Alfred Steele

Former Assemblyman Alfred Steele admitted today that he accepted bribes to deliver local insurance and roofing contracts, and will face 37-46 months in a federal prison. Steele, a Minister and former Passaic County Undersheriff, resigned from the State Assembly, where he was Deputy Speaker, following his arrest in September.

Former Assemblyman Alfred Steele will appear in court todayRev. Alfred Steele, who resigned from the State Assembly in September following his arrest on bribery charges, is expected to appear in federal court today. U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie says he will offer comment after the 3PM hearing, and there is some chatter that Steele could enter a guilty plea as early as today.

State Sen. John Girgenti (left) and Passaic County Democratic Chairman John Currie with Assembly candidate Elease Evans
The Democratic Party chiefs in the 35th district united today behind a woman they say is a powerful community presence: a social worker, grandmother, public servant and churchgoer; someone with deep and important community ties in Paterson and the environs.

Hoping to represent a nearly 2-1 Democratic district, Passaic County Freeholder Director Elease Evans will have the added challenge of proving that the trust she built in her grassroots work and public service means something in a legislative district where a man with many of those same credentials on paper violated his office, according to the U.S. Attorney.

The Passaic County Democratic Organization this morning unanimously decided on Evans to replace former Assemblyman (and Passaic County Undersheriff) the Rev. Pastor Alfred Steele on the 35th district legislative ticket, and immediately made a statement regarding the new candidate’s intentions. Acknowledging that dual public office-holding isn’t a practice the public will tolerate, Evans said if elected to the Assembly on Nov. 6th she would hold dual office only for a period of months, and would not seek re-election to the freeholder board when her term expires at the end of 2008.

Assemblywoman-elect Elease Evans will not seek re-election to the Passaic County Board of Freeholders in 200835th District Democrats today elected Elease Evans to the State Assembly. She will fill the unexpired term of Alfred Steele, who resigned last week after his arrest on bribery charges, and will seek a full-term in the Assembly in November.

Evans, the Passaic County Freeholder Director and former NAACP leader, became the unanimous choice at a Special Election Convention after party leaders agreed to support her earlier this morning.

Passaic County Democratic Chairman John Currie said that Evans will serve in both offices for now, but will step down as Freeholder sometime before the completion of her current term, which expires in January 2009. Under the new state law banning dual officeholding, Evans would be eligible to hold both posts, if she wanted to.

Democrats in three legislative districts have scheduled conventions to elect new legislators and pick new candidates.

Saturday, Sept. 15: District 35 Democrats will hold a Special Election Convention to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Assemblyman Alfred Steele, and a Special Primary Convention to choose a new candidate to run as the Democratic Assembly candidate in the November 2007 general election.

Sunday, Sept. 16: District 38 Democrats will hold a Special Primary Convention to pick a new candidate for the State Senate.  The incumbent, Joseph Coniglio, announced on Wednesday that he will not seek re-election.

Wednesday, Sept. 19: District 27 Democrats will hold a Special Election Convention to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Assemblyman Mims Hackett, and a Special Primary Convention to choose a new candidate to run as the Democratic Assembly candidate in the November 2007 general election.

The Assembly Clerk has received resignations from Mims Hackett and Alfred Steele.

Democratic County Committee members in the 27th and 35th districts must hold a Special Election Convention within the next 7-35 days to fill the remaining four months of their current terms.  Additionally, Democrats must hold a Special Nominating Convention to replace them on the November general election ballot.

Deputy Speaker Alfred Steele is expected to resign his seat in the New Jersey State Assembly on Monday, four days after FBI agents arrested him on bribery charges. Another Assemblyman Mims Hackett, indicated his intent to resign late Friday night.

Steele has stepped down as Passaic County Undersheriff, and Sheriff Gerald Speziale has not said if he would fire him.

Mims HackettGovernor Jon S. Corzine, Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts, Senate President Dick Codey and Assemblyman/Democratic Party Chairman Joseph Cryan have called on arrested Assemblymen Mims Hackett and Alfred Steele to resign by the end of the weekend, according to a statement issued by the Democratic State Committee this afternoon.

"I’m saddened that we’re at a position that we had to call for resignations. On the other hand, they had to be done. You can’t tolerate this stuff," the Democrats said in a statement.

Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts said today that he has spoken to the two Democratic legislators who were arrested yesterday on bribery charges.  Roberts said that effective immediately, Hackett will step down as Chairman of the Assembly State Government Committee and Steele will give up his post as Assembly Deputy Speaker.  Both will also give up their committee assignments.

Bill Baroni wants Gov. Corzine to call a special legislative session next week to tackle ethics reformNews that two of his colleagues in the Assembly - among others - had been indicted on corruption charges in federal court Thursday sounded like a leaden cymbal clash in the lead up to festivities at the Democratic State Conference at Bally’s in Atlantic City.

But State Democratic Chairman Assemblyman Joseph Cryan gave no indication he believes the party, as in the one he belongs to, shouldn’t go on, even as he acknowledged that the state needs stronger ethics reforms.

Meanwhile, a Republican outfit ridiculed for months as the most obvious institutional wreckage left over from a sagging Bush presidency, found an opening.