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Assemblyman John Rooney Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk
By scmysakROONEY, VANDERVALK RENEW CALL FOR FARBER IMPEACHMENT AS NEW ALLEGATIONS SURFACE
Assemblyman John Rooney and Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk today renewed their call for the impeachment of state Attorney General Zulima Farber after it was reported that a state Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) employee reinstated Farber's live-in boyfriend's driving privileges less than an hour after he was cited for traffic violations by Fairview police.
The Bergen Record also reported today that when a tow truck arrived to tow Hamlet Goore's minivan, the driver was told the tow had been cancelled by one of three police officers at the scene, one of which was the Fairview mayor's son.
"This situation is getting worse by the minute," said Rooney, R-Bergen, who has spearheaded the drive to impeach Farber. "The state Attorney General is paid by our taxpayers to uphold all the laws of the United States and the state of New Jersey. And those laws apply to everyone, not just a select few. It’s obvious our chief law enforcement officer thinks she and her loved ones are above the law."
Vandervalk, R-Bergen, said the fact that Farber showed up at the scene is troubling as is a report that there were sensitive documents in Goore's minivan. "Why would the state Attorney General keep sensitive documents in an unregistered vehicle that isn't even hers? What was she thinking? That in itself is dereliction of duty."
Rooney and Vandervalk are also calling on Governor Jon Corzine to explain why he chose Farber for the position in light of her three license suspensions and four bench warrants for failure to appear in court for 14 traffic violations.
"Based on her blatant disregard for our laws, her behavior as it pertains to this situation is not surprising," said Rooney. "It's deplorable, but not surprising."
"Certainly, there were other more competent law-abiding candidates the governor could have nominated," noted Vandervalk.
On May 26, Goore was issued tickets by Fairview police for driving with a suspended license and driving an uninsured vehicle. According to several newspapers, the citations were apparently thrown out after Farber, Goore's girlfriend, showed up at the scene in an unmarked SUV driven by a state trooper with emergency lights flashing.
The Bergen Record reported today that less than an hour after the two tickets were issued, "a person identified as the driver called the agency." An unidentified MVC employee in Trenton then restored Goore's driving privileges after finding that Goore paid a past ticket and fee to restore his license more than a year earlier.
MVC officials said motorists usually must present a receipt from a municipal court documenting they have paid any outstanding tickets and then present it in person at an MVC office in order to have a suspended license reinstated.
In addition, the newspaper said that lawyers for the other two law officers at the scene said that the state trooper who chauffeured Farber "made it clear that Farber wanted them to revoke the tickets and allow Goore to drive away." One of the officers also indicated that "he felt intimidated by the presence of the attorney general at the traffic stop."
Governor Corzine has appointed a special prosecutor to investigate the allegations.
"Of course, the detective felt intimidated," said Rooney. "He just issued a ticket to the live-in boyfriend of the highest law enforcement officer in the state and she appears on the scene with flashing lights. It's unconscionable that she would come anywhere near the scene.
"Once again state Attorney General Farber failed to properly execute the duties of her office," continued Rooney. "In April, she addressed a crowd at an immigration rally in Newark in protest of federal legislation that would crack down on illegal immigrants. Now, a month later, she uses her influence to pressure police officers to void vehicle citations that were issued to her boyfriend. This, ladies and gentlemen, is New Jersey's highest law official. If these aren't impeachable offenses, then what are?"
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For more information, contact:
Assemblyman John Rooney/201-967-8910
Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk/201-666-0881
Assembly Republican Office/609-292-5339
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Either Hamlet Goore, Zulima Farber's boyfriend, or the AG hersel
Either Hamlet Goore, Zulima Farber's boyfriend, or the AG herself drove his Oldsmobile van away from the scene, and over our public roads. The Record story, "New light shed on Farber incident," dated, July 6, 2006 relates that information. Here is the key portion of the story:
"The Fairview officers, insisting the unregistered van should not be driven, called a private towing firm asking it to haul the 1995 Oldsmobile van to the North Bergen home that Farber and Goore share, the sources said."
"As the officers waited for the tow truck, the sources said, someone -- either Farber or Goore -- drove off with the van, followed by the state police vehicle."
We know from her own admission in an interview with the New York Times, in a story published July 1, 2006, entitled, "Police Stop of Companion Puts Pressure on New Jersey State Official," that she knew the vehicle was uninsured. As was stated in that Times article:
"Ms. Farber said that the police stopped Mr. Goore about four or five blocks from their house and found that he was not wearing a seat belt and had a suspended license, and that the car was uninsured."
We also know from virtually all of the stories the van did not have an updated, or current registration, and that Hamlet Goore did not have a currently valid driver's license.
The latest story in the Record, dated July 11, 2006, and entitled "Tow for van canceled after Farber arrived," states that the Motor Vehicle Commission has now conceded that a call came in to MVC on May 26th, about an hour after the time on the tickets, requesting that Goore's suspension be lifted. It says:
"Goore had received a ticket for driving with a suspended license around 10 a.m. on May 26. But after a phone call and a check of the state court system files, an agency employee in Trenton restored his driving privilege, officials said."
So, if Goore drove it away from the scene, that involved 3 new violations: Driving without a current license, driving an unregistered vehicle; and driving an uninsured vehicle. Farber knew that, yet she permitted it to happen knowing that he was committing three violations in her presence, and she did nothing about it.
As the Chief Law Enforcement Officer in the State, that is a fundamental violation of her oath of office. It may also involve official misconduct and other possible charges.
But, if Farber drove the vehicle away, then she herself knowingly committed two violations of the law: Driving an unregistered vehicle; and driving an uninsured vehicle!
And in that case, she would have knowingly violated the law she is sworn to uphold.
So, whoever drove that van home, it looks like it's game, set, and match for Zulima!
And to think that if Roberto "Che" Menendez had his way, she wou
And to think that if Roberto "Che" Menendez had his way, she would be sitting on the State Supreme Court!
Boy you sure can pick em Bob.