MORRIS COUNTY — James Madison University is pleased to announce that the following students made the dean’s list for the fall 2020 semester.
Katherine Antmann of Madison, who is majoring in undeclared.
Olivia Bucciarelli of Parsippany, who is majoring in engineering.
Gabrielle Christie of Madison, who is majoring in political science.
Alison Padula of East Hanover, who is majoring in marketing.
Jennifer Scavone of Madison, who is majoring in media arts and design.
Madeleine Stein of Madison, who is majoring in health sciences.
Jordyn Sterkel of Madison, who is majoring in kinesiology.
Martina Wulf of East Hanover, who is majoring in health sciences.
Established in 1908, James Madison University is a community of 22,000 students and 4,000 faculty and staff, nestled in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. JMU offers 124-degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels keep classes small with a 16:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and have the highest six-year graduation rate among its peer institutions at 84%. JMU is quickly gaining a national reputation and ranks as the most recommended university in the nation by students. As the No. 2 Best Public Regional University in the South, students enjoy unusually engaged relationships with world-class faculty, access to top-notch NCAA Division 1 athletics, and state-of-the art amenities. Once students graduate they join an esteemed network of around 140,000 Dukes across the globe, giving of their time, talent, and treasure to the university.
St. Vincent Martyr Church’s Father George Hundt (left) joins Troop 7 Boy Scouts and Pack 7 Cub Scouts along with their families at Summerhill Park to celebrate Scout Sunday. Photo by Grace Diao
MADISON — Madison BSA Troop 7 and Madison Cub Scout Pack 7 celebrated Scout Sunday at Summerhill Park last Saturday, February 6 with a campfire prayer service organized by its chartered organization, St. Vincent Martyr Church. Over the course of the afternoon, nearly forty Scouts and their parents built campfires, cooked their meals, enjoyed the park, and prayed together.
The campfires were the center of lots of activities. Scouts played in the snow, hiked the trails, and enjoyed the cold sunny day. The Boy Scouts set up an “ax yard,” a roped-off area where experienced Scouts supervised younger Scouts in how to safely use an ax to chop firewood.
Everyone gathered around the fire for the prayer service. Father George Hundt, Pastor of St. Vincent Martyr Church, led the group in the Lord’s Prayer, and reflections on the Scout Oath and the Scout Law. The Scout Oath is:
On my honor, I will do my best
to do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
to help other people at all times;
to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.
The Scout Law is: A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.
Troop 7 Boy Scout Greg Brown and Pack 7 Cub Scout Jeffrey Brown also performed a skit that explained what each part of the Lord’s Prayer means.
With supervision from adult leaders, Cub Scouts started the campfires, and Cub Scouts and their family members cooked their lunches. Later, Boy Scouts took responsibility for maintaining the fires, cooked dinner, and put out the fires, making sure the area was safe and clean when they were done.
Scout Sunday is an annual event to celebrate the birthday of Scouting which dates back to 1908 and where Scouts reaffirm the Scout Oath.
Pack 7 and Troop 7 hold weekly meetings on Mondays on the grounds of St. Vincent Martyr Catholic Church in Madison. Information about Troop 7 is available online by clicking here, and young men ages 11-18 are welcome to observe a meeting or join at any time. Pack 7 serves younger boys in kindergarten through grade 5. Information about joining Pack 7 is available by clicking here.
This article was written by Patrick Roberts, Troop 7 Scribe
PARSIPPANY — After a day or two of digging out from two feet of snow, courtesy of mother nature, it was time for another Parsippany culinary adventure. Decided to try out a little Latino restaurant on Parsippany Road, El Rincón Colombiano – Latino, brought to my attention by another local foodie on social media. I planned on meeting a few friends for dinner, but first, since El Rincón is a BYOB, I decided to pick up some Modelo, a popular South American Cerveza, to compliment that region’s delicious cuisine.
Upon entering El Rincón, you notice that their self-described ambiance was right on the money.
