New Jersey, a state where property taxes and the cost of living rank among the highest in the nation, is hemorrhaging taxpayer cash as more public workers file lawsuits against the government agencies that employ them. … More Taxpayers footing $100 million bill for public worker lawsuits each year
In an extraordinary rebuke of a U.S. president on his first full day in office, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in the nation’s capital and in cities and towns across America Saturday, demanding protection for hard-fought rights and assailing the policies and promises of the new commander-in-chief. … More Unity, anger and calls to action highlight massive D.C. Women’s March
Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich assailed the “culture” of the Christie administration and the “venomous acts” directed against his community Friday after two of the governor’s allies were found guilty in the federal Bridgegate trial. … More Fort Lee mayor blasts ‘venomous acts’ in wake of Bridgegate verdict
The plot, federal prosecutors said, took shape a month in advance. There would be no warning, no response to calls seeking explanation or help. “Radio silence,” they called it. Mark Sokolich was going to pay. And if thousands of people suffered along with him, so be it. … More Inside the Bridgegate Plot: Lies, Vengeance and an Epic Traffic Jam
Facing the lowest point of his four decades in politics, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez sought to reframe the narrative in his federal corruption case Thursday, portraying himself as a victim of overzealous prosecutors who naively — or knowingly — built an indictment on a foundation of lies. … More Career at stake, Sen. Menendez paints himself as victim in corruption case
In the month since Michael Drewniak’s name publicly surfaced in documents related to the George Washington Bridge scandal, the voice of the administration has fallen largely silent. … More After bridge scandal, Christie’s fiery spokesman recedes to the shadows
For Gov. Chris Christie, the path to the presidency just hit a Jersey-size pothole. Wednesday’s bombshell revelation that at least one member of the governor’s senior staff exacted political payback by orchestrating a massive traffic jam around the George Washington Bridge instantly transformed a local issue without much fizz into a national scandal that could have … More GWB scandal could harm Christie’s run for president
In a sweeping corruption scandal stretching from a small South Jersey school district to the corridors of power in the state’s northern cities, federal agents charged 11 public officials yesterday with taking bribes in exchange for help securing public contracts. … More Federal corruption sting nabs 11 public officials
Tamika Riley, a woman with a flair for fashion and an appetite for finery, appeared to be flat broke. Her Newark clothing boutique had gone belly up. She needed public assistance to help pay the rent on her apartment. She wanted a Mercedes, but her credit was so bad a friend had to sign the lease for her. Then, in the late 1990s, she met Newark Mayor Sharpe James, and her fortunes turned. … More Sweetheart deals for mayor’s mistress
It is the enduring image of one of the most tumultuous days in New Jersey’s political history. As former Gov. James E. McGreevey declared himself a “gay American” during a nationally televised news conference three years ago, his shell-shocked wife stood by his side, a rigid smile on her face, as if etched in stone. … More Dina reveals to Oprah: My smile was forced
Mark Mueller Journalism 