Jeanne Fox

With Gary Rose set to leave his Corzine front office post by the end of the month, there are already a few names being mentioned as possible successors as Chief of the Office of Economic Growth: state Transportation Commissioner Kris Kolluri; Caren Franzini, the CEO of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority; New Jersey Utilities Association President/CEO Karen Alexander.  A dark horse candidate: former Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Bill Gormley.

If Frank Lautenberg’s political consultant, Steve DeMicco, beats up on Rob Andrews – as he surely will – how will that affect the already controversial renomination of his DeMicco’s wife, Jeanne Fox, as President of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities?  John Adler is Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is holding Fox’s nomination until after the trial of whistle-blower who claims retaliation for reporting a potentially illegal an $80 million ratepayer-funded Clean Energy account established by Fox.  And South Jersey, Andrews’ base, has six Democratic Senators – which means if the GOP comes through with their pledge to oppose Fox, she can’t possibly get confirmed without the support of South Jersey Democrats.

When it comes to BPU President Jeanne Fox’s reappointment, Gannett’s Bob Ingle and Gregory Volpe have been working overtime.

Based on recent coverage, it appears the Gannett chain is the only NJ newspaper paying close attention to the current storyline about Fox’s day-in-court-defense to a whistle blower complaint and the pending Senate review of her reappointment as Board President.

The decision of an outraged Governor Jon Corzine to withdraw his renomination of Superior Court Judge Fred Kiesler for using a racial slur in the courtroom came eight years after his own fledgling political career nearly ended after making an ethnic joke of his own. Kieser, who has been on the bench for seven years, used a “no tickee, no laundry” line – a comment viewed as offensive to Asian American immigrants. Corzine, as a U.S. Senate candidate in March 2000, made a joke about asking an Italian American businessman if he made 'cement shoes." He also made a Jewish lawyer joke.

Corzine made a very public apology and asked for the forgiveness of Italian American and Jewish community leaders. His charitable foundation also made some strategic contributions. Kieser, it seems, doesn’t have a foundation.

The Governor dropped Keiser only after the Senate Judiciary Committee released details of a complaint against the Middlesex County Judge – although the complaint about the ethnic slur was in Keiser's file at the time the Corzine decided to renominate him. Corzine still renominated Jeanne Fox, the wife of his political advisor, to the Board of Public Utilities, despite accusations of ethical improprieties that are potentially more serious and substantial.

Senate Judiciary Committee John Adler will hold the nomination of Jeanne Fox until after the completion of a whistleblower trial, according to an Asbury Park Press report today.  Gov. Jon Corzine reappointed Fox to the state Board of Public Utilities, despite from a top BPU official alleging that Fox and others retaliated against him for alerting the state that Fox set up a potentially improper $80 million account outside the supervision of the State Treasurer.