COLLETTI FOR STATE SENATE

Higher Integrity, Lower Taxes 

 Contact 973-403-7836                                                            June 12, 2007   

MORE SUBPOENAS FOR CONIGLIO. IS HE STAYING OR IS HE GOING?   

Elmwood Park -- Is state Sen. Joseph Coniglio running for re-election or will he be busy fending off federal prosecutors investigating Coniglio’s role in steering $1 million in state grants to his employer? asked Robert Colletti, the Republican Senate candidate in District 38 (Bergen County).

Reports in today’s Record newspaper said federal prosecutors have subpoenaed a state ethics panel seeking more information about Coniglio and his role in directing $1 million in state grants to Hackensack Medical Center, where Coniglio was employed as $60,000 a year plumbing consultant. 

The federal request for documents about Coniglio’s role in obtaining state grants was made several weeks ago, but only became public this week, according to the Record.   The federal probe has been ongoing for months and has led to previous subpoenas of documents relating to Coniglio and state grants. Several other Democrat lawmakers, including Assembly members Robert Gordon and Joan Voss (D-38) and state Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-36) have been subpoenaed by federal investigators. 

“With more federal subpoenas being served seeking information on Sen. Coniglio’s role in funneling grants to an institution that he was working for, I think it is time for Mr. Coniglio to tell the voters if he intends to seek re-election and or if he intends to get out of the race, said Colletti, of Elmwood Park. 

“I don’t see how he can run for office and cooperate or defend himself from a federal criminal investigation,” added Colletti, a former councilman. Colletti said the Bergen Democrats should not be playing games with an important state legislative election coming up and should not attempt to pull a candidate switch late in the fall campaign.

“Voters need the time to evaluate candidates and if Sen. Coniglio is going to pulled out of the election at the last possible moment by his party, it’s not fair to the voters,” said Colletti. “He should announce now that he is in the campaign to the end or come clean and tell us he is getting out.”

Colletti is running with Assembly candidates John Driscoll of Paramus, Renee Czarnecki of South Hackensack.

Cliffside Park Borough, Edgewater Borough, Elmwood Park Borough, Fair Lawn Borough, Fort Lee Borough, Hasbrouck Heights Borough, Little Ferry Borough, Lodi Borough, Paramus Borough, Ridgefield Borough, Saddle Brook Township, South Hackensack Township, Teterboro Borough,