Joseph Coniglio

Joe Coniglio is the target of a federal criminal probeBergen County GOP Chairman Rob Ortiz has filed a formal complaint with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission regarding former State Sen. Joseph Coniglio’s use of leftover campaign funds – about $90,000 – to pay for his legal expenses. ELEC ruled on Wednesday that former State Sen. Wayne Bryant, who is under indictment, could not use his warchest to pay attorney fees. Coniglio is the target of a federal criminal probe.

Governor Jon Corzine will fill the Republican seat on the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission “within weeks or even days,” according to his spokesman, Jim Gardner. The seat has been vacant since Corzine named Judge Theodore Davis to serve as the Chief Operating Officer of Camden in December 2006.

Earlier this week, ELEC postponed a decision on the use of campaign funds to pay attorney fees in a criminal corruption case by a 2-1 vote, with the lone Republican Commissioner voting against the postponement. Republican National Committeeman David Norcross sharply criticized Corzine for leaving the GOP seat vacant for more than a year, calling it “inexcusable.” Norcross, a former ELEC Executive Director, said the law requires the commission to be bi-partisan.

Loretta Weinberg has signed off on John Molinelli's renomination as Bergen County ProsecutorJust a month and a half ago, the re-nomination of Bergen Prosecutor John Molinelli to another five year term looked to be in jeopardy.

The revelation that he had accompanied outgoing state Sen. Joseph Coniglio on a trip to Italy while the Senator was under federal investigation raised doubts among top Democratic officials whether he should be reconfirmed. Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Henry McNamara and Democratic Sen. Loretta Weinberg had already exercised senatorial courtesy for different reasons, refusing to sign off on Molinelli's nomination.

But today, the prospect of Molinelli securing another term looks much more likely, even if he has several more political obstacles to overcome.

Another bad day for State Sen. Joe ConiglioThe Bergen Record’s Charles Stile reports that the home and legislative office of outgoing state Sen. Joseph Conilgio have been searched by the federal agents.

The search is reportedly “the final act of the investigation” into whether Coniglio steered legislative grants to the Hackensack University Medical Center while working for the hospital as a $5,500-per-month plumbing consultant.

Sources say Harold Hodes testified in Coniglio grand jury probeLobbyist Harold Hodes, a top advisor to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in New Jersey and one of the state’s most powerful political insiders, has spent several hours testifying before a federal grand jury probing State Sen. Joseph Coniglio, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

Hodes, appearing in response to a federal subpoena, testified about appropriations Coniglio allegedly obtained for Hackensack University Medical Center while the two-term Senator was working as a paid consultant. At the time, Hodes’ firm, Public Strategies/Impact, was the HUMC lobbyist. The hospital received over $1 million in state grants while Coniglio was on their payroll.

Missing from Friday’s Ledger and Record stories about the failure by the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards to reopen an investigation into Sen. Joseph Coniglio was any mention of earlier promises by leadership to independently review the Legislative Code of Ethics.

BTW, recommendations were promised by June . . . that’s June 2007.

Hey, it’s tough to meet deadlines when constantly being distracted by subpoenas and agents rifling through your files.

The examination has seemingly disappeared into a news Black Hole.

Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli went on vacation to Italy with State Sen. Joe Coniglio, the target of a federal probeToday’s revelation that Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli traveled to Italy with State Sen. Joe Coniglio, the target of a federal criminal probe, only makes State Sen. Loretta Weinberg feel more uneasy about the prosecutors reappointment.

The Bergen Record’s Charles Stile revealed today that Coniglio and Molinelli were among nine people who traveled to Italy last month. Molinelli told Stile that Coniglio was added to the trip at the last minute, and that he reconsidered going, but decided to anyway.

With about five weeks to go before the general election, it’s risky to write off any political campaign as a lost cause. But several underdog candidates who once seemed to have a slight chance at running competitive races do not seem to have picked up steam or support from their parties.

State Senate candidates Robert Colletti, Richard Dennison, Gina Genovese and John Villapiano have all run spirited campaigns. And while none has a good shot at winning on November 6th, all four insist that their campaigns are very much alive.

Meanwhile, Seema Singh’s State Senate campaign isn’t necessarily dead, though it is on life support.

It was a big happy event, by the looks of it from the outside. They looked like an extended family in there, with the Jets game on in the background and a few of the men shamelessly turning sideways in their chairs as they watched Gang Green lose.

But when Assemblyman Robert Gordon stood at the podium and accepted their unanimous backing to succeed District 38 Sen. Joseph Coniglio, Bergen County Democrats emptied their seats and gave him their face-forward attention amid sustained applause.

Gordon had some longtime allies in the Sunday evening crowd at party HQ in Hackensack, guys with whom he went back a long time.