Readers may recall that Bluewater Operations LLC, a company used by Beth Mason on her recent City Council campaign, has been the subject of 2 recent posts here.
The first one followed Mason's May 2nd ELEC report, with the observation she'd disbursed a large sum of cash to one firm with a P.O. Box address- nearly 50% of the total $34.7K expense she'd filed. That firm was Bluewater Operations, LLC.
GA's sleuth One Eye (don't mention rhinoceros horns) found out that the principals of the firm, Bryan Walensky and Ryan Yaaco, had registered their business at a private 2-family residence in a zoned-residential neighborhood.
The second GA post followed Mason's June 24 ELEC report- the one with the stunning revelation that she'd disbursed 52K of "street money" to Bluewater, and no back-up documentation showing how the money was distributed and to whom. This was broken by Da Horsey on MSV.
The only new 'news' with regard to Bluewater was this One Eye update (shhhh about the horn):
So there you have it.
Now the public waits with bated breath for Mason to furnish an explanation of how that 52K cash tsunami was disbursed by Bluewater Operations LLC, the public waits for the missing June 24th ELEC documentation to appear.
Abracadabra.
In the meanwhile, the FBI is scouring through the thicket of malfeasance and corruption that's been 'how we roll' here in Hoboken. Nobody knows for sure where they've gone, who they've gone to and who's in their crosshairs.
It's in that environment that GA got this email from Bluewater Operations LLC principal Bryan Walensky on July 9:
You can see Walensky let me know in no uncertain terms he was upset with how GA had portrayed his company and felt attacked personally, felt I'd made up "lies" about him.
So I will state for the record my willingness to retract, correct and apologize for anything I've published about Bluewater that is factually incorrect. But GA really has no interest in that company other than to find out how they've disbursed money for Beth Mason. Piles of it.
Here's my response, on July 12:
Bluewater's been still; no response yet. Again, GA's willing to make any corrections to anything misstated on this blog.
But I, a lowly blogger, am not the issue.
Where did the 52K go?
Ricky Mason, as the Mason campaign Treasurer, should furnish copies of these checks to ELEC along with a list of street money recipients to correspond with those check numbers. And he should explain why the coterie of Mason political operatives that (presumably) should be on her ELECs are NOT: Lane Bajardi, James Barracato, Perry Klaussen of Hoboken411 where his wife, Beth Mason, advertised 24/7. How did they get paid?
Lots of questions. Bluewater has answers. I am guessing that GA is not the only one asking these days.
The first one followed Mason's May 2nd ELEC report, with the observation she'd disbursed a large sum of cash to one firm with a P.O. Box address- nearly 50% of the total $34.7K expense she'd filed. That firm was Bluewater Operations, LLC.
GA's sleuth One Eye (don't mention rhinoceros horns) found out that the principals of the firm, Bryan Walensky and Ryan Yaaco, had registered their business at a private 2-family residence in a zoned-residential neighborhood.
The second GA post followed Mason's June 24 ELEC report- the one with the stunning revelation that she'd disbursed 52K of "street money" to Bluewater, and no back-up documentation showing how the money was distributed and to whom. This was broken by Da Horsey on MSV.
The only new 'news' with regard to Bluewater was this One Eye update (shhhh about the horn):
As I advised, Dun and Bradstreet confirmed what I told you – it is a shell that does not have an ordinary place of business for public sales/interaction, housed in a residential two family in Clifton, not accessible to the public, and does not show any activity in the normal trade associations/ publications or have any indications that it is actively marketing itself and has no real assets or measurable economic activity in the market of any kind.
So there you have it.
Now the public waits with bated breath for Mason to furnish an explanation of how that 52K cash tsunami was disbursed by Bluewater Operations LLC, the public waits for the missing June 24th ELEC documentation to appear.
Abracadabra.
In the meanwhile, the FBI is scouring through the thicket of malfeasance and corruption that's been 'how we roll' here in Hoboken. Nobody knows for sure where they've gone, who they've gone to and who's in their crosshairs.
It's in that environment that GA got this email from Bluewater Operations LLC principal Bryan Walensky on July 9:
Nancy:
I would like to get a better idea of why you keep saying that my Company is, "Just a company to move cash around to hide the true source and purpose. The old shell game on the street."
This is very Vindictive & I realize you have issues with Beth & James B., but why would you continue to make up lies about someone you don't know?
Bryan
You can see Walensky let me know in no uncertain terms he was upset with how GA had portrayed his company and felt attacked personally, felt I'd made up "lies" about him.
So I will state for the record my willingness to retract, correct and apologize for anything I've published about Bluewater that is factually incorrect. But GA really has no interest in that company other than to find out how they've disbursed money for Beth Mason. Piles of it.
Here's my response, on July 12:
Bryan,
Sorry for the delayed response, I don't check my gmail account everyday.
I have no personal agenda here. The only reason I mentioned your company is its connection to Mason's political activities. You chose to get involved in the public arena and attempt to influence a public election in Hoboken, which makes you and your company the subject of legitimate public scrutiny. In other words, fair game for comment.