El Rincón (translates to the corner) describes itself as a casual eatery serving tacos, arepas, rotisserie chicken, and other Latin staples in small, homey digs, serving homemade, authentic Colombian and Mexican food. Sounded good to me! This is that place that you pass by a hundred times and never notice that it is there; I know I have. With a few off-road parking spaces in front, (additional parking in the rear), and a very nondescript façade, the restaurant, unfortunately, seems to get lost among the rows of other small stores and eateries that line Parsippany Road. To be honest, the exterior does not exactly entice you in but do not let that stop you, it just might be the right time to put this one on your local food destination list.
Hostess Araceli with Patrick Minutillo
Family owned and operated by Arnulfo Gomez and opened in 2002, this is a well-established eatery in our township. According to our hostess, all the dishes at El Rincón are traditional and prepared just as you would have them south of the border. One of our group members has spent considerable time in Colombia and confirmed that. Unfortunately, Mr. Gomez, the owner, was not available during my visit, but our genuinely nice hostess, Araceli, was open and accommodating, answering all my probably annoying inquiries despite somewhat of a language barrier. Mostly Spanish spoken here. But not to worry, all the menu items are English-friendly, and the food speaks for itself. I would be remiss if I did not mention that El Rincón Colombiano does offer a wide and impressive selection of both Colombian and Mexican fare on their menu.
Bistec Encebollado
Upon entering El Rincón, you notice that their self-described ambiance was right on the money. Nothing flashy, small, casual, clean, light, and spacious, with a welcoming and comfortable vibe. The simple and no-frills décor, upfront counter with a colorful menu displays overhead, Colombian, and Mexican artifacts adorning the walls, and simple table settings, are basically what one would expect in this type of authentic, traditional, ethnic establishment, tables are aligned along the walls for those who choose to dine in, and all required pandemic rules are adhered to. Our group was warmly greeted upon our arrival by our, smiling, amiable, and attentive hostess, Araceli, who immediately made us feel at home.
Chicken Empanadas
Latino food is as complicated as it is interesting, it derives its complex flavors and cooking styles from various cultural influences, including Native American, African, European, and Asian. As it is in many other countries, the various dishes vary greatly from region to region. Fortunately, that leaves us with a wide range of delicious food selections to choose from, with new, exciting ingredients, and flavors with a South and Central American influence to entice your palate, which seems to be the focus of El Rincón. If luxurious, elegant, or romantic dining is what you are looking for, you might want to look elsewhere. This is not some Tex-Mex/South American chain-style restaurant either, this is real, traditional, home-made food. If it is tasty, healthy, hearty, and reasonably priced authentic Latino food you are after, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, this might just be the place for you.
Bandeja Paisa
For Aperitivo’s we went with Chicken Empanadas for the group to share, which were delicious, fried to a nice crunchy, crispy, golden-brown crust, and filled with moist, juicy, shredded chicken, with a side of what I believe was a mildly spicy home-made Chimichurri sauce. Also, had the Chorizo con Arpita, a tasty, spicy, flavor-packed Spanish sausage with a nice smoky flavor, accompanied with a cornbread paddy (arepa); and Chicharrón; nicely seasoned, decadently delicious, crunchy, fried pork rinds, which offered a nice salty and succulent complement to the other dishes.
Arepas De Chicharron
For my entrée, I was anxious to try El Rincón’s signature dish, and probably the most popular and typical dish in Colombia, Bandeja Paisa (grilled steak, sausage, fried egg, fried pork, grinds, sweet plantain, avocado, rice & beans, with a salad). This nicely sized, perfectly prepared, proportioned, and the plated meal was delicious, packed with all sorts of great levels of flavor and texture. Everything from the properly seasoned and prepared, tender, savory marinated steak, the perfectly fried egg, the crunchy, salty Chicharrón, the sweetness of the plantain, creaminess of the avocado, to the rice and beans, it all came together perfectly to create a delicious, satisfying, and enjoyable dinner. By now, after the assortment of appetizers and this nice-sized entrée, I was done for the evening. Of course, I finished it all and enjoyed every bite.
