser Consulting of Red Bank, which earned more than $450,000 on a variety of public works and services for Bergen County from 2005 to 2006, according to records filed with the state Election Law Enforcement Commission. Maser contributed $2,500 to the Ferriero fund in May 2006, records show.
The Secaucus-based law firm Waters McPherson McNeill PC, which earned more than $1.2 million as general counsel to the Bergen County Utilities Authority during the past two years, contributed $5,100 in 2006 and 2007. [...]
Donors are free to cut Ferriero a check for any amount they want - contribution limits imposed on other candidates do not apply. In theory, Ferriero can spend the money on anything, including personal expenses. The account is just as exempt from public scrutiny as the new crop of legal defense funds for legislators facing federal corruption charges. These funds allow legislators to raise and spend without any regulatory oversight.
It seems to me that whatever values Ferriero once held have since been replaced by a single-minded quest for money and power. This slush fund is only the latest example. Recall this incident reported by Only after he got caught by The Record did Ferriero say he was "sorry" for abusing the taxpayers and promised to return the money. The Record is doing their job by shedding light on the situation. Are Bergen County voters paying attention?
