Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Letter: Without Independent Verification Of Election Results County Clerk's Retirement Pension Should Be Held

The expressed opinions or views of this letter does not necessarily represent the opinion of the MiddletownMike blog:

Dear Editor,

Monmouth County Clerk Claire French (R), should not receive her state pension after she retires this spring, pending an independent investigation into problems with the 2014 General Election results.

While French has claimed the problems that caused vote tallies not to appear on the county clerk election website and required cartridges to be counted by hand, leading to a Republican victory over the Democratic challengers in a hotly contested county freeholder race, were caused by a “technical glitch”, without independent verification we cannot trust the fox to guard the hen house.

County IT director, Gregory Putnam was placed on leave as a result of the incident and has since been reassigned to work at the infamously troubled Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, which was accused by the FBI of leaking information to corrupt Republican officials during Operation Bid Rig. Could this simply be a diversion to enable the real perpetrators to avoid responsibility?

The hiring of Putnam at the Prosecutor's Office also reeks of political nepotism. Based on the election problems, he is either incompetent or corrupt and either way he is not a qualified employee.

Until we get some real answers from credible and independent investigators, we should not allow French to quietly slide away with taxpayer dollars, when it is possible she may have violated her oath of office.

Eric Hafner
Toms River

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

This guy needs an extensive psychologic exam.

He's lost his mind !!!!

Anonymous said...

Or the republicans have lost their cover...

Anonymous said...

Correction: that's run for office and put his money where his loud mouth is.

Anonymous said...

Hard to get an independendent investigation when everyone feeds from the same trough, but I commend the author for pointing out what should be obvious- Middletown NJ is cesspool of corruption and cronyism.

Anonymous said...

Is this post a joke?

The prosecutors office had detectives in FL following the guy who was involved in bid rig because the prosecutor was getting too curious as to what was going on. Those older guys are gone and were just following marching orders anyway.

Claire French may be republican, but that isn't a guilty verdict, get over it, the Dems lost AGAIN!
It was a low turnout close race across the board. Eatontown Mayor's race was won by ONE VOTE!
REPEAT- ONE VOTE
There were close races throughout the county, voter problems were minimal if at all.

Claire French has done a good job despite your sad attempt to detract from her long career.

Anonymous said...

Anon 12:44a.m,

Just what does this post have to do with anything about Middletown ?

The problem with the posting of county results had to do with a mechanical error with the laptops and the results were released once the cartridges were tabulated manually. There is no reason to throw stones at anyone.The integrity of the County Clerk's office was never in doubt.

M. Claire French is a remarkable individual and public servant regardless of party affiliation and the effort to disavow that fact is repugnant.

The pot head who authored this post and many others posted on this blog recently is one sick specimen with an axe to grind about everything and anything !!!








Anonymous said...

why are there pensions for this job in the first place?

Anonymous said...

In 2007, FBI sources told the Asbury Park Press that two investigators from Kaye’s office revealed the identity of an FBI undercover operative to two public officials who were targets of Bid Rig.

When that operative’s cover was blown in mid-February 2005, it effectively doomed that phase of Bid Rig, the sources said, and it was necessary to end the operation early.

http://www.app.com/article/A8/20140324/NEWS01/303240034/Christie-once-clash-fellow-prosecutor

Anonymous said...

What in hell does anything about Bid Rig have to do with the retirement of an excellent, elected public servant in a full time position and her pension ?

Why are there pensions for any elected or state or civil service positions ? The answer is because there are pension and other benefits associated with those jobs and type of employment!!!

What planet do some of you nut jobs reside on anyway....Mars or beyond ??

Get real and get off the personal assault that is totally unwarranted.


Anonymous said...

An overpaid public servant who did the bidding of the GOP.

http://politickernj.com/2007/10/clerk-candidate-goes-after-french-salary/

Clerk candidate goes after French salary

By Max Pizarro | 10/25/07 4:47am

Monmouth County Democratic Clerk candidate Amod Choudhary says he will take only the state-required salary for the clerk’s office in an effort to save the taxpayers more than $66,595 during his first term, according to a press release issued by the Monmouth County Democrats.

Choudhary is running against Clerk Claire French, whose pay raises from the Republican Board of Chosen Freeholders over the past five years "are far above the required salary for that position," the candidate says.

