The Democratic Laundromat: Wisniewski’s Washing and Spinning
By Harold Kane and Art Gallagher
The legal money laundering of Assemblyman John Wisniewski in Middlesex County has been in the news this month as Politickernj and The Star Ledger brought to light the how Middlesex Democrats are circumventing state and local pay to pay laws by having government vendors, primarily the Middlesex based CME engineering firm, fund campaigns through PACs when the campaign finance laws prohibited contributions directly to the campaigns in jurisdictions where they were earning large fees.
Wisniewski, of Sayreville, is the Chairman of the State Democratic Party and the Assembly Transportation Committee.
Despite the fact that the PACs are run by his former staff members and fund campaigns in his district and county, Wisniewski says he has nothing to do with them. If that is true, the State Democratic Committee needs a new chairman. If it’s not true, the Democrats still should get a new chairman and the people of the 19th legislative district should elect a new Assemblyman.
Also in the news this month are the guilty pleas of insurance broker Frank Gartland of Federal Hill Risk Management. Gartland plead guilty to giving $2 million in bribes to Toms River School Superintendent Michael Ritacco, and to theft by deception and money laundering for bilking the Perth Amboy Board of Education, an Abbott district, out of more than $2 million.
Gartland also admitted to making illegal contributions to the campaigns of former Assemblyman and former Perth Amboy Mayor Joe Vas through “straw” contributors. Vas is now serving a 6 ½ year sentence for funneling illegal money from a real estate scheme into his unsuccessful 2006 congressional campaign. Vas was Wisniewski’s running mate and they represented the 19th district together in the Assembly from 2004-2009.
While all of this bribery, stealing and money laundering was going on, Gartland and his associates were also donating heavily to the Middlesex County PACS that Wisniewski says he has nothing to do with.
| All information from NJ ELEC |
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| Democracy in Motion PAC |
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| 12 Deerfield Road |
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| Sayreville, NJ 08872 |
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| democrat org |
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| Christina Montorio – Treasurer |
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| Federal Hill Risk Mngt – Frank Gartland |
1/16/2009 |
$3,200.00 |
| Federal Hill Risk Mngt – Frank Gartland |
10/16/2008 |
$4,000.00 |
| Federal Hill Risk Mngt – Frank Gartland |
10/24/2008 |
$3,200.00 |
| New Expectations PAC |
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| 2 Lincoln Highway, ste 511 |
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| Edison, NJ 08820 |
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| other ongoing cmte |
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| Denise Anstett – Treasurer |
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| AST Development – Robert D’Anton |
1/7/2009 |
$5,000.00 |
| Federal Hill Risk Mngt – Diana Gartland |
1/7/2009 |
$4,666.00 |
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| Cmte for Efficiency in Government PAC |
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| 11 Barton Road |
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| Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046 |
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| other ongoing |
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| Michael Revolinsky – Treasurer |
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| Federal Hill Risk Mngt – Victor Bramble |
10/20/2008 |
$1,300.00 |
| Federal Hill Risk Mngt – Diana Gartland |
10/20/2008 |
$2,400.00 |
| Federal Hill Risk Mngt – John Hope |
10/20/2008 |
$2,400.00 |
| Federal Hill Risk Mngt – Victor Bramble |
8/15/2007 |
$2,000.00 |
| Dynamic Claims Mngt |
8/15/2007 |
$1,000.00 |
| E-Administrative Systems |
8/15/2007 |
$1,000.00 |
| Dynamic Claims Mngt |
10/17/2007 |
$2,000.00 |
| Federal Hill Risk Mngt – Diana Gartland |
10/17/2007 |
$2,000.00 |
| Federal Hill Risk Mngt – Derek Johnson |
10/17/2007 |
$3,000.00 |
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| Women for Good Government PAC |
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| PO Box 11434 |
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| New Brunswick, NJ 08906 |
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| idealogical pac |
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| Deborah Celey – Treasurer |
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| Federal Hill Risk Mngt – Frank Gartland |
10/22/2008 |
$2,600.00 |
| Federal Hill Risk Mngt – Diana Gartland |
2/9/2009 |
$4,666.00 |
| Federal Hill Risk Mngt – Robert D’Anton |
2/9/2009 |
$5,000.00 |
| Federal Hill Risk Mngt – Diana Gartland |
10/30/2008 |
$4,666.00 |
| AST Development – Robert D’Anton |
10/30/2008 |
$5,000.00 |
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| Raritan Bay Leadership Fund |
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| 251 Livingston Avenue |
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| New Brunswick, NJ 08901 |
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| idealogical pac |
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| David Lonski – Treasurer |
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| Federal Hill Risk Mngt |
1/19/2006 |
$2,000.00 |
| Federal Hill Risk Mngt – Diana Gartland |
1/28/2009 |
$4,666.00 |
| Federal Hill Risk Mngt – Frank Gartland |
1/17/2008 |
$2,600.00 |
| Federal Hill Risk Mngt – Diana Gartland |
10/30/2008 |
$4,666.00 |
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| Committee for Civic Responsibility |
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| PO Box 184 |
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| Kendall Park, NJ 08824 |
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| 68 Old Road, Princeton, NJ 08540 |
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| civic association |
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| Bharat Patel – Treasurer |
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| Federal Hill Risk Mngt – Derek Johnson |
6/9/2009 |
$2,500.00 |
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| 19th District Democratic Leadership Fund |
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| 13 Zaleski Drive |
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| Sayreville, NJ 08872 |
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| Michael D’Addio – Treasurer |
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| Federal Hill Risk Mngt – Frank Gartland |
1/16/2009 |
$3,200.00 |
| Federal Hill Risk Mngt – Frank Gartland |
10/16/2008 |
$4,000.00 |
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$82,730.00 |
Wisniewski and Port Authority Deputy Executive Director Bill Baroni, a former Republican State Senator, got into it this week over the PACS and Wisniewski using his authority as chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee to issue subpoenas requiring that Port Authority executives appear before his committee. Baroni accused Wisniewski of a “shakedown” because CME did not receive preferential treatment while pitching their engineering services to Port Authority.
In response, Wisniewski said “the truth is an expendable commodity” for the “Christie character assassination team”
Let’s see some truth from Wisniewski regarding these PACS, including what quid pro quo Gartland received for his “contributions.”
Posted: April 15th, 2012 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Pay-to-play | Tags: Art Gallagher, Bill Baroni, CME Engineering, Federal Hill Risk Management, Frank Gartland, Harold Kane, John Wisniewski, Middlesex County, Middlesex County Democrats, NJ ELEC, Port Authority | 21 Comments »