Carne de Res A La Plancha
Others in my group ordered both the Bistec Encebollado (grilled steak with onions, rice, beans, sweet plantains, and salad), and Carne de Res A La Plancha (grilled steak, French fries, rice, plantain, and a salad). Everyone was equally pleased and impressed with their meals, overall comment was that the steaks were deliciously marinated, juicy, and tender. The Bistec Encebollado was covered with nice, caramelized onions and served with a portion of very fluffy white rice, served alongside a red bean gravy, which reportedly perfectly complemented the rest of the dish. Our group left satiated and happy at the end of the evening, promising to return soon.
I am glad to say that El Rincón Colombiano–Latino Restaurant seems to have hit the mark with its delicious, authentic food, generous portion sizes, its welcoming and hospitable service, pleasant and clean environment, and very reasonable prices. When you are up for a casual, satisfying, and filling breakfast, lunch, or dinner I would suggest stopping in and giving it a try. Buen Provecho!
Dine-In, Take Out, Delivery, BYOB, Parking Available (front and back), Catering.
Mondays to Saturday – 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Closed Sundays.
El Rincón Colombiano – Latino is located at 295 Parsippany Road, Parsippany.
MADISON — Grace McCulloch has been named to Purchase College’s Dean’s List for the fall 2020 semester. McCulloch is studying Acting.
To be eligible for the Dean’s List, students must carry a semester GPA of 3.5 for Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science programs and 3.75 for Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Music Performance programs. They must take a minimum of 12 credits.
Purchase College, part of the State University of New York (SUNY) network of 64 universities and colleges, was founded in 1967 by Governor Nelson Rockefeller. His aspiration for Purchase was to create a dynamic campus that combined conservatory training in the visual and performing arts with programs in the liberal arts and sciences, in order to inspire an appreciation for both intellectual and artistic talents in all students.
Today, Purchase College-SUNY is a community of students, faculty, and friends where open-minded engagement with the creative process leads to a lifetime of intellectual growth and professional opportunity. For more information about the College click here.
MORRIS COUNTY —Governor Phil Murphy today signed Executive Order No. 222. The Order extends the Public Health Emergency that was declared on March 9, 2020, through Executive Order No. 103, which was previously extended in 2020 on April 7, May 6, June 4, July 2, August 1, August 27, September 25, October 24, November 22, and December 21, and again in 2021 on January 19. Under the Emergency Health Powers Act, a declared public health emergency expires after 30 days unless renewed.
“Extending the public health emergency allows the Department of Health to continue its vaccination efforts, including prioritizing high-risk individuals, promoting adequate staffing at vaccination sites, and overseeing second dose administration,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “Today’s action gives us the ability to continue our ongoing COVID-19 mitigation efforts while also vaccinating New Jersey residents as quickly and safely as possible.”
Executive Order No. 222 extends all Executive Orders issued under the Governor’s authority under the Emergency Health Powers Act. It also extends all actions taken by any Executive Branch departments and agencies in response to the Public Health Emergency presented by the COVID-19 outbreak.
MORRIS COUNTY — Virtual Summer Camp Fair is NOW open to families for free registration. Held this Sunday, February 21, 2021, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Welcoming all families who looking for a safe and rewarding experience for their child.
Summer Camps are expected to re-open this summer whether it is an in-person, hybrid, or virtual camp. This day will be a FREE educational resource, guaranteed to give you LIVE face-to-face meetings with high-quality camps. You’ll find local New Jersey camps as well as camps from the surrounding Northeast region (PA, NY, CT) and travel camps beyond.
They will do the best to match you near you, as well as sleep-away camps, sports, adventure, travel, community service, academic, art, robotics, gymnastics, college prep, performing arts, language, nature, etc.
Upon registration, you will receive a ticket to enter the fair online on February 21. Expect to:
● meet LIVE with camp directors and staff
● see Camps In Action Videos
● read about, download information, and even apply for camp
● learn about Open Houses, camp promotions, early-bird discounts
● ask questions via LIVE CHAT
Our platform will be ready to connect you on February 21 at 10:00 a.m. Start planning for an amazing summer 2021!
