Anna Little, with good reason, has been taking credit for John Bennett’s election as Monmouth GOP Chairman. If not for Little endorsing her benefactor and encouraging the County Committee members who are also Tea Party activists to vote for Bennett, Christine Hanlon would be Chairwoman.
Little’s reward, whatever it is, will come sometime after she loses to Frank Pallone in November.
The biggest change that Bennett has made since taking over the helm of the Monmouth GOP six weeks ago is to start to make good on his campaign promise to raise the money necessary for county campaigns. He has informed the Monmouth GOP ticket of Freeholders John Curley and Serena DiMaso, as well as County Clerk Claire French, not to worry about rasing money for the fall campaign. He has instructed office holders not on the ballot this fall, including the legislative delegation and the sheriff, all of whom have campaigns next year, to suspend their fund raising activities effective August 1 so as not to compete with his efforts for the current campaign.
Burry on Mallet: “She’s a fraud, she a fraud, a fraud, fraud, fraud!”
Former Freeholder Amy Mallett, a Democrat, laid the blame for the Brookdale Community College scandal that lead to former college president Peter Burnham pleading to guilty to theft by deception and official misconduct earlier this week at the feet of the Monmouth GOP’s “cozy” relationship, “Club Monmouth” with the leadership of college.
In an OpEd piece published in The Asbury Park Press, Mallet took aim at Republican Freeholder Lillian Burry and her campaign treasurer, John Cantolupo who was the Brookdale Board of Trustees’ lawyer at the time Burnham’s lavish contract and spending irregularities were uncovered.
Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal released the following statement yesterday afternoon after former Brookdale Community College President Peter Burnham pled guilty to theft by deception and official misconduct:
“Earlier today, Brookdale Community College President Peter Burnham pled guilty of stealing tens of thousands of dollars in taxpayer money. The web of corruption surrounding this case is just another example of Monmouth County Republican cronies profiting at the taxpayers’ expense.”
“Mr. Burnham, along with Brookdale Community College’s then Board President Howard Birsdall and Brookdale’s Board Attorney John Cantalupo were all close allies and major political supporters of the Republican Party establishment here in Monmouth County. Mr. Cantalupo served as Freeholder Lillian Burry’s close confidant and official Campaign Treasurer in her 2005 and 2008 Freeholder campaigns. In this same time period, Mr. Cantalupo negotiated the terms of Peter Burnham’s lavish Brookdale contracts. This represents a clear conflict of interest, given that Mr. Cantalupo was Freeholder Burry’s right hand man. Perhaps this is why Freeholder Burry sat silently on the sidelines as the truth about Mr. Burnhams theft was being exposed.”
“As a result of the Republican-controlled Freeholder Board’s lack of oversight, student tuition increased at Brookdale Community College while their college president profited immensely. This is what happens when a chief advisor for the Republican Freeholders is negotiating salary contracts on behalf of a College President that is funded by these same Republican Freeholders. It is time for Monmouth County taxpayers to unite against the Good Ol’ Boys Network here in Monmouth County”
Prosecutor: The Brookdale investigation is ongoing
Curley calls for resignation of Trustees
Former Brookdale Community College President Peter Burnham, 68, pleaded guilty to one count of third degree theft by deception and two counts of second degree official misconduct today before Judge Thomas F. Scully in Monmouth County Court, according to Acting Monmouth County Prosectuor Christopher Gramiccioni.
In a plea agreement, Burnham accepted a five year prison term. During the first two years he will be ineligible for parole. Gramiccioni said the parole leniency is in consideration for Burnham’s cooperation with the investigation into Brookdale which is ongoing. The prosecutor said he expects Burnham, who was released on his own recognisance today, will serve two years after he is sentenced on September 21st.
Gramiccioni said the Brookdale investigation has been going on for the last 15 months. He declined to say who else at the college is being investigated.
Burnham admitted using college credit cards for more than $24,000 in personal expenses and to defrauding Brookdale and the federal government of $20,398 in funds intended for his son’s college tuition. Both Brookdale and the federal government paid the young Burnham’s tuition at Monmouth University. Monmouth later cut a refund check to Burnham for $20,398. He kept the money.
Freeholder Director John Curley, the “whistle blower” on the Brookdale scandal, today called upon those members of the college’s Board of Trustees who served during Burnham’s tenure as president to immediately resign.
Curley said that two Trustees have been replaced sense Burnham’s resignation. He wants all but the two replacements to resign today. Curley first shed light on Burnham’s spending irregularities in a statement issued to MMM in February of 2011.
The Asbury Park Pressis reporting that former Brookdale Community College President Peter Burnham is appearing before Judge Thomas Scully in Monmouth County Criminal Court this afternoon.
Burnham was suspended and then retired last year after Freeholder John Curley called for a review of Brookdale’s budget which lead to revelations of spending irregularities and lax oversight on the part of the college’s Board of Trustees. Burnham was charging Brookdale for expenses unrelated to the school and had a country club membership and tuition reimbursement for his children as part of his compensation. His salary was over $216,000. Additionally he was paid $39,000 for memberships, an $18,000 housing allowance and $27,000 for a vehicle.
A “major infrastructure failure” at the Swimming River Water Treatment Plant in the Lincroft section of Middletown has shut the water off for 3,000 Holmdel residences and closed Brookdale Community College until further notice.
Holmdel-Hazlet Patch was the first to report the story, scooping the Asbury Park Press pay site by an hour.
