A federal corruption probe lead to the arrest of 11 Democratic officials another sign Madame Speaker's plan to "Drain the Swamp" doesn't apply to her party.
Here's the story in it's entirty plus a link to another source reporting the story as well:
11 public officials arrested in federal corruption probe
Thursday, September 6, 2007 By PETER SAMPSONSTAFF WRITER
The Record
Updated 11:59 a.m.
A phony company created by the FBI netted nearly a dozen officials -- including Passaic Mayor Sammy Rivera and Assemblyman Alfred E. Steele -- who were arrested this morning in a widespread corruption sting.
Those charged are accused of demanding and accepting cash bribes to influence the awarding of contracts for roofing and insurance services by school districts and municipalities, according to criminal complaints unsealed with the arrests.
The defendants — a collection of mayors, state legislators, and school board officials from Atlantic, Essex and Passaic counties — are to appear in federal court at 1:30 p.m. in Trenton.
They include Steele, who is also a Passaic County undersheriff, Passaic city Councilman Marcellus Jackson and former Passaic city Councilman Jonathan Soto. Steele is also the pastor at Seminary Baptist Church in Paterson and has been in the state Assembly since 1996. He has served as deputy speaker since 2002.
Dubbed “Operation Broken Boards,” the investigation began in mid-2006 with evidence of corruption in the Pleasantville school district. The FBI established an undercover insurance brokerage company with two cooperating witnesses.
Pleasantville School Board members allegedly took thousands of dollars in bribes from the cooperating witnesses, one of whom had previously operated a separate roofing business.
The circle of corruption widened when certain Pleasantville school board members referred the cooperating witnesses to public officials in northern New Jersey who also took bribes and, in turn, put the contractor in touch with still other corrupt public officials, the complaints allege.
Federal authorities say the defendants demanded and accepted payments ranging from $1,500 to $17,500 at a time. In most cases, those charged sought to establish and perpetuate a corrupt relationship with the cooperating witnesses to continue receiving bribes, the complaints say.
U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie and FBI Special Agent in Charge Weysan Dun have scheduled a 3:30 p.m. press conference in Trenton to discuss the case.
Also arrested were Orange Mayor and the Democratic state Assemblyman Mims Hackett Jr. The chief of staff to Newark’s City Council president was also arrested, as were five current and former Pleasantville school board members.
Jenna Pollard, who answered the phone at Steele's Paterson office and identified herself as his chief of staff, said she had no comment and didn't know if Steele has a lawyer.
The arrests are the latest in an anti-corruption campaign waged by Christie's office.
Two Democratic senators, Wayne Bryant of Lawnside and Sharpe James of Newark, are facing pending federal corruption charges. Both pleaded not guilty.
More than 100 public officials in the state have been convicted on federal corruption charges in the last five years.
http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2MDcmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcxOTE2MjkmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXky
Hat tip Reagan Gahagan Report and northjersey.com
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