Menendez Finance Director Fined By State Ethics Commission
In Other Violations
No Agenda
Corruption just always seems to surround Menendez.
<<< The State Ethics Commission — in what is believed to be its largest-ever penalty — on Tuesday told the boss of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority to pay a $50,000 penalty for approving work with a Turnpike contractor who had provided the highway chief and his family with free flights to Florida in a private plane.
The finely crafted resolution said the commission believed Turnpike Authority Chairman Joseph Simunovich of Norwood, Bergen County, violated ethics rules. But Simunovich agreed only that "his conduct could be construed to be a violation."
[...]
Said the commission, "Simunovich should have recused himself from voting" on the contracts for Turnpike contractor Joseph Sanzari, the owner of Sanzari Inc.
The commission said in its agreement that in April 2004, Sanzari flew two of Simunovich's grandchildren down and back to Florida for a six-day journey. Details of that trip were unclear, though lawyer Evenchick said the grandchildren were about 12 or 14.
The agreement stated Simunovich did not know that his son-in-law had arranged that trip. >>>
Now, as unlikely as that seems, the commission approved the weakly-worded resolution that avoided declaring Simunovich guilty. But don't think the reason is because the guy is innocent.
<<< The commission voted unanimously to approve the settlement, which one abstention, to avoid a “protracted, expensive” court battle that could have taken years to resolve, said Paula Franzese, the panel’s chairwoman.
“The fact that this is a formidable civil payment speaks volumes,” said Franzese. >>>
It's interesting to note that it is not until the second to last paragraph in the Asbury Park Press story that Simunovich's connection to Menendez is mentioned.
<<< Simunovich, a Turnpike commissioner since March of 2002 and chairman since May of that year, had been at the post at a time when Sanzari and a partner won $52 million in Turnpike contracts. Last year, he was campaign finance chairman for U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J. >>>
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