HOBOKEN – Mayor Dawn Zimmer not so surprisingly issued a public condemnation Tuesday of Councilman Michael Russo’s actions that were videotaped by the FBI during a sting operation in 2007. The tape was released on the Star-Ledger website yesterday.
Russo is shown having lunch with an FBI informant who helped bring down more than 40 religious and political leaders. Besides ordering pea soup, Russo is also said to have agreed to a deal in which the informant would give him $5,000 toward a campaign, even though that is more than the legal limit per person. The informant also asked for preference in development deals.
Zimmer is supporting a council candidate who is facing Russo in the May 10 City Council election.
The council minority bloc that is allied with Zimmer also has condemned the actions, as has Russo’s ally, Council President Beth Mason (see prior news item at www.hudsonreporter.com).
Some sources were saying yesterday that a protest may occur at City Hall before Wednesday night’s council meeting.
Russo has said that while he met with an FBI informant, he did not agree to take any bribes.
Zimmer’s statement is as follows:
I am deeply disturbed by the content of the recently released FBI surveillance tapes of Councilman Russo’s meeting with FBI informant Solomon Dwek. I have watched portions of the tapes, and if reports of what was said throughout are true, then it is of significant concern to the residents of Hoboken and the integrity of our city.
Given the very serious nature of this matter, my administration has arranged for the tapes to be transcribed on an expedited basis. The videos, together with transcribed text of the tapes, will ensure a full and fair understanding of the matters that were discussed by the councilman with the informant.
As mayor, it is my obligation to address possible wrongdoing and unethical actions that may cause the public to lose trust in the institution that is meant to serve the citizens of Hoboken. Given the possible content of the tapes, which at times is difficult to hear, I believe it is my obligation to ensure a clear understanding of the facts. The transcribed tapes will be released in their entirety when they are completed, and I will be making further comment when I have had a chance to review the full transcriptions.
Good morning Michael,
I firmly believe that we are all innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and similar to Peter Cammarano's situation, you should be considered innocent in the eyes of the law. However, just like Peter Cammarano, the court of public opinion upholds a very different standard and you are soiled and thoroughly convicted of shady dealings at best in this court of public opinion. Your meeting with Solomon Dwek and subsequent denial of any wrongdoing or bribe taking is analogous to you spending the evening in a brothel and later insisting to your wife and child that you didn't participate in any sexual activity and that you did nothing wrong (all while you wreak of cheap perfume and reflect lipstick and glitter all over your clothes).
In order to save the integrity of your growing family, I believe that it would be best for you to resign from any and all civil service duties and move into your father's multi million dollar beach house to start anew.
Regards,
Dr. Spin
Hoboken deserves better than Michael Russo.
None of those people are running against zimmer's candidates in the may council race, so maybe she and her stalwarts just don't care about their apparances of impropriety.
But a few calls for documentation or responses from these officials for their deeds might help make the county cleaner. If they don't, no one will.
How about it? Hoboken Horse? Other bloggers? Zimmeristas? Are you going to speak out about other represenatives of yours or ask questions? Or just Michael Russo???? I am nt sayig what you should do, just asking a question.