For over 35 years, the NJ Camp Fairs and the ACA have been connecting kids to great camps. Please register by clicking here. Admission is free. For more information contact (973) 303-3027, or email [email protected].
MORRIS COUNTY — More than 100,000 vaccinations have been issued in Morris County to date, with nearly 30 percent being provided out of the Morris County Regional COVID-19 Vaccination Center, where a greater supply of vaccine is expected to allow authorities to ramp up efforts to vaccinate 2,000 people per day later this week.
“This is certainly a significant milestone, as Morris County keeps on pace with much more populated counties in getting vaccines into the arms of residents. But there are many, many more people we need to reach, and the only way to do that is for New Jersey to get much more vaccine than it currently receives. Our ability to vaccinate people is directly linked to the vaccine supply,” said Morris County Commissioner Douglas Cabana, a liaison to county Law and Public Safety operations.
The Morris County Regional COVID-19 Vaccination Center is one of six so-called “mega-sites” in the state sharing about 50 percent of New Jersey’s weekly supply of vaccines, which amounts to 135,000 to 150,000 vaccines per week. The Morris County Center, operating at the Rockaway Townsquare Mall, is now open seven days per week and delivering about 1,700 vaccines each day.
Surpassing 100,000 doses included a mix of first doses and second doses. Authorities anticipate increased supplies eventually will enable the Center to reach its full capacity of 2,500 vaccinations per day.
“The development and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines are a testament to what can be achieved when we work together towards a common good,” said Kevin Lenahan, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, Atlantic Health System. “The more than 17,000 team members, physicians, nurses, and other caregivers at Atlantic Health System are committed to ensuring that the opportunity to be vaccinated is available to everyone who wants it, and we look forward to a more robust supply of vaccine to make that happen.”
The Morris County Regional COVID-19 Vaccination Center operates under a partnership between Morris County, Atlantic Health System, and the State of New Jersey. The rating agency Moodys Investor Services released a report explaining that vaccine partnerships, specifically the cooperative efforts in New Jersey to open six regional facilities are boosting economic outlooks.
The report highlighted how Morris and Gloucester counties effectively partnered with private-sector health care providers for successful vaccine rollouts.
“The mega-site initiative provides a pathway for New Jersey to lessen the economic, financial, and health effects from the pandemic,” the report stated. ”Fewer COVID-19 cases will help boost the economy at both the local and state level with the knock-on effect of helping hospital finances.”
“We are proud that Morris County has the second-highest vaccination rate in New Jersey thanks to the herculean efforts of Morris County staff, including the Sheriff’s Office, Atlantic Health System, the National Guard, and the state Department of Health,” said Morris County Commissioner John Krickus, who chairs the Morris County Recovery Task Force. “This brings us closer to the safe reopening called for by our businesses, non-profits, religious leaders in our community.”
To register for alerts on when appointments become available, go to the AHS website by clicking here.
MORRIS COUNTY — MPAC presents Hip-Hop Music: Culture and Legacy, a special Black History Month virtual lecture on the history of Hip-Hop music presented by Wes Jackson, Professor, and Director of Creative Business Enterprises at Emerson College, on Wednesday, February 24 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $20.00 ($10.00 for students).
Hip-Hop Music: Culture and Legacy takes the audience on a journey through Hip-Hop as a genre, business, and cultural movement. Wes Jackson, Professor, and Director of Creative Business Enterprises at Emerson College as well as Founder and Executive Director of The Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival will discuss and examine how Hip-Hop has grown from a movement in the South Bronx to the billion-dollar business driving the streaming economy, fashion, sports, politics and more. This is the only lecture that takes you from Robert Moses to Kool Herc. From NWA and Public Enemy all the way to Cole, Uzi, and Cardi. Gain an appreciation and deeper understanding of the 4 Elements of the Culture (Graffiti, B-Boy/B-Girl, the DJ, and the MC).
