New Jersey - The Garden State: A Cornucopia of Corruption

NJ's leading daily newspaper, The Star-Ledger, today ran a front page report, "Paid adviser to UMDNJ, no record of his advice". UMDNJ is the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. UMDNJ has a $1.6 billion budget of which $350 million comes from state funding (aka taxpayer money). UMDNJ awarded more than $718 million in no-bid contracts the past five years.

The story reports that Chip Stapleton, a leading Republican consultant in the state & friend of the NJ Senate President Donald DiFrancesco, was hired by UMDNJ in 1995 to advise the school's board on ways "to enhance the state recognition and reputation of the university," according to his contract. Over the next 10 years Stapleton was paid $1 million for his services. But as the Star-Ledger reports, "school officials cannot supply a single memo, letter or report showing any work from Stapleton during the 10 years they paid him. " Stapleton's no-bid contract was ended last year (you'll learn why later).

Stapleton with a straight face & a lot of chutzpah responded by saying, "I don't have the type of business that requires a lot of stuff in writing." Formal reports or memos "were not required of me," he said. "They were not necessary. They could have been counterproductive (!! -ed.)." "I met with them a lot," he said. "I went to every single board meeting. I would have discussions with them with respect to the pathway the university would be taking. I didn't write anything down, and I rarely do ... They needed me, yes. I was very good at it. I have a track record that is second to none." "I think I have justified it," Stapleton said of his pay. "You have to take my word for it." (wink, wink-ed.). His partner in a different firm is Jeff Michaels, who was DiFrancesco's chief of staff. In 2001, during the final days of DiFrancesco's interim gubernatorial administration.

Unfortunately, the former UMDNJ administrators who were associated with Stapleton were either unavailable or had no comment (ya think?).

Stapleton first came to light when The Star-Ledger reported in March that UMDNJ had awarded a $75,000 contract, without competitive bidding, to a top McGreevey fund-raiser soon after McGreevey's election as governor in November 2001. That contract went to Philadelphia power broker Ronald White, and university officials have found no evidence White, now dead (good riddence), did any work for the money.

Stapleton said he originally was brought into UMDNJ by late board member Ed FitzPatrick, a founding partner of the prominent law firm of DeCotiis FitzPatrick Cole & Wisler. University records show Stapleton's no-bid contract was subsequently extended on the authority of former UMDNJ Chairwoman Isabel Miranda, another partner at the DeCotiis firm. DiFrancesco -- who later nominated Miranda for state treasurer -- said it was Stapleton's idea that Miranda be appointed to lead UMDNJ's board. (Yes, the very same Miranda who renewed his contract with UMDNJ, wink, wink).

Here comes the kicker:

Christy Davis Jackson, the current vice president for government affairs, said she terminated Stapleton's contract at the end of 2004 because Stapleton had been retained "to provide strategic advice and counsel to the board of trustees -- which was, frankly speaking, not the priority the department should be focused on."

But Stapleton's termination coincided with a change in gubernatorial administrations, when Senate President Richard Codey succeeded McGreevey, who resigned in a gay sex scandal. Davis Jackson replaced Stapleton with Public Strategies/Impact, a Trenton firm headed by Harold Hodes. Public Strategies was given a no-bid contract worth $12,500 a month; it runs through the end of this month. (Why Jackson hired Hodes when in the above paragraph she said Stapleton's consulting service was terminated because it was not the priority of the department is a mystery)

"Obviously, there were no checks and no balances," acting Gov. Richard Codey said. "That seems to be the pattern of accounting. No checks, no balances, except the checks go out and the reports don't come in. Somebody has to step forward soon to say what he (Stapleton) did."

Who is Harold Hodes you ask?? Gov. Codey's top political adviser. Have you noticed that everyone is interconnected in some way? Law firms, board members, legislators, aides, political hacks, Governors?

New Jersey's garbage can of patronage, payoffs, good-old-boy networks, no-show jobs, bald-faced corruption & thievery is overflowing. This is just the tip of the iceberg. But NJ has been this way since dinosaurs ruled the state & they were probably corrupt too. Billions have been stolen from taxpayers. And these are the people that work for the taxpayer or use the taxpayers money! The Mafia is nothing compared to these thieves.

Multiply the money stolen from taxpayers in NJ by corruption as well as waste in the other 49 states & throw in the corruption & waste in the Federal government. There would be no national debt, no federal budget deficits, no state deficits. Just maybe poor people could get some real relief & help, maybe taxpayers could get some relief from the thieves who plan to use their money for their own gain. A kid can't afford college, but the college can pay $1 million for a no-show job.

Just like the Mafia, these thieves think they are big deal crap showing off their expensive homes with the pools & fancy cars & sending their kids to private schools, courtesy of the taxpayer. Like they "earned" it, right?

Until these thieving waste products are shot against a wall or given big time prison sentences there will be no relief.

We recommend that you stay away from the garden that is NJ. Too many rats & snakes.