This following up from Snoopers excellent cross post from Take Our Country Back.
11 at a time now, not a bad haul for U.S. Attorney General Christopher Christie's office after an 18 month investigation.
Bette yet, over 100 public officials in the New Jersey have been convicted on federal corruption charges in the last five years as part of a massive anti-corruption campaign.
Among those arrested were Democratic state Assemblymen Mims Hackett Jr. and Alfred E. Steele, Passaic Mayor Samuel Rivera, Passaic Councilmen Jonathan Soto and Marcellus Jackson, and five Pleasantville school board members.
The officials are expected to appear in court in Trenton at 2 p.m. Thursday.
"The defendants allegedly demanded and accepted payments ranging from $1,500 to $17,500 at any one time," the release from the U.S. attorney's office alleges.
"Each of the 11 public officials and one associate accepted the corrupt payments from companies that offered insurance brokerage or roofing services to school districts and municipalities," the news release said.
State Assemblymen Mims Hackett Jr. and Alfred E. Steele -- both Democrats -- and Passaic Mayor Samuel Rivera are among those arrested, the news release says.
Steele also is under-sheriff in Passaic County, just outside Newark. Hackett is also mayor of Orange.
More from CNN
From the NYT:
A series of criminal complaints filed today in District Court by the F.B.I. describes covert meetings in restaurants, cash payments in cars, and officials who bargained for inside access to public contracts.
Passaic Mayor Samuel Rivera is charged in one complaint with taking $5,000 in cash while sitting in a parked car in Passaic. The complaint says he told a confidential witness that he could help him secure insurance contracts for the city of Passaic and the nearby Passaic Valley Water Commission.
“We can get you that, easy, easy,” Mayor Rivera said, according to the complaint.
The officials took bribes ranging from $1,500 to $17,500. In most cases, prosecutors say, they tried to keep in touch with the undercover witnesses in order to continue receiving the bribes.
Quick point of interest...look how WNBC reports this.
See any key facts missing from their reporting? Like...ummm.... PARTY AFFILIATION?
Anyone else wondering why that key fact is missing from WNBC's report?
Snoopers question still stands:
The question remains...will they be condemned or be granted membership in the Good Old Boy Scandal Club of the Democratic Party?
Lets see what the buzz shows....nope, not a peep from the left, no condemnation, no critique, no excuses, nothing, nada, zip, zilch, nein.....ZERO reaction.
Funny, had these been Republican officials, I would bet the left would be all over it, swarming like flies to dog poo.
As it stands, the silence is deafening.
Amazing.
.