A statement from New Jersey American Water Company that was emailed by the Borough of Tinton Falls to its residents and forwarded to MMM by a reader states that the failure includes the loss of two transmission mains leaving the plant and well as the raw water main coming into the plant. New Jersey American Water customers in Monmouth County may be experiencing low water pressure or no pressure at this time.
Photo credit: lostcreekquarnberg blog
Residents of Middletown, Holmdel, Aberdeen, Highlands, Seabright, Rumson, Fair Haven, Little Silver, Oceanport, Shrewsbury Township and Borough, Tinton Falls and Long Branch are requested to limit all non-essential water use while NJAW works to restore service.
Save water, shower with friends.
UPDATE 4:32
Middletown Township sent out an automated phone call at 4:30 to residents and businesses announcing that all outdoor water usage is restricted.
The fallout associated with the financial mismanagement of Brookdale Community College continued today with the resignation of Howard Birdsall, the chairman of the board of trustees. Birdsall served on the board since 1998. His resignation is effective Friday, according to The Asbury Park Press.
The audit into Ex- Brookdale President Peter Burnham’s spending irregularities has revealed questionable reimbursements in the amount of $48,109.75. Brookdale plans to file suit against Burnham. Burnham’s retirement funds have been frozen by the Treasury Department. The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office is investigating. All of this according to the Asbury Park Press.
Brookdale has already spent $12,500 on the audit. Legal fees to date likely add up to several thousand dollars more, not to mention the cost of the prosecutors.
Unless there is reasonable suspicion of a great deal more of inappropriate expenditures, and there might be….an earlier APP article that is no longer on their site said construction of athletic facilities was being investigated…, the Brookdale Board of Trustees should consider settling this matter and putting the controversy in the past.
Spending more money on audits and litigation than on what was misappropriated would be stupid and wasteful. That money would be better spent on new management controls to ensure that similar misappropriations don’t occur in the future.
Peter Burnham resigned the presidency of Brookdale Community College yesterday in a defiant letter to the college board of trustees that touted his accomplishments. His said his resignation should not be construed as an admission of wrong doing, according to a report in the Asbury Park Press.Burnham said he was confident that his good reputation would be preserved.
Freeholder Lillian Burry blasted Burnham with the strongest language that any official has yet to use to condemn the disgraced college president’s excessive compensation and spending irregularities:
“He disgraced himself in the eyes of his students, in the eyes of his peers, in the eyes of everyone who believed in his vision for Brookdale and every Monmouth County taxpayer,” Burry said. “He has to be held accountable for his actions.”
Burry also backed off her previous support of the college board.
“They did allow this to happen,” she said. “They created the environment that allowed Peter Burnham to become untouchable. Everyone believed in what he was doing and there was no oversight.”
Freeholder Deputy Director John Curley called upon the Board of Trustees to resign, saying that they are policing themselves which is unacceptable. Freeholder Director Rob Clifton said that he expected that board members would voluntarily resign.
Across the aisle, Democratic Freeholder Amy Mallet was relatively quiet with the APP, deferring to her potential running mate, former Middletown Committeeman Sean Byrnes who ran for Freeholder against Curley in 2009.
The apparent lack of fiscal oversight at Brookdale is probably not unique to the college, Byrnes said Tuesday.
“Hopefully, the county will take this example and, perhaps, consider doing audits and investigations into some of the (other) boards they have ? library, parks,” he said.
Burry met with approximately 45 members of the Bayshore Tea Party Group last evening where she was very well received. Charles Measley, a GOP county committee member from Rumson and active BTPG member who attends Brookdale was particularly pleased with Burry. “I went into the meeting thinking Burry was a RINO, but came away impressed by how conservative she really is,” Measley said, “regarding Brookdale, she told us of Burnham’s departure and assured us that there would be additional house cleaning.”
Barbara Gonzalez, BTPG founder, said that Burry was extremely impressive and that some of the group’s members thought she should run for higher office.
The controversy over Brookdale Community College President Peter Burnham’s compensation and spending habits has given Democratic Freeholder Amy Mallet an issue to run on in her reelection bid. Mallet has picked up the ball and run with it.
The Brookdale issue should be a positive for Republicans. Republican Freeholder John Curley first identified and raised the issue which led to Burnham’s suspension last week. But while Mallet has gotten out front with the issue by calling for college chairman Howard Birdsall’s resignation and calling for term limits for Brookdale trustees, Republican Freeholder Lillian Burry, who is also up for reelection this year, has been far less aggressive.
Mallet has made headlines, here, here and here calling for Birdsall’s resignation and greater oversight of the Brookdale board, while Burry has been supportive of the board.
Burry told the Asbury Park Press, “At this point they (the Brookdale trustees) need our support,” Burry said, adding that the board of trustees moved swiftly to address the situation.
Seriously Lillian? They should have moved swiftly. But how long has this been going on? Where else in county government is excessive spending going on? The Library? The Park System? Nursing homes? The vocational school system?
The Brookdale trustees should be supported in this difficult time….by their friends and families….not by a Freeholder who is charged by the taxpayers with overseeing government operations and making sure our dollars are spent prudently.
Burry needs to decide who she is; friend or Freeholder. If she’s a friend, she needs to get out of the way and let someone else take her spot on the GOP ticket this year. If she is a Freeholder, she needs to step up her game. Over the last couple of weeks Burry gave Mallet’s career new life and Mallet is making the most of it.
Prior to the Brookdale scandal, few political observers gave Mallet much of a chance at reelection. Now she is in the game. This could lead to stronger Democrats stepping up to run for county and legislative office. It could make it easier for the Democrats to raise money. It could make what was looking to be a boring Republican rout this year become a competive election season.