Bluewater received 52K in street money per Mason's latest ELEC. This money was used to influence the outcome of an election. The required attachments to the ELEC report setting forth how Bluewater distributed this money were not provided by the campaign. Can you please clarify how your firm spent that money?
I said that your business was operating out of a two family residence in a zoned-residential neighborhood. I'd said that your firm had no history of credit transactions or 'normal' business activity. If any of that was wrong, please advise. GA would be happy to publish a correction for any misstatements of fact along with your explanation of how the 52k was spent.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Nancy
Bluewater's been still; no response yet. Again, GA's willing to make any corrections to anything misstated on this blog.
But I, a lowly blogger, am not the issue.
Where did the 52K go?
Ricky Mason, as the Mason campaign Treasurer, should furnish copies of these checks to ELEC along with a list of street money recipients to correspond with those check numbers. And he should explain why the coterie of Mason political operatives that (presumably) should be on her ELECs are NOT: Lane Bajardi, James Barracato, Perry Klaussen of Hoboken411 where his wife, Beth Mason, advertised 24/7. How did they get paid?
Lots of questions. Bluewater has answers. I am guessing that GA is not the only one asking these days.
Sounds like somebody came snooping around Bluewater asking some uncomfortable questions. Good. Seems like he is whining about having some light brought to bear on his company's assistance to Bet in her efforts to buy yet another election. Too bad.
ReplyDeleteDon't hold your breath waiting for an answer.
ReplyDelete"I guess there is nothing to write about today & since I haven't gotten back to GA yet this is the result"
ReplyDeleteBryan
ReplyDeleteSo just where did the 52k go? You seem to be whining a ltitle too much.
Bryan, you can get back to me anytime at your convenience.
ReplyDeleteI'll correct anything that's been misstated, anything that I've gotten wrong. Please explain how the 52K was spent in Hoboken's election.
This is not personal, not about you. It's about how money was spent to influence election results in Hoboken. So far, the 52K is a mystery.
once again, GA's citizen journalism shames the "credentialed" press, doing the type of investigating that professional journalists used to do. how was the $52k spent?
ReplyDeletein the (in)famous word of terry castellano: "if ya didn't do nuthin' wrong, ya got nuthin' ta worry about."
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ReplyDeleteBryan W. - It is a completely fair question to ask for the breakout of the ELEC money spent. Your name and reputation are attached to that company so please understand the public's right to know the breakout of those moneys. Elections are indeed public affairs.
ReplyDeleteBeth Mason has all the appearances of impropriety and all things point to using your firm as a cover up. Don't take the fall for that hypocritical and spiteful woman.
Come clean with how exactly that money was spent and GA will leave you alone. It is high time someone in Hoboken held that hypocrite Beth Mason to her own espoused standards of transparency.
We will not be satisfied until will get a breakout check by check of those disbursements. If Beth Mason didn't use your firm she would have the explaining to do and quite frankly she still does.
If everything your firm did was legit than you have nothing to hide. I will give you the benefit of the doubt to come clean but if all we get is a $52k number knowing how Beth operates the reasonable reader will assume there is something that is being hidden.
Mr. Walensky, perhaps you can take some of the time you spend watching for your name on this site to respond to what are quite basic questions.
ReplyDeleteYou do realize don't you that our P2P statutes are being re-written to reign in Ms Mason's disregard for the spirit of our laws. IE, your paymaster. Your service to her is widely considered a disservice to this community.
If you want to put yourself in our shoes, suppose I went to work in your parents' community getting riff-raff elected by any means necessary with no real interest in the quality-of-life consequences because I didn't have to live there afterward. Unlike your parents.
That about catches us up. So what about GA's questions, sport?
Looks like someone missed the memo about the until-further-notice standing gag order.
ReplyDelete"Since I am not the account manager I didn't handle any of the Financial Transactions, I don't understand why she didn't file the attachments, but that is between her & the people's who's job it is to file them."
ReplyDeleteOn the subject of, "the business is operating out of two family residence in a zoned-residential neighborhood"-- I would say a majority of LLC's are registered at a home address. Therefore, one can use a home address for their LLC business address and registered agent address.
Bryan, you can understand how folks here feel about vast sums of money pouring into our elections, influencing who governs us.
ReplyDeleteAnd we do have the right to know how this money was spent, whether or not the person who hired you, Mason, chooses to follow ELEC law. If all's been done on the up and up, Bluewater should have no issue with releasing this information- at least to clear the air.
You may know the FBI's in town and already spoken to Mason. I've no doubt if these questions about election financing haven't come up yet, they will. Are you waiting for her to throw you under the bus? Who do you think she'll point the finger at? Protecting herself and her golden goose at the expense of everyone else should be expected.
You may not believe this coming from me but I have concern for people who've been exploited.
