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New York Post
October 24, 2009
New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine really has no shame.
Just hours after Bergen County's longtime Democratic machine boss, Joseph Ferriero, was convicted Thursday on three federal felony corruption counts -- which could land him in prison for 20 years -- New Jersey's governor proudly defended having written him personal checks totaling nearly a half-million dollars.
That's right: Corzine, the Wall Street multimillionaire, and his family have funneled no less than $441,600 of their own money to keep Ferriero's arrogant political machine rolling.
And Corzine claims to be leading the charge of ethics reform in the state.
Right.
During Thursday night's final gubernatorial debate, Corzine claimed -- with a straight face -- that "when I have written checks to the Bergen County Democratic Organization, it is not to Joe Ferriero."
Tell that to anyone who knows Jersey politics; Ferriero practically ran Bergen County single-handedly.
Corzine insisted that he "took on Joe Ferriero myself, long before the federal prosecutors."
Yet, as one observer put it, if taking on Ferriero meant giving him nearly $500,000, feel free to take us on anytime.
In fact, even as Ferriero was being probed by the grand jury, Corzine sent out a statewide glossy flier that not only endorsed the Bergen boss, but praised his political tactics.
As GOP candidate Chris Christie -- the corruption-busting prosecutor who initiated the investigation that snared Ferriero and so many other corrupt public officials -- said: "Corzine's money enabled Joe Ferriero to be a dictator. If he wanted Ferriero out of power and out of influence, he should have closed his checkbook."
Was Corzine putting political loyalties over good ethics? It sure seems that way.
So much for his anti-corruption talk.
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