The clerk’s salary, as a constitutional office, is set by state statute as 65% of the state Superior Court Judge’s salary. French has received more than that required amount since 2003 as her salary climbed from $91,650 to $110,169 – or $47,585 more than what’s required, according to Choudhary.

The Superior Court Judge makes $149,000.

"To reduce spending and end corruption, Monmouth County officials have to lead by example," said Choudhary. "I will not accept one dime above the required salary because the people of Monmouth County have been taxed enough. It is disturbing to me that in a time where corruption and high taxes have become a fixture in the Republican administration, that the Clerk would accept more money to which the office is entitled."

Independent said...

How about the raises that length of services etc. contribute to state constituted salaries ? Hardly believe there is any validity to the attacks on the longtime,retiring county clerk who has done an exemplary job during her long career..

Given the source of this attack and also the unfounded accusations of some of the posters ......this post is nothing more than a pot head who can't get his own way or politicians who don't win and cry foul when they don't !!

The mud slinging antics of the opposition party is sickening. Reminds of the recent tactics of the two Democrats running for freeholder positions. They lost ! The voters want substance not vicious personal, character attacks. Fact not innuendos.

Some Democrats never seem to learn.





Anonymous said...

Eric Hafner is a well respected commentator and activist. It sounds like the Republicans are the ones mudslinging.

Anonymous said...

Well respected commentator ?

Anonymous said...

respected by what or whom ?????

Anonymous said...

people under 70 in our society like pot legalization activists a lot more than wrinkly old republicans who want to ban everything

Anonymous said...

hes probably New Jerseys biggest drug legalization activist

Anonymous said...

weed wacker with an agenda ?

Anonymous said...

pot legalization is going to happen in new jersey hes right about that

Anonymous said...

Lol..it seems Monmouth County Republicans dislike mudslinging unless it's tossed during election season. After that, any criticism of their actions is considered a personal attack with all the usual mock outrage. Or maybe it's just one Monmouth Repub who is posting here..

Anonymous said...

Monmouth GOP Motto: Stop asking questions. Bid Rig doesn't matter everything is fine. She acts nice so she couldnt be responsible for anything bad. Stop asking for proof we wont give it to you.

Not a Republican ! said...

Bid Rig captured law breakers from both parties in case you are so ignorant that you have forgotten that anon 12:22 a.m.. Or maybe you are not smart enough to know that because you think you know it all and are as ignorant as they come of the truth.

And the law breakers all went to jail including a former republican mayor of Middletown........Shut the hell up and start educating yourself about the real facts about Bid Rig and those caught breaking the law !!!!! Democrats too...quite a few of them !!

None of this has anything to do with the retiring public servant who has served with integrity and class for a very long time.


Anonymous said...

Hey 9:06, just because you try to emulate the writing style of another regular on this site doesn't mean we buy it. Confucious say: "Woman who say she 'Not a Republican' usually is"

Anonymous said...

no one has explained what exactly happened with the election results and the burden of proof is on Claire French to show nothing improper happened. until she does so shes suspect and her unanticipated "retirement" makes it all the more so.

Anonymous said...

Don't some of you clucks ever read a newspaper?

The mechanical problem of not removing a prior program from the laptops before a new one was installed was what caused the problem in November. The individual responsible for the mistake was removed from the job shortly after the errors were discovered.

Nothing suspect and determined to be human error. No subterfuge involved. No political motives either.

Shit happens !!

The trouble mongers posting here are a disgrace to either party and to themselves !!

A bunch of crazies....

Anonymous said...

Don't some of you clucks ever read a newspaper?

The mechanical problem of not removing a prior program from the laptops before a new one was installed was what caused the problem in November. The individual responsible for the mistake was removed from the job shortly after the errors were discovered.

Nothing suspect and determined to be human error. No subterfuge involved. No political motives either.

Shit happens !!

The trouble mongers posting here are a disgrace to either party and to themselves !!

A bunch of crazies....

Anonymous said...

Why did this only happen to the laptops that were issued to Middletown? There are many other towns in Monmouth County, but no other town had this problem.

Anonymous said...

what programs are installed on a computer wouldn't have prevent the cartridges from being read as they so claimed. something isnt right here. Claire French needs to be investigated.

Anonymous said...

sounds like results were rigged by Claire French and now shes retiring before being caught, jail her