Shocker! Another Democrat NJ Senator is Corrupt

Corruption and politics in New Jersey go together like John Edwards and a blow dryer, Joe Biden and plagiarism and Hillary Clinton and dodging questions. If you are a Democrat in New Jersey and attain any elected office, it's standard practice to gain as much money from that position as humanly possible (or sex from staffers as was shown by a certain ex-governor) by shaking down businesses and than steering contracts in their direction.

Now the Garden State is shamed by a new/old brewing scandal, the man who replaced (in an illegal way) the highly corrupt Senator Robert Toriccelli (who still can't seem to stay away from shady practices and gallingly--and some would say racially--blames it on Puerto Rican practices) is now mired in what will probably amount to a major brouhaha:

LiCausi started work for Menendez back when he was in the House in 1998. She was 26. Four years later she left with the title of chief of staff of his New Jersey office, a position that the Times called "midlevel" -- she supervised six people. But immediately she began raking in some hefty contracts, not only as a lobbyist, but also as a fundraiser for Menendez and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Menendez admitted to the Times that he'd "encouraged" the DCCC to hire her for the $10,000 a month spot. And no doubt he was responsible for the work on his political committees, where she was also making another $10,000 a month fundraising for both his political action committee and his campaign. And then there were the lobbying contracts which also rolled in.

The subpoenas issued in the past few months have been to two of LiCausi's clients. One, to Jersey City Medical Center, was originally reported by The Star-Ledger in late August. The other, to the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, was reported two weeks ago. The hospital signed up LiCausi in January, 2003, shortly after she left Menendez's office; the contract paid $280,000 through February of this year. An exec from the hospital has also testified before a grand jury.

Note that TPM spins it as a GOP-supporting prosecutor gunning for the Democrat simply because he's a Democrat but anyone who knows the history of the Dems in North Jersey knows that you have to scratch a whole lotta backs to get ahead and get elected. You have to be corrupt or you don't get elected. South Jersey is a bit more sane but not by a huge margin. Politics in Jersey is rough and tumble, a Giants-Eagles game is about the same civility level as elections.

When I heard that it was a New Jersey Senator and sex may have been involved, I prayed to the good Lord that it was Menendez and not Frank Lautenberg. Fortunately, I was right.