BW
ReplyDeleteYour post raises more questions than it answers. No one is disputing that an LLC can use any address that it chooses. What was uncovered by GA is that Bluewater has no office from which it works - receives, mail, visitors, clients, etc. Just like Beth's other sham company - Lord whatever. Where does Beth meet with your company's "account manager" or where doe that person meet with other clients? Do you have offce furniture somewhere, a conference table? A photo copier? A fax machine? A phone system besides your blackberry? Where does the "business" of your company take place? At Starbucks on Washington Street? Referring to the "account manager in charge" to deflect from your company's responsibility to maintain records for ELEC purposes when handling "street money" is actaully kind of funny. How many employees are there at Bluewater? How many job titles? How many "account mangers". No one is thinkng that there is anyone else but you and your partner operating our of you house. No one wishes you ill, but if you want to play political games with Beth Mason, you better come preprared to face the inevitable scrutiny and criticism.
BTW, has she ever had you over for dinner or mingel with you in a social situation, ever asked you about your personal life? Ever once indicated any personal interest in you before she throws you under the bus? You know that she is going to blame your company and its incomeptence for her failures to file the ELEC reports. Run, run as fast as you can before it is too late. I suggest the direction of Newark.
It seems readily apparent that you and your company have been used by Beth to shuffle her money around to try and hide how it was spent. Your anger should be directed at Beth, not GA. She just poitned out the inherent hypocrisy of Beth's machinations. And the defense of "i dont know nuttin 'bout birthin' no babies" is not going to wash. If you have not already spoken with a good criminal defense attorney, it is time that you did. You are involved up to your neck and dont seem to get it. Beth will not be kind and bail you out. Any fees that she has paid you will be swallowed up whole by the costs you are going to have to bear. It is time for you to make a descision, either come clean on the dirty money Beth has been shuffling through your company or suffer the consequences. I truly hope, for your sake, that you come clean.
so...someone gives your company $52k and you have no idea what it was for or how it was used? really? your expect anyone to believe that?
ReplyDeleteword to the wise: get out in front of this while you can. you have to look out for #1, save yourself because no one else is going to save you (and may, in fact, somehow use you as a scapegoat).
Who is really responsible for telling the public how that $52K Blue Water got was spent? Is it Mason's responsibility or Blue Water's? Who has to file the paperwork? I am honestly not sure but if Mason is the one who needs to collect receipts, expenditure reports and canceled checks from Blue Water and file those then we should be focusing our ire on her. It may not be her patsy's fault at all though I am sure she will blame her patsy when questioned about the lack of transparency on how that $52K was spent.
ReplyDeleteBTW - I have to wonder how many improprieties might be uncovered were we ever to get the transparency on how that money was spent that the law clearly requires.
It is the candidates responsibility. Don't expect Beth to do anything ethically or legally correct.We'll never get an answer.
ReplyDeleteInfotainme has nailed it (as usual).
ReplyDeleteFrom Bryan of Bluewater's remarks, one wonders just what kind of nimnos are at work in Bluewater's "home office"....
Don't count on BW offering much more than "BW-aahh! You're picking on me." His desperate little business persona is crushed!
BW--AAHH!! big time, when his desperate little self goes under the bus & then onto the one to the FBI's "home office"!
Perhaps GA could create one of her blistering graphics.... A "Masonic Temple." A sort of twisted family tree, "littered" with "martyrs."
Very medieval in feel---heads on pikes & the like. "Bryan-Hoe of Bluewater," "Bajardi the Blowhardy," "Occhipinti the Squinty, " etc.
All in good crusading-for-justice fun, of course!
Perhaps I am not the most knwoelgable in this area, but I understand that the PRIMARY respsonibility is on the candidate, and if the candidate delegates the job of distributing street money, then the onus falls on the contractor to provide suifficient detail to enable the candiate to comply. Any other reading would enable a candidate to give the job away and then claim incompetence of their vendor as the reason for non compliance, all the while never intending to comply. I dont see the ELEC regs reading like that. Bottom line is that Bluewater accepted the cash for street distribution and therefore was obligated to provide the necessary detail. But Beth is clearly planning to throw them under the bus. And these guys are sadly clueless.
ReplyDelete@ss1959 or K - How does this kind of stuff remain unresolved? Are the ELEC statutes suggestions or laws? I personally have never heard of anyone being penalized for ELEC law violations. Even with some of the knowledgeable persons on this thread, there is not even certainty about where the onus lies for violations. Where would one find the penalty clauses? Honest questions.
ReplyDeleteMaurice Fitzgibbons who lives in Church Towers and "friend" of Tim Occhipinti and Scott Delea was fined by ELEC.
ReplyDeleteBeth Mason is responsible and this failure not to comply looks staged. City Hall's compliance officer has received nothing.
POG wanted a compliance officer. How about they tell Beth Mason to comply?
The issue is not the vendor and their operation, only in regards to Beth Mason. She will turn and blame them. This is her track record. Expecting that to change would be foolish.
That's you in the stove, Rocky Walensky. Beth's the one with the match.
ReplyDelete