“Operation Dead End” Nets 28 In Asbury Park Gang-Affliliated Sweep, 3 Fugitives Still At Large

Asbury Park Police Officer Keith German is one of 31 charged in gang affiliated criminal organization

Acting Monmouth Prosecutor Gramiccioni announces Operation Dead End arrests in Asbury Park. Click photo for larger view.

Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni was joined by representatives of 26 Monmouth County and federal law enforcement agencies this afternoon when he announced charges levied against 31 people, including known members of the Bloods and Crips gangs as well as an Asbury Park Police Officer on charges including racketeering conspiracy, narcotics distribution, illegal possession of firearms, promoting organized street crime, armed robbery, shoplifting and endangering the welfare of of child.

Asbury Park Patrolman Keith German, a 16 year veteran of the department, was arrested and charged official misconduct and unauthorized access of a computer database for his alleged role in the criminal enterprise whereby he shared information with gang members in an effort to help them avoid arrest. Gramiccioni declined to share any evidence of German’s motives for participating in the criminal enterprise or to say if he would face additional charges.

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DCA Fires Another Sandy Contractor

Christie Should Come Clean About RREM Snafus At Town Hall Meeting

The Christie Administration has terminated a contract with a second company it hired to assist survivors of Superstorm Sandy rebuild their homes, according to a report on WNYC.

Governor Christie announcing a second round of RREM assistance, and that fact that federal assistance to rebuild from Sandy will be $17 billion or more short, in Keansburg last week.
Photo by Paul Scharff

URS, a global San Francisco based engineering and construction management firm had a $20 million contract to supervise the rebuilding of New Jersey homes under the Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation (RREM) program.  The contract has been terminated. Homeowners are being informed by state officials that one of two remaining contractors will now supervise the rebuilding of their homes.

RREM provides $150,000 Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to New Jersey residents as “last resort” rebuilding assistance.  The federal money is supposed to assist residents who have insufficient funds after insurance, other government assistance and private monies are exhausted.  URS was one of three companies hired to supervise home rebuilding, according to the WNYC report.  Residents who were working with URS have been assigned to one of the two other contractors.  The amount of fees committed to the remaining two contractors has not been reported.

While the Christie Administration has received high marks for its administration of assistance to municipal governments and businesses impacted by Sandy, there is growing criticism and frustration over the repeated delays in getting assistance to homeowners.

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Murray Sabrin is running for U.S. Senate

Ramapo College Professor Murray Sabrin made it official yesterday.  He is running for the GOP nomination to challenge Senator Cory Booker.

Sabrin made his announcement on NJ 101.5’s Dennis and Judy Show yesterday followed  by a fundraising appeal to supporters via email.

Sabrin’s announcement is an indication that he received sufficient encouragement from Republican county chairmen and other party leaders over the last two weeks since he announced his interest in challenging Booker that believes he has enough support to win the majority of establishment party lines in the primary.  Sabrin told WHDT 9 News, that he would only enter the primary if he had sufficient establishment support to avoid a competitive primary.

As a three time statewide candidate, once for governor as a Libertarian and twice as a Republican primary candidate for U.S. Senate, Sabrin is the favorite to win the GOP nomination by virtue of the name recognition and relationships built during those earlier races.

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Greg’s List: Things to do in Monmouth County this weekend, February 14-16, 2014

By Greg Kelly

Friday, February 14

• Pygmalion at Grange Playhouse (Howell) – MORE INFO

• Admit One at NJ Repertory Theater (Long Branch) – MORE INFO

• Pajama Tops at First Ave Playhouse (Atlantic Highlands) – MORE INFO

• Chris Pinnella at Algonquin Arts Theatre (Manasquan) – MORE INFO

• Baby the Musical at Center Playhouse (Freehold) – MORE INFO

• The Stone Pony 40th Anniversary Celebration (Asbury Park) – MORE INFO

• Shakespeare’s As You Like It at TRT (Red Bank) – MORE INFO

• Evening Moon Hike, Music & S’mores (Freehold Twp) – MORE INFO

• Full Moon Bay Walk (Port Monmouth) – MORE INFO

• Neil Simon’s Broadway Bound by Monmouth Players (Middletown) – MORE INFO

• The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Aberdeen) – MORE INFO

• Daughters by South Street Players (Spring Lake) – MORE INFO

• Valentine’s Day Bake/T-shirt Sale (Lincroft) – MORE INFO

• Open Skating (Red Bank) – MORE INFO

• Casino Night at The Mill (Spring Lake Heights) – MORE INFO

• Open Evening Swim (Eatontown) – MORE INFO

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Freeholders Meeting Rescheduled

