BERGEN COUNTY REPUBLICANSCALABRESE HELLER & DUGGANContact Matt Mowers201-880-1646                                                        May 27, 2008 BERGEN GOP SEES CRACKS IN DEMOCRAT ARMOR FROM FEDERAL INVESTIGATION INTO LAWYER  Hackensack – The Federal Government’s investigation into Bergen County Democratic Organization lawyer Dennis Oury is a welcome sign that federal oversight has finally arrived to Bergen County, say Bergen’s Republican freeholder candidates.  The federal subpoenas that were dropped on six towns and the state Attorney General’s subpoena of the Bergenfield Mayor, says GOP candidate Paul Duggan are “good signs for taxpayers.”

 “For years, the Republican Party has been arguing that the corrupt nature of the Bergen Democrats has spawned the waste of millions of dollars of taxpayer money on no bid contracts and patronage jobs,” said Duggan. “Hopefully, the federal investigation will prove what we have been saying – that the Democratic organization, is at its core a morally corrupt and possibly a criminal enterprise designed to help a few individuals at the expense of hundreds of thousands of taxpayers.”Duggan says the Oury investigation “is the crack in the armor of the Democratic Party that we knew would come.  “First there was the investigation and indictment of Joe Coniglio and his dealings with Hackensack hospital, now the investigation into Oury‘s contracts.  I have to think that we may be witnessing the unmasking of the Democrat organization,” added Duggan, a Bogota resident. Freeholder candidate Chris Calabrese says the Bergen Democrats have defended their costly system of government, claiming it is serving the people’s needs. “I think the only ones the Democrats have been serving are themselves – and Dennis Oury is at the top Democrat food chain.” Calabrese hastens to add that Oury’s vast government contracts would not exist except for the complicity of Democrat officeholders. “The obvious fact is that the Dennis Ourys of the world could not exist if they were not supported by a vast network of elected officials on the county and local level of government,” added Calabrese.  “Dennis Oury is just a symptom of a far larger problem in Bergen County; which is the abuse of taxpayer money in order to feed the Democrat political machine.” Jeffrey Heller, a GOP freeholder candidate from Ramsey says greed has overcome the Democratic Party. Heller pointed out that in May the Freeholder Board spent $56 million of taxpayer money – much of it on contracts to favored consultants – without debate and without concern for taxpayers.  “The problems in Bergen County can be summed up in the county budget -- which has now vaulted to more than $460 million – including a $22 million tax increase this year,” said Heller. “Why is there so much spending and where is it going? Hopefully the federal authorities can help us answer those questions.###