Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy’s campaign, and the Healy-controlled Jersey City Democratic Committee, transferred money to two of the mayors arrested on July 23 in a F.B.I. bribery sting, according to New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission reports.
The treasurer of Healy's spring mayoral campaign, Leona Beldini, was arrested also by the F.B.I. in the same sting under a complaint in which Healy plays a prominent role.
The Jersey City Democratic Committee—the city’s regular party committee—transferred $15,000 to former Hoboken mayor Peter Cammarano’s campaign.
A transfer of $5,000 was made June 8, the day before the run-off election that made Cammarano mayor. A second transfer, of $10,000, is listed as occurring on June 9.
Cammarano was accused by the F.B.I. of accepting $20,000 in cash bribes from a confidential witness and has since resigned. He prevailed in the June run-off over opponent Dawn Zimmer by under 200 votes—all cast on absentee ballots that were dubiously misplaced.
Healy’s mayoral campaign transferred $500 on May 19 to Ridgefield Mayor Anthony Suarez.
Suarez was arrested for allegedly accepting $10,000 in bribes from the same cooperating witness.
The purpose of the transfer to Suarez is unclear because he was elected in November 2007 and would not face voters again until November 2011.
The transfers are reported on the Healy campaign’s June 1 disclosure report and on the Democratic committee’s July 13 quarterly disclosure report.
The two reports also list $20,000 in donations from four people connected to the sting. The pattern of those donations matches the scheme outlined in the criminal complaint against Beldini.
It is alleged Beldini worked with political consultant Jack Shaw, who has since died, to funnel $20,000 from a man posing as a real estate developer into Healy's political organizations. In the complaint Healy is described as apparently agreeing to the plan.
The Healy campaign’s report lists $2,500 donations from Shaw, Shaw’s companion Catherine Chin, Edward Cheatam and Michael Schaffer. Shaw, Cheatam and Schaffer were arrested on July 23 on federal extortion charges.
The Jersey City Democratic Committee’s report lists $2,500 donations from Shaw, Chin, Cheatam and Maher Khalil. Khalil, a Jersey City employee, was also arrested on extortion charges.
The committee also transferred $300 to Friends of Guy Catrillo.
Catrillo, formerly a Jersey City planning consultant, was also arrested for extortion. He ran for downtown councilman on Healy’s ticket in the May election.
D.C.
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