The Ultimate Email Conspiracy Timeline

Councilwoman Beth Mason 'wheels' $13.4K to Tim Occhipinti's campaign. Occhipinti 'wins' with 575 paid campaign workers (his opponent, Mike Lenz, had 17) in an election where 2,076 cast ballots. Timmy becomes the 'swing' vote on the CC and votes in Mason for CC President.  see: http://www.bluejersey.com/diary/17458/red-flags-how-much-does-it-cost-to-buy-an-election-in-hobokens-4th-ward

 
Welcome to my blog, folks.  

GA expects a few thousand extra visitors this week, so am prepared to show all of you why a Hoboken public school mommy (me) of a 5th-grader and this blog are the focus of an unprecedented political-media campaign to silence me.  The reasons:  (1) for writing about corruption at City Hall and the BoE and (2) as a proxy in the hate-fueled, political war against a popular mayor, Dawn Zimmer.

So you understand why a Hoboken mom and her personal blog have been elevated to a campaign issue, it's the GA-brand of sunlight that produces scripted letters in the HR calling me "vile".

Here's what I call "vile": the parasites we elect that tried to shut down our hospital and bankrupt Hoboken, that campaign on creating parks then vote against acquiring them, that pretend the theft of 4 million quarters from our parking meters has been "all cleared up",  that attack citizens who protest their abuses.

Take a look at this chronology of Patrick Ricciardi's email theft, the FBI raid on City Hall and Beth Mason's jihad to acquire emails of the mayor's staff (prior to the FBI raid). All entries are sourced.

Ask yourself who is "vile"?

TIMELINE 

Dec. 22, 2009- Patrick Ricciardi, IT Dept. head and City Council videographer, closes on a sweetheart deal on a luxury condo at less than 1/2 market price through a Hoboken City-operated 'Workforce Housing' program for middle-income municipal workers. That year Ricciardi made over 190K. http://tinyurl.com/9uv2qg7

("early") January 2010- Ricciardi set up a private 'Archive' and began copying the mayor's email and the emails of 2 unnamed staffers into his private 'Archive' file. http://www.justice.gov/usao/nj/Press/files/pdffiles/2011/Ricciardi,%20Patrick%20Complaint.pdf 

August 6, 2010- Hoboken's PIO, Bill Campbell, was laid off. 

October 12, 2010- Campbell filed a lawsuit against the City of Hoboken. The complaint lays out his claim that his replacement, Juan Melli, is a political hire, thus he was ousted  because the Mayor politicized the City's communications office. http://www.edmecka.com/pdf/Bill_Campbell_Layoff_Brief_with_Exhibits.pdf

April 1, 2011- City Council President Beth Mason and Vice President Michael Russo sponsor a City Council resolution to obtain ALL of the mayor's communications staff's emails (Communications Manager Juan Melli and Chief of Staff Dan Bryan) starting from January 1 2010- the SAME TIME Ricciardi began INTERCEPTING EMAILS from the Mayor and her 2 unnamed staffers!  What a coincidence. The basis of the Mason/Russo allegation: the "politicizing of the City's communications" mirrors the Campbell complaint. http://hoboken.patch.com/articles/council-president-wants-mayors-staffers-e-mails 

April 4, 2011- The authors of The Jersey Sting release F.B.I. surveillance video of City Councilman Mike Russo accepting a $5,000 bribe from FBI informant Solomon Dwek, who was posing as a real estate developer looking for zoning favors. Russo had never returned for the money so was not arrested.   http://videos.nj.com/starledger/2011/04/full_surveillance_recordings_o.html 

April 6, 2011- The City Hall website posts transcripts of the Russo-Dwek FBI surveillance tape. Russo is said to be furious. http://www.hobokennj.org/docs/mayor/Transcripts-Russo-Dwek.PDF 

May 16, 2011- Mayor Zimmer suspects her email is being hacked. Calls in independent security auditors who confirm her suspicions. http://www.justice.gov/usao/nj/Press/files/pdffiles/2011/Ricciardi,%20Patrick%20Complaint.pdf (page 5) 

10. During the course of the Security Audit, the private company identified an e-mail archive file (the "Archive File") on the hard drive of defendant RICCIARDI's work computer. 

11. The Archive File contained copies of e-mails that had been sent to the Mayor's e-mail account and to the e-mail accounts of certain Mayor's Office Employees. 

12. In the normal operation of an e-mail account, these e-mails would reside on the e-mail server that distributed mail to legitimate senders and recipients, and also on the particular computers of the e-mail's sender and recipient(s). The Archive File, however, contained a copy of all e-mails sent to and from the Mayor's official e-mail account and the accounts of certain Mayor's Office Employees. 

Zimmer then reports it to the FBI. 

May 16, 2011- Beth Mason and Michael Russo re-introduce an amended resolution for the emails of Mayor's Office Employees Bryan, Melli and 12 journalists and bloggers- including Grafix Avenger (Nancy Pincus) and Mile Square View (Roman Brice) http://www.hudsonreporter.com/view/full_stories_home/13291961/article---Council-prez-Mason-wants-emails-from-mayor-s-office- 

May 18, 2011- Patrick Ricciardi, also the City Council Meeting videographer, is absent from that night's meeting; his IT office is reported padlocked. 

