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| Brian Froelich |
It was reported today that all of the current Ocean and Monmouth (Republican) county Freeholders received money from the indicted Birdsall organization. The records show that Monmouth politicians got over $66 thousand dollars and Birdsall received over $4 million in contracts.
In Birdsall’s home of Monmouth County the Freeholders (Arnone, DiMaso, Burry, Curley, and Rich) received $18,200 from 2008 to early 2012. In addition Sheriff Shaun Golden, Clerk Claire French, and various Monmouth Republican organizations received Birdsall funds. Arnone and DiMaso also received donations when serving as municipal officials.
Sources said that donors understood the message to be ‘if you want to work, you better pay up’. And a Birdsall executive admitted that these illegal donations were given to "curry favor" with officials and "gain a competitive advantage" and that they "regularly won contracts" for the company. One article on the subject said that “(s)ecret donations flowed every year like free wine from Birdsall.”
For example “(i)n November 2011, at a fundraiser hosted by Birdsall, the company wrote Monmouth County Freeholders Gary Rich Sr. and Lillian Burry corporate checks for $300 each, then gave Burry another $1,200 and Rich $900 in secret checks.”
And while critics and campaign experts have said that the Birdsall money should be given back, some politicians are responding that the money has already been spent.
Interestingly, Birdsall also gave substantial donations to Manalapan Committeeman and former Mayor Andrew Lucas who was involved in a recent controversy along with the Freeholders. The Freeholders awarded Lucas over $1 million for some land preservation rights. That transaction was widely and highly criticized.
In November the voters’ broom will sweep clean the Freeholder/Birdsall mess.
Brian Froelich
Candidate, Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders
7 comments:
But Middletown Democrats had NO PROBLEM taking $5000 over the same time period???
Guess you forgot to mention that one...
Smokey,
I don't know if the Middletown Democrats did or did not receive $5000 from Birdsall. I'm not in charge of their fundraising or treasury and I don't scourer over their elect reports looking for contributions, but I can tell you this, if the Middletown Democrats took $5000 from Birdsall then the Middletown Republicans took in 10 times that amount.
How is it that Sybil ( Smoke & amp,Mirrors) @ 11;28 p.m. knows so much about the Middletown Dems because it wasn't in the online summary printed by the the Star Ledger ?
Money went to both parties and many candidates.
Maybe it's past time to investigate T&M also and many other large firms like law firms ! Any doubt that could or would put the Middletown Republicans in the spotlight ?
FYI:
The Star Ledger on line home, N.J.com for complete Monmouth and Ocean coverage along with lengthy coverage in the print edition.
BTW, the APP had little or nothing in Sunday's paper....that piece of trash isn't worth $2.00 anymore !
Articles on Star Ledger online available to all, there are two, include donations to both Middletown Democrats and Middletown Republicans.
Read both articles and the lists included
Actually Mike,
Being that you are on the executive committee of the township democratic organization, you should probably know the financing of the local campaign. Maybe you just choose to turn a blind eye to $5000 in donations.
The NJ.com article and attached spreadsheet of donations clearly states that between 2008-2012 the Middletown democratic organization received on:
5/31/2008 - $800
8/10/2008 - $1200
10/28/2008- $3000
Total of $5000
Now for the republicans-
10/24/2010 - $300
10/14/2011 - $300
10/14/2011 - $300
05/06/2011 - $600
05/04/2012 - $600
Total of $2100
So Mike, your math of 10 times the amount is not correct. The republicans took less than half the Democrats received. Facts don't lie, people do!
Thank you Gwapes for sharing with us the Birdsall donations to both the Middletown Dems and the Middletown Republicans. Contrary to what you may believe (and I'm rather sure you know) most members have no idea where campaign contributions come from. And yes, you got me on the hyperbole. I guess that makes me a lair, I hope my mother doesn't find out and wash my mouth with soap
But since you were so kind to point this all out, what I find interesting about these donations is that the $5,000 which the Middletown Democrats received from Birdsall all came in the year 2008 (5 years ago nothing since) and was donated to the Democratic Executive Committee, not a candidate.
The $2,100 received by the Middletown Republicans on the other hand, came as $300 contributions to Gerry Scharfenberger (2010), Stephanie Murray and Tony Fiore (2011) just days before the general election. The $600 donations to the Middletown Republican Executive Committee in 2011 & 2012 seem to have been made to off-set the cost of 2 wine and cheese tasting fundraisers!
Do you think that since Gerry is up for reelection this year he'd give back his $300 donation to Birdsall to help off-set their bankruptcy filing? I bet not. Maybe Stephanie and Tony will....
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