The regular meeting on the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders will immediately follow the Freeholders’ workshop meeting tomorrow afternoon.  The workshop meeting will start at 1PM.   The workshop meeting was originally scheduled for 2PM and the regular meeting for 7PM.  The change is due to the anticipated snowstorm.

“The Freeholder public meetings are essential for the operation of the County, but public safety is paramount,” said Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry. “Given the weather predictions, the Board will hold both meetings during the day allowing for everyone to head home during the daylight hours.”

Both meetings will be held in the Hall of Records located at One East Main Street in Freehold Borough.

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Christie Postpones Port Monmouth Town Hall Due To Weather

DCA’s Sandy Relief Public Hearing Not Cancelled, “But Likely Will Be.”

Governor Chris Christie announced via twitter (h/t PolitickerNJ) that the Town Hall Meeting scheduled for tomorrow at the VFW in Port Monmouth has been postponed until Tuesday, February 18, 11 am, due to the anticipated snowstorm. The mobile cabinet meeting as also been rescheduled to follow the Town Hall.

A spokesperson for the Department of Community Affairs said that the public hearing on the second round of Sandy Relief funding scheduled for tomorrow at Brookdale Community College from 4 pm – 7:30 pm has not been rescheduled at this time, but that it is highly likely it will be.  Registered participants in the hearing will get an email from DCA if they hearing is postponed.

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NJ Chamber’s Walk To Washington Postponed

The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce announced this morning that the 77th annual Walk To Washington and Congressional Dinner is being postponed due the forecast of a severe snowstorm in New Jersey and Washington, DC and on the recommendation of Amtrak.

The Walk will be rescheduled as soon as possible.

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Christie led Republican Governors Association sets fundraising record

Christie led Republican Governors Association sets fundraising record (via NJ.com)

The Republican Governors Association raised $6 million in January, despite what many thought could be crippling problems at home for Chairman Chris Christie. The total haul is more than double what the association has raised during the same month anytime…

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Christie in his element: Governor takes a break from bridge scandal at Q&A in Chicago

Christie in his element: Governor takes a break from bridge scandal at Q&A in Chicago (via NJ.com)

CHICAGO — Gov. Chris Christie today got some relief from the George Washington Bridge scandal in a forum that allowed him to burnish his record and show off his grasp of national issues before a friendly audience. At an hour-long question-and-answer…

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A-Rod’s transgressions don’t make The Yankees dirty

Andrew Lucas, center, then the Republican mayor of Manalapan, with then Freeholder John D’Amico and Amy Mallet, both Democrats, in September of 2010, seven months after Lucas purchased Burke Farm.

Former future Hall of Famer Alex Rodriguez dropped his lawsuits against MLB last week and accepted his 162 game suspension for doping with performance enhancing drugs.

The suspension will cost A-Rod $25 million and very likely his induction to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

No one from the Red Sox Nation, not even a fan, has called for the Yankees to be banned from playoff contention in 2014 due to A-Rod’s transgressions. No sports writer has suggested Derek Jeter is dirty because A-Rod cheated or called for asterisks to be placed next to Mariano Rivera’s records.

Rightly so.

Too often in politics when a member of one team is accused or convicted or wrongdoing, the rivals attempt to paint the entire team as dirty.  Too often journalists hungry for content cooperate with the slander.

Thus is the case in Monmouth County were former Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas, a Republican, was indicted last week on charges of wire fraud, identity theft, bank fraud and providing false statements to the IRS and FBI.   A private equity manager, Lucas is accused of deploying a complex and fraudulent scheme to come up with the funds to purchase a farm in Manalapan which he then immediately tried to sell the development rights on to New Jersey’s Farmland Preservation Program.  The Farmland Preservation Program is funded by the state, county and municipal governments.

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