In a stunning development in the ongoing vote-by-mail fraud investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Hoboken politico Frank Raia has been indicted, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.Â
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Frank Raia, 67, and Dio Braxton, 43, both of Hoboken, were charged with conspiracy to violate the federal Travel Act for causing the mails to be used in aid of voter bribery, contrary to New Jersey state law, during the 2013 election, authorities said.
A federal grand jury charged them today, while Lizaida Camis, a conspirator, was charged by indictment on October 17th.
Under state law, registered voters are permitted to cast a ballot by mail rather than in-person. To receive a mail-in ballot, voters must complete and submit to their County Clerk’s Office an application for vote-by-mail ballot (VBM application).
After the VBM application is processed by the County Clerk’s Office, voters receive a mail-in ballot.
From October 2013 through November 2013, Raia allegedly instructed Braxton and other conspirators to pay certain Hoboken voters $50 if those voters applied for and cast mail-in ballots in the November 2013 Hoboken municipal election.
Conspirators provided these voters with VBM applications and then delivered the completed VBM Applications to the Hudson County Clerk’s office, authorities said.
After the mail-in ballots were delivered to the voters, the conspirators went to the voters’ residences and, in some cases, instructed the voters to vote for Raia and in favor of a ballot referendum relating to rent control that he supported.
Conspirators promised the voters that they would be paid $50 for casting their mail-in ballots and told them that they could pick up their checks after the election at Raia’s Hoboken office, officials said.
Bank records show that voters living in Hoboken received $50 checks from an entity hired by Raia’s political action committee. The entity is yet to be identified by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Hudson County View first reported last month that Raia was the chair of a PAC that sought to loosen the city’s rent control laws, Let the People Decide, which paid Camis twice during the tail end of the 2013 mayoral campaign.
The criminal complaint notes that Raia was the chair of an unnamed political committee and “the PAC, at Raia’s direction, paid a company (“Entity l”) to print checks for voters.”
Raia, also a former chairman of the North Hudson Sewerage Authority, and Braxton each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the conspiracy charge.
“I can’t stress enough how big of a deal this is for Hoboken. Every Hoboken election is crafted around the impact of the ‘paid for votes.’ This puts a big face on the practice and hopefully puts an end to it as well,” said 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher.
Hopefully, this will make people realize that the days of old-school voter fraud are coming to an end in Hoboken, and we should 100% bring back majority rule selection of our elected officials by returning the run-off to Hoboken. There are many ways to influence elections. Vote-by-mail fraud is one of them. Eliminating the runoffs is another. Hoboken is becoming too rich for $50 per vote to have much of an effect upon Hoboken, and these indictments only make that more the case (who would be stupid enough to do that in the wake of these indictments?). But, Hoboken candidates are not above using a crowded field to divide and conquer the Hoboken voter base. Bring back the runoff, and take one more step toward honest, democratic elections and majority choice of our elected officials.
How about no run-offs? Ravi Bhalla will win either way. When Raia sings (and he will) 3 vacancies on the council.
You were for runoffs long before anyone was indicted. Still haven’t asked yourself who is behind the Democracy in Action flyer on your site and why they want runoffs. Total phony.
Keep associating yourself with disgraced sexual predator Bill O’Reilly. It’s not like any women read your site.
What website is Nancy complaining about now? That’s not Horse obviously but Hoboken Horse is deep inside her head. He’s factual and she’s bitter and frumpy. So win-win. Hoboken runoffs will win so that’s a win for democratic voting too.
I’m not Nancy. If she’s frumpy what are you? Grey hair, got man-breasts. Look like you aged 10 years since the lawsuit. She’s got a family. What have you got? Obsessed.
Yawn. It’s Nancy again.
Nothing. This is it. Picking out a few people to hate and making that the entire focus of his sad life. Writes articles at a 7th grade level. Writes comments agreeing with himself. Makes Klaussen look psychologically healthy.
No one whines crying “victim” more than Nancy. That’s how you always know it’s her. She gets a pinky touch and she screams how people are “obsessed” with her. Ever see her stupid website? Obsessed with defaming and destroying anyone and everyone who criticizes the big pro development, two job timing, non-employee paying Ravi Bhalla. She sure is jealous of councilwoman like Jen and Tiffanie and especially that Horse who is getting recognition for his investigations against voter fraud. Expect more ugly from the very ugly. Ick, she’s gross.
Why doesn’t the Hoboken Antifa Leftist leader Nancy ask Ravi who put out his Terror Flier to get him elected? She knows.
When oh when will leftist do-nothing Chief Ferrante step down and give the job to My Hero Horse who easily solved the terror flyer case and has PROOF that the lazy corrupt Chief Ferrante fails to consider.
My Hero Horse for Police Chief NOW!
But what about the Ravi Terror Flier? Funny how you Ravi insiders all deflect from it. Don’t point at the police chief, he’s doing a great job unlike your scummy deflection at him here. We all know why.
The days of Ravi trying to get Pupie a job are over too. Haha!