Wes Jackson is currently the Director of the Business Creative Enterprises Program and Executive In Residence at Emerson College in Boston, MA. Wes has over 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur and innovator in the music business. His career began producing concerts for Nas, The Roots, The Dave Matthews Band, The Fugees, and A Tribe Called Quest. He then went on to start his own promotions company, Seven Heads Entertainment and helped launch the careers of Yasiin Bey (Mos Def), Talib Kweli, El-P (Run The Jewels), Common, and others.
Under Wes’s leadership, Seven Heads then expanded into a boutique independent record label and management company. Music from the Seven Heads Roster was included in HBO’s “The Wire”, the film “Brown Sugar” and scored the theme to “The Boondocks”.
In 2005 Wes founded the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival with the mission to create a world-class event to honor Hip-Hop music and culture. The Festival has hosted a range of amazing talent including Jay-Z, Kanye West, De La Soul, and Kendrick Lamar among others.
Wes has spoken at numerous colleges and universities on the history and power of Hip-Hop Culture as well as his life as an entrepreneur. He has taught at the City University of New York and consulted for Jazz At Lincoln Center, MTV, Grammy Camp, and VH1.
Wes earned his B.A. in English from the University of Virginia and his M.A. in Media Studies from The New School. Outside of his work as an educator and business leader, Wes is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and a proud father of three beautiful kids with his wife and business partner, Ebonie. Wes serves on the Board of the Brooklyn Public Library and is the co-founder and Chairman of the Board of the Brooklyn Crescents Lacrosse Club.
For a full list of Black History Month events at MPAC click here.
Mayo Performing Arts Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, presents a wide range of programs that entertain, enrich, and educate the diverse population of the region and enhance the economic vitality of Northern New Jersey. The 2020-2021 season is made possible, in part, by a grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as support received from the F.M. Kirby Foundation and numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals. Mayo Performing Arts Center was named 2016 Outstanding Historic Theatre by the League of Historic American Theatres and is ranked in the top 50 mid-sized performing arts centers by Pollstar Magazine.
MORRIS COUNTY — In an effort to relieve New Jersey taxpayers faced with some of the highest property tax bills in the nation, Senator Joe Pennacchio today introduced a resolution urging the United States Congress to reinstate the unlimited state and local tax deduction (SALT).
Until Washington capped the deduction at $10,000, the average New Jersey taxpayer was deducting more than $19,000 from their income tax.
“The SALT deduction is vitally important to state residents,” said Pennacchio. “On principle, I oppose the cap for its impact on New Jersey taxpayers. It is effectively a tax on a tax. Those in the 30 percent tax bracket will have to earn an additional $130 to pay for every $100 in lost deduction under the cap. It’s time to right this wrong for state property taxpayers, and Congress can help level the playing field.”
Pennacchio noted that New Jersey is a “donor state,” providing far more federal tax money to Washington than we get back.
“For every dollar paid by residents in federal taxes, New Jersey gets back no more than 79 cents,” Pennacchio said. “It’s the lowest return of any state in the nation, and it is an atrocious abuse of our hard-working, heavily taxed state residents.”
The SALT deduction has been an option available to taxpayers in New Jersey and other states for more than a century.
“For those who live in high-tax states like ours, the cap is devastating,” noted Pennacchio. “The deduction was established as an option to help offset heavy tax burdens. In New Jersey, with sky-high property, income, and county taxes, the reinstatement of the full SALT adjustment is a necessity for residents struggling to remain in the state.”
MORRIS COUNTY — Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced that five current and former public officials and political candidates in New Jersey – including Former Morris County Freeholder John Cesaro – have been charged with taking bribes in a major investigation of political corrupt in Morris and Hudson counties conducted by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA).
The five defendants are charged with taking thousands of dollars in bribes from a cooperating witness in the form of campaign contributions. In return, the defendants allegedly promised the cooperating witness, who is a tax attorney, that they would vote or use their official authority or influence to hire or continue to hire his law firm for lucrative government legal work. Envelopes and paper bags filled with cash – and even a coffee cup stuffed with cash – were delivered to the defendants by the cooperating witness at restaurants, parking lots, a political fundraiser, and a campaign headquarters. Other times the cooperating witness offered checks from illegal “straw donors” – individuals reimbursed to write checks to the defendant’s campaign in amounts that complied with the legal limit on individual donations.
