UPDATED: Wainstein reignites feud with Sacco following North Bergen DPW verdict

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North Bergen spokesman Phil Swibinski says former mayoral hopeful Larry Wainstein is “in no position to be making demands about campaign finance reform,” since his “losing campaign” hasn’t filed a post-election report with the NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) yet.

Sacco-Wainstein

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

Wainstein is again taking aim at archenemy Nick Sacco – the North Bergen mayor and state Senator of the 33rd District – claiming that court testimony from the North Bergen DPW trial proves there is widespread corruption permeating in the township.

“Nicholas Sacco’s use of election fraud was exposed in open court during the criminal trials of North Bergen Department of Public Works Supervisors Francis Longo and Troy Bunero,” Wainstein said in a statement.

He referenced a news clip exclusive to Hudson County View, where North Bergen DPW employee Paul Molinero testified in Hudson County Superior Court that ex-Department Superintendent James Wiley forced him to commit voter fraud.

“As these court cases come to fruition, we will continue to see how pervasive the corruption that plagues North Bergen has become. But, ultimately, the truth is always exposed, and the will of the people will prevail. Change is coming,” Wainstein concluded, echoing what he said shortly after he came up short in the May 12 municipal election against Sacco.

Mario Blanch, an attorney aligned with Wainstein who filed a voter fraud case against dozens of Sacco supporters back in April, also predictably took aim at the Sacco administration.

“The egregious actions that have been perpetrated by Sacco and his campaign are finally being exposed by our justice system. I am currently working on a case that is riddled with precisely the same election fraud that was admitted to in this case, but on a much larger scale,” he said in an email.

“The amount of voter fraud that occurs in North Bergen elections is outrageous. We are working hard to find all those responsible for the fraud and to have them legally prosecuted. The legal voters of North Bergen are the real victims here.”

Wainstein also referenced the testimony of DPW worker Nicholas Oriolo, who stated that Wiley routinely forced DPW employees to buy political tickets for the mayor’s ball – an annual fundraiser for Sacco.

Neither Molinero, or Oriolo, stated on the stand that Sacco, or any other elected official, strong-armed them into doing anything they didn’t want to do.

Following the jury’s guilty verdict yesterday, Wainstein added that he wants the North Bergen Board of Commissioners “to pass a campaign finance reform ordinance that will prohibit soliciting and accepting campaign contributions” from township/board of education employees and vendors.

Township spokesman Phil Swibinski told Hudson County View that Wainstein should look in the mirror before talking about transparent campaign fundraising.

“Larry Wainstein can’t even be bothered to file his campaign’s post-election ELEC report, as he is required by law to do, so he’s in no position to be making demands about campaign finance reform,” Swibinski said in an email.

“Every donation and expenditure made by Mayor Sacco’s campaign has been reported in accordance with the law and is available for anyone to view, but Wainstein is hiding the massive amount of his personal fortune he sunk into his losing campaign. It’s just more of the same — hypocrisy and lies from Lying Larry Wainstein.”


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4 COMMENTS

  1. I’m someone that voted for larry and even I’m fed up with this drama just let it go larry I’m seriously thinking of not even voting next time around!!! Take a break

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