No, the corrupt Chief Ferrante is doing a TERRIBLE job. Every article and comment by My Hero Horse shows he solved the terror flyer case months ago. But the easily bribed Chief refuses to look at the evidence My Hero Horse has. Do you think My Hero Horse would be accusing Bhalla of a felony constantly if he didn’t have PROOF????
Fire Ferrante! Give the job to My Hero Horse!
Well who do we have defaming Police Chief Ferrante accusing him of a crime? Smells like Lindastan and Ravibot Forde. They say thei tracks are covered and the Horse can’t get them.
You hear that Horse. They gave you the high hat just like Pupie did.
This could get fun. Taunt that big toothed Horse more! I like where this is going. 🕵ðŸ¼â€â™€ï¸
Raia helped lots of people over the years. His list of benefactors is long. Not short.
This is no small matter for Zimmer… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUqkH_2AgmE
Wow…
You’ve turned out to be quite the nasty bully. My friend Jessica Coco told me you said, “I wish her well.” Yeah, you “wish me well” by publishing ugly pics of me, limericks about my dead cat, names of my family, and antiSemitic Beth Mason talking points from 2010. In other words, you are completely full of $hit, a horrible person AND obsessed with me/my blog. Now, as for commenting on my physical appearance (“frumpy”) what is the purpose of that? You’re not looking too hot yourself these days. I certainly don’t think you are in a position to disparage ANYBODY’s looks. Finally, whatever I look like, I have a family and a life. Is that why you are so angry with me? I really don’t care what you do with yourself, but this obsession with me is creepy. Move on. Get a life. Get a girl or a boy to love you. Or even a horse. Who cares. Dont worry about what I look like. Or my politics.
-Nancy, ex-friend
What hypocrisy… Your site comments mock dead relatives, appearances, jobs and homes but when people hit back at you, you go nuts. You are NO DIFFERENT than Kim, Lane and Perry but in your case you’re 3 rolled into one. Paid Operative, Writer and Photoshopper. You’ve thrown your social life and image in this town in the toilet for Ravi. Maybe when he’s in Trenton and your kid is off to college and you’re wandering the streets with no friends, you’ll do what Perry did and finally go away! Even Perry didn’t troll personal facebook threads and stalk people in houses of worship.
Pot meet mirror
comments about people’s physical appearance are both uncalled for and a distraction from a discussion of the issues. Hate seeing it now, always hated seeing it in the past.
So I looked at the Hobokenhorse.com website all I see are stories about local issues. I don’t see anything about that kook Nancy. A glance at her cheezy Inquirer cartoon site is filled with nothing but personal attacks. Horse should post a photo of her since she’s crying about it. Doesn’t Nancy photoshop others adding weight to make them appear fat? Yet, an unedited photo of her is an “attack” and an international crime. Haha, that’s precious. Just do it Horse. Maybe it’ll teach her to stop lying. Or publish that blow up doll. That was utterly hilarious.
That’s the Shadowstan/Bhalla/Nancy fan club for ya!
Cry when they are attacked, mock others and be offensive all in the name of Ravi and ShadowstanNancu is just a paid pitchman for them.
Bhalla’s ELEC
“Flyers… Palm Cards…. Design…” That last one is a real riot. As if she knows anything about design. Her site is a graphic designer and web developer’s worst nightmare.
Kids at Hoboken High do better work.
In essence the unions also funded all Ravi’s local PAID workers
I will plead guilty to mocking the three doofuses of Hoboken. I never really thought about doofusness being a disability though. After all, a doofus can’t help being a doofus as the three of you have shown. So I humbly apologize to you and to doofuses everywhere.
Why does every story have to be about you two bashing each other? Some of us want to see honest discussion of the actual article.
One of the accused comes from a family known for carrying a lot of water in local elections. Does their matriarch believe the allegations, or does she think the story doesn’t have legs?
I thought this thread was supposed to be about Frank Raia and not some crazy cat blogger’s fragile ego. She can sure dish it out but certainly can not take it herself. Best to move along and ignore the troll. She has nothing to add other than talking points direct from the Bhalla camp or her own fabrications.
Now back to Frank Raia. I put my name in for NHSA in 2016 and got a seat on the Board. I replaced Frank Raia. It’s a good thing for the NHSA that Frank was a former commissioner rather than current. It should be noted that while I recieved 8 votes to get on the board it was Ravi Bhalla who wanted Frank Raia on the board under direction of Mayor Zimmer and Shadow Mayor Stan Grossbard. How do I know this? Ravi told me in not so many words when I called him about my interest in the position. I was able to fill in the blanks.
Ravi only voted for me when Frank could not get 5 votes. Back when Nancy was an ally even she supported my application to NHSA. It begs the question, why in 2016 when Zimmer knew about all the alleged VBM fraud operations led by Frank would she instruct Ravi to whip up votes for Frank?
Hardly the actions of a reformer but perhaps power was more important than principle.
Reform is dead, long live the Resistance! Viva la Resistance!