The following five defendants were charged separately in criminal complaints with second-degree bribery in official and political matters:
John Cesaro – Former Morris County Freeholder (Click here to download indictment)
Sudhan Thomas – Jersey City School Board President (Click here to download indictment)
Jason O’Donnell – Former State Assemblyman and Former Bayonne Mayoral Candidate (Click here to download indictment)
John Windish – Former Mount Arlington Council Member (Click here to download indictment)
Mary Dougherty – Former Morris County Freeholder Candidate
The defendants who held public office at the time of the alleged conduct – Thomas, Cesaro, and Windish – also are charged with second-degree acceptance or receipt of unlawful benefit by a public servant for official behavior.
“We allege that these political candidates were all too willing to sell the authority of their public office or the office they sought in exchange for an envelope filled with cash or illegal checks from straw donors,” said Attorney General Grewal. “This is old-school political corruption at its worst— the kind that undermines the political process and erodes public faith in government. We are working through the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability to create a culture of accountability in New Jersey, where public officials know they must act with integrity or else face the consequences.”
“These cases reflect one of OPIA’s core missions, which is to root out corruption and misconduct in state and local government and related elections,” said OPIA Director Thomas Eicher. “We are determined to hold public officials and candidates responsible for their actions, no matter their political positions or alliances. New Jersey has some of the nation’s strongest anti-corruption laws, and we will use them to ensure that government officials single-mindedly serve the public interest, not their own selfish interests.”
The defendants were charged in an investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability which began in early 2018 and focused on political figures in Hudson and Morris counties who allegedly solicited illegal campaign contributions from the cooperating witness in return for promised official action to provide him with government work.
As set forth in the complaints, the defendants are alleged to have engaged in the following conduct:
Windish Indictment
John Cesaro
John Cesaro – Former Morris County Freeholder John Cesaro, who was a sitting county freeholder at the time of the alleged criminal conduct, solicited contributions from the cooperating witness for his 2021 campaign for Mayor of Parsippany-Troy Hills. Cesaro allegedly accepted bribes from the cooperating witness, in return for which he promised to secure more tax work from Morris County for the cooperating witness and make him tax counsel for Parsippany-Troy Hills if elected.
Cesaro allegedly accepted an envelope containing $10,000 in cash and $2,350 in checks from the cooperating witness, but later returned the cash, asking the cooperating witness to replace it with checks. The two allegedly discussed using “straw donors.” Under New Jersey election law, it is illegal for a person to provide money to another person, known as a “straw donor,” to make a political contribution to a specific candidate. At a later fundraiser, Cesaro accepted two checks for $2,600 each – the individual limit for contributions per election per candidate – which the cooperating witness described as “my straws,” along with another check for $150.
During a conversation about the contributions before they were delivered, the cooperating witness and Cesaro had the following exchange:
CW: Johnny, listen, all I want to do is the tax work. That’s all I’m looking to do. Cesaro: I become mayor, I got your back.
The alleged criminal conduct occurred between April and May 2018.
Sudhan Thomas
Sudhan Thomas – Incumbent Jersey City School Board President Sudhan Thomas, who at the time of his conduct also was preparing to run for Jersey City Councilman in 2021, is charged with accepting $35,000 in cash bribes, $10,000 delivered on one date, and $25,000 delivered on a second date.
Thomas allegedly agreed, in return for the cash payments, to arrange for the cooperating witness to be hired as a special counsel for the Jersey City Board of Education. Thomas and the cooperating witness allegedly discussed specific work projects that the cooperating witness would receive from the board of education.
