Jersey City Ward E Councilman James Solomon’s mayoral campaign is unloading on Jim McGreevey over an editorial where he discussed municipal fiscal mismanagement, exclaiming that his “career in politics is littered with the misuse of government funds.”
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Jim McGreevey’s career in politics is littered with misuse of government funds that have cost the taxpayers – both in Trenton and right here in Jersey City,” Solomon campaign manager Stuart Thomas said in a statement.
“The McGreevey governorship was awash in corruption, and as executive director of the Jersey City Employment and Training Program, city audits revealed that millions of dollars were unaccounted for under McGreevey’s leadership before he was fired by the board.”
Thomas noted that a forensic audit declared that”millions” from the now defunct Jersey City Employment and Training Program (JCETP) were unaccounted for or redirector to another McGreevey-run nonprofit, which came about six months after he was fired.
McGreevey called the audit false and said that was simply Mayor Steven Fulop, who had appointed him executive director of JCEPT in 2013, attempting to make him look bad after they had a falling out.
Thomas also pointed out that McGreevey received lifetime benefits from Hudson County after just four months of work, billing more than $75,000 to the state for a mostly personal trip to Ireland, using a state helicopter 14 times on non-governmental trips, and using $10 million in state funds in TV and radio campaign that heavily featured McGreevey.
“Let’s be clear, corruption is a tax that Jersey City residents pay and they are sick of it,” Thomas concluded.
“That’s why our campaign has proposed a far-reaching anti-corruption plan and why we’re going to stop the corruption tax in Jersey City once and for all. Voters are sick of promises from politicians who have lied and failed them and are ready to turn the page.”
Solomon’s anti-corruption plan includes a municipal inspector general with subpoena power, a public database for public contracts, and have an independent body give grants to support local journalism, among other things, as HCV first reported.
McGreevey did not return an email seeking comment Monday morning.
Anyone else remember when Mr Jimmy putting his young foreign boyfriend on the taxpayer payroll when he was in office ?
McGreevey’s prior ethical lapses should preclude him from holding elected office again.
He may have reformed, and more power to him, but as governor he violated the public trust and that is unforgivable.
We have a felon in the White House and dirtbag Cuomo running for mayor in NYC.
Jersey City can and should do better.
As I remember this situation, monies were misdirected into different accounts, but none found to have been stolen. Solomon is making this up.