May 26, 2011- Mayor Zimmer announces the FBI raid at City Hall. Computers, equipment, hard drives are seized. http://www.nj.com/hobokennow/index.ssf/2011/05/potential_electronic_communica.html 

June 2, 2011- Mason resolution seeking emails passes 5-3, but unenforceable since the emails are in FBI custody and they will not release them. http://hoboken.patch.com/articles/masons-resolution-asking-for-emails-passes 

June 12, 2011- Roman Brice confronts Beth Mason and Michael Russo at the City Council to ask if they have seen any emails they have demanded by resolution. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o7X3uCSp2w&feature=relmfu 

June 13, 2011- CC President Beth Mason calls for "more information" on the FBI investigation into breached email. Mayor Zimmer responded that the FBI told her no more information about the investigation would be forthcoming. http://hoboken.patch.com/articles/mason-calls-meeting-for-briefing-on-fbi-investigation 

June 14, 2011- Mason holds Special Monday night meeting to demand the release of emails from the FBI.  She appears panicked and desperate to find out what the FBI has and knows about the email theft.  

Mason said she wants to know "as much as anybody else knows. And I don't want to find out through the media." She said she thinks some people in City Hall know more than the Council does. "Nobody should have more information than anyone else," Mason said.

Further, Mason admits that FBI investigators have spoken to her. Mason suggests it was she who initiated contact but is then unresponsive to inquiries. She does not specify the nature of the interview. 

"I spoke to the investigators," she said. Mason would not divulge any details about that conversation. She said she got the number of the FBI agents from somebody in City Hall. She would not say who gave it to her. http://hoboken.patch.com/articles/to-meet-or-not-to-meet-that-is-the-question 

June 16, 2011- Corporation Counsel tells Mason the FBI agrees to allow Mason to look at specific emails if they deem they do not compromise the investigation. In turn, they will give her the copies- watermarked. But how would Mason know which ones to request unless she had seen them? http://hoboken.patch.com/articles/mason-one-step-closer-to-getting-emails-released 

July 1, 2011- City Council re-organization meeting. Resolution to end 'email investigation' passes on first reading. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bomAf5tFZs 
 
July 1, 2011- Roman Brice confronts Mason and the City Council minority on their demand for his emails and the emails of other bloggers. Asks Beth Mason and Michael Russo if either has seen any of the emails they are requesting in the resolution. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXl50opBfc4 

 July 5, 2011- New (Zimmer-allied) City Council majority votes to end Mason email investigation by resolution http://hoboken.patch.com/articles/investigation-called-by-mason-ends-after-council-vote 

November 9, 2011- Ricciardi, 45, is charged in a federal criminal complaint with one count each of accessing a computer without authorization, interception of wire and electronic communications, and disclosure of intercepted wire and electronic communications. http://hoboken.patch.com/articles/confirmed-former-it-official-surrendered-to-fbi-agents-charged-with 

The complaint notes that an unspecified number of email accounts "have obtained emails from the Mayor's e-mail account" (page 6)  http://www.justice.gov/usao/nj/Press/files/pdffiles/2011/Ricciardi,%20Patrick%20Complaint.pdf

21. The Individual 1 E-Mail Account and the Individual 2 E-Mail Account are not the only email accounts that have obtained e-mails from the Mayor's e-mail account without the Mayor's knowledge or consent.

 Oooops!

November 9, 2011- Beth Mason asks for the release of the names of individuals who received leaked information from former IT Director Patrick Ricciardi. (methinks the lady doth protest too much) http://hoboken.patch.com/articles/councilwoman-mason-wants-names-of-those-who-received-information 

November 10, 2011- Hoboken City Council minority (Mason, Russo, Occhipinti, Castellano) publicly denies involvement in Patrick Ricciardi's alleged email theft though many in the public are suspicious of their involvement. http://www.nj.com/hobokennow/index.ssf/2011/11/hoboken_city_council_minority.html 


November 14, 2011- Beth Mason makes an admission-against-interest at the City Council. (An admission against interest  is an admission of the truth of a fact by any person, but especially by the parties to a lawsuit, when a statement obviously would do that person harm, be embarrassing, or be against his/her personal or business interests.) In response to a series of questions from citizen-blogger Roman Brice about whether or not she had seen the stolen (Ricciardi) emails, Mason said: 

"Council President, first of all I'm raising concerns because these are issues of libel. And I'm gonna make it very clear. That there are significant issues here and unless there's proof I'm going to say I've NOT seen those emails and maybe Mr. Brice should release the emails between YOU and the mayor's political aides that I asked so we can see what has REALLY been a coordinated effort as a smear campaign between THOSE of us who don't agree with this administration and continue to speak out and you're NOT gonna shut me UP! I'm tired of this constant (garbled), false representation, accusations between members of this council. If you have proof come with it! Stop talking. Show your effort." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXBsQcAodL0 

 Mason's tirade was in response to these questions by Roman Brice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzoPq3wP-Ww 

November 25, 2011- The Hoboken Reporter OPRAs (Open Public Records Act) the inventory of items the FBI seized from City Hall's third floor information technology office on May 26, 2011: 

"Forty-five DVD’s were taken from City Hall by the agents, according to the inventory sheet. The sheet does not state which movies were taken. The agents also took five CD’s, including one labeled “My Stuff.” The agents seized a Galaxy Tablet, which, according to BestBuy.com, goes for anywhere between $500 and $600. Also taken were six cell phones (three Blackberry’s and three Sprint phones). Four laptops, six service tags, and 35 hard drives were also removed from the Information Technology office, according to the inventory sheet." http://hudsonreporter.com/view/full_stories_home/16560402/article---What-exactly-did-the-FBI-take-from-Hoboken---?instance=up_to_the_minute_lead_story_left_column

Got the picture, folks?

Stay tuned. GA will make the best use of the unsolicited attention being drawn to this blog to inform the public about what's been going on in City Hall and at the BoE.

Have you read about how in 2005-2006 your tax money went to Hoboken steakhouses instead of the Hoboken School District's kids?

Are you getting why 'they' call this blog 'vile'?  

See page 157- 2005-2006 BoE audit- CLICK HERE