Cardinale Asks A.G. to Investigate Merhi Appointment

December 17, 2007

Honorable Anne Milgram

Attorney General,

State of New Jersey

Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex

Market & Warren Streets

Post office Box 080

Trenton, New Jersey 08625

Dear General Milgram:

            I am writing to request that you conduct an investigation into allegations that Governor Jon Corzine or members of his staff may have promised a state appointment to Mr. Sami Mehri in return for dropping out of a race for the office of Passaic County Freeholder.

            On March 18, 2006 Mr. Mehri received the endorsement of the Passaic County Democrat organization to run for the office of Passaic County Freeholder.  In the ensuing days, Governor Corzine, Senator Robert Menendez and Assemblyman Gary Schaer wrote letters to the Passaic Democrat Chairman John Currie and the Passaic Democratic organization stating that they could not support a ticket that included Mr. Mehri.  The Passaic Democrat organization met again on March 25 and rescinded its endorsement of Mr. Mehri’s candidacy.  After losing his party’s endorsement, Mr. Mehri admitted before the Senate Judiciary Committee that he met with Governor Corzine and community leaders to discuss a possible gubernatorial appointment to a State board.

            Mr. Mehri, nevertheless, ran a write-in campaign after losing a law suit he brought requesting to have been listed as a Democrat Freeholder candidate on the primary ballot.  Mr. Mehri’s write-in campaign failed but he filed a petition to run as an independent candidate. 

            Published reports quote Mr. Mehri as saying that he would only drop his independent candidacy if he received an appointment to a state agency from Governor Corzine.  Eight weeks before the election, Mr. Mehri dropped his independent candidacy. On November 8, 2007 he was nominated by Governor Corzine to be a member of the New Jersey Educational Financing Authority. 

            As you are aware, it is a crime to offer an appointment in exchange for dropping a candidacy.  In fact, Carneys Point Mayor, John Lake, was recently tried and convicted of two counts of bribery and one count of official misconduct after promising a job to his political opponent for dropping a candidacy.

            This is the second time this month that allegations regarding a “quid pro quo” involving the Governor or the Governor’s staff have come to the attention of the Senate Judiciary Committee during the review of gubernatorial appointments.  In light of these statements, I sadly must request that you carefully investigate this matter to determine whether any laws have been broken by Mr. Mehri, the Governor or members of his senior staff.

Sincerely,

Gerald Cardinale