During a conversation about the cash payments before they were delivered, the cooperating witness (CW) and Thomas had the following exchange:
CW: Make me special counsel for … Thomas: Real estate. CW: Yeah, real estate… that’s perfect. Thomas: Yeah, nobody questions anything… nobody questions all of that stuff.
The alleged criminal conduct occurred between May and July 2019. Thomas lost his bid for re-election to the Jersey City School Board in November, and his term on the Board ends at the end of December.
Jason O’Donnell
Jason O’Donnell – Former State Assemblyman Jason O’Donnell, who ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Bayonne in 2018, is charged with accepting a $10,000 cash bribe. O’Donnell allegedly solicited $10,000 in “street money” for his mayoral campaign from the cooperating witness. In return, O’Donnell allegedly agreed to provide the cooperating witness with tax work from the City of Bayonne if elected mayor.
O’Donnell allegedly accepted a paper bag containing $10,000 in cash from the cooperating witness at his campaign headquarters. After the cash was handed over, they had the following exchange:
CW: “I just wanna be your tax guy.” O’Donnell: “Done.”
O’Donnell failed to file required campaign reports with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) disclosing the $10,000 contribution. The alleged criminal conduct occurred between April and May 2018.
John Windish
John Windish
Former Mount Arlington Councilman John Windish allegedly accepted a $7,000 cash bribe. Windish allegedly solicited cash from the cooperating witness for his unsuccessful bid for re-election to the borough council in June 2018.
In return, Windish allegedly promised that he would support the reappointment of the cooperating witness as borough attorney.
It is alleged that Windish accepted an envelope containing $7,000 in cash from the cooperating witness. When the cash was delivered, they had the following conversation:
CW: “I need you to, I need your commit that I’m your borough attorney and I need more work, John.” Windish: “You got it.”
State election law prohibits cash contributions exceeding $200 from a single contributor for a single election. The alleged criminal conduct occurred in May 2018.
Mary Dougherty
Mary Dougherty
Mary Dougherty, a real estate agent from Morristown, allegedly accepted a bribe of $10,000 from the cooperating witness – initially delivered as cash but later converted to checks from “straw donors” – for her unsuccessful campaign for Morris County Freeholder in 2018. In return, she allegedly promised to support the reappointment of the cooperating witness as counsel for Morris County.
During a meeting at a restaurant, Dougherty allegedly accepted $10,000 cash in $100 denominations that the cooperating witness delivered in a take-out coffee cup. Dougherty later returned the cash, asking the cooperating witness to replace the cash with four checks, each within the $2,600 individual contribution limit. The cooperating witness told Dougherty he would use the returned $10,000 in cash to pay four individuals to write checks.
The pair met again at the same restaurant, where Dougherty accepted four checks, each in the amount of $2,500 payable to “Mary for Morris Freeholder.” When the checks were delivered, the cooperating witness and Dougherty had the following exchange:
CW: “These are my straws… so I just need your support for my reappointment. Don’t forget me.” Dougherty: “I won’t. I promise. A friend is a friend, my friend.”
The alleged criminal conduct occurred between August and October 2018.
Attorney General Grewal commended all of the prosecutors and detectives who conducted and supervised the investigations for the OPIA Corruption Bureau, under the leadership of OPIA Director Thomas Eicher. Deputy Attorneys General Pearl Minato, John A. Nicodemo, and Anthony Robinson are prosecuting the cases, under the supervision of Counsel to the Director Anthony Picione. Former OPIA Deputy Chief Jeffrey Manis also supervised the cases.
Second-degree crimes carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000. The second-degree charges against those who held public office at the time of the alleged conduct – Thomas, Cesaro, and Windish – carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison without eligibility for parole under New Jersey’s enhanced penalties for official corruption.
The charges are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Attorney General Grewal created the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability in September 2018 to combat corruption and strengthen public confidence in government institutions. Earlier this month, the Attorney General issued a directive codifying OPIA and making it a permanent part of the Attorney General’s Office. That directive established the OPIA Corruption Bureau as the lead office within the Department of Law & Public Safety for the investigation and prosecution of state criminal violations involving corruption and abuse of public trust.
