The Timeline: Campbell vs. Hoboken, Mason, Russo & Ricciardi

Da Horsey's got a pretty smokin' piece up today about Beth Mason's videographer, Tim, at the January 3rd court appearance of Mayor Dawn Zimmer.  Tim taped her testimony which Mason then leaked to the Hoboken Reporter and posted, watermarked, on Hoboken411.

That's all become public.  GA broke it last Tuesday.

What's been the response from Camp Mason?

GA's been banned from posting on the  nj.com Hoboken message board, and ALL my postswere deleted.  Anyone who linked to GA was banned.  Including Da Horsey.  (Technically GA is still banned, but I have 'unbanned myself'- so screw, you censors)

Folks, this kind of pushback is very unusual.  So what does this tell you?

They're afraid of any more sunlight and are trying to shut it down.  Because there is SOMETHING they are trying to  hide.

And since my F.B.I. friends read the blogs, pay attention.

GA  reads the effort to shut down this discussion as consciousness-of-guilt and it's up to YOU, my dapper Newark. friends, to find what they're guilty of.

But Da Horsey was on to something when he wrote this today: 

This charge of politicizing the city website actually began in April 2011, oddly right around the time of the FBI surveillance tape's release showing Michael Russo with Solomon Dwek and other Jersey City crooks who took the Dwek loot. As he would co-sponsor with the then brief Council Presidency of Beth Mason the same charge. Their resolution requested all the emails of the mayor's aides going back to January 2010:

No evidence was presented by Beth Mason or Mike Russo showing even a modicum of evidence to their charge. But oddly, this resolution pointed to the EXACT SAME TIME as the FBI noted City IT manager Patrick Ricciardi began intercepting emails of the mayor and the mayor's staff!

Right-o Horsey.

So, what exactly does the theft of the mayor's email, the Mason-Russo effort to use a City Council resolution as 'cover' to legally obtain emails (it's believed) they've already seen, and the Billy Campbell case have to do with each other?
 
It comes into focuswhen you look at the timeline.

TIMELINE- Campbell vs. Hoboken, Mason & Ricciardi

December 22, 2009- Patrick Ricciardi closes on a luxury workforce housing unit at less than 1/2 market price.

Ricciardi buys unit at the luxury MetroStop through Hoboken's Workforce Housing program (affordable housing for middle income City workers). That year he was paid over 190K. The 2-bedroom, 2-bath 1268 sf luxury unit-with a terrace, was sold to him for the bargain-price of 260K on 12/22/09-  the program is administrated by the City. GA asks, "How did Patrick Ricciardi Qualify for Workforce Housing?"

 January 2010-  Patrick Ricciardi creates 'Archive File'  and begins stealing the mayor's emails and 2 unnamed staffers' emails.

From The United States of America vs. Patrick Ricciardi, page 7

b.In early 2010, defendant RICCIARDI created the Archive File without the knowledge or consent of the Mayor or the Mayor's Office Employees. c. Defendant RICCIARDI set up the Archive File so that it would automatically forward all e-mails sent to the Mayor and two high-ranking Mayor's Office Employees to the Archive File.

August 6, 2010- Billy Campbell, Hoboken Public Information Officer, is laid off.

October 12, 2010- Billy Campbell files lawsuit against the City of Hoboken.

The complaint claims Melli, his replacement, is a political hire,  and "ulterior political motives pressured Campbell's layoff".

From William D. Campbell vs. City of Hoboken, page 14

March 28, 2011-  Russo meeting w/Dwek becomes public in "The Jersey Sting"

Russo countered that there was no talk of a bribe. "Anyone who portrays that," Russo said, "is lying."

April 1st, 2011 - Mason/Russo sponsor City Council Resolution for ALL Melli and Bryan emails

Council President Beth Mason and Vice President Michael Russo want to see all of the e-mail sent and received by Mayor Dawn Zimmer's chief of staff and communications director, accusing them of politicizing public communications on behalf of the city.

Mason and Russo want to see all e-mails since Jan. 1, 2010, from the city-issued e-mail addresses of both Melli and Bryan. The resolution directs the city to produce “communication related to the expenditure of tax payer funds for Hoboken’s public relations and communications initiative.”

April 4th, 2011- Jersey Sting authors release Russo F.B.I. surveillance video on The Star Ledger

 Russo charged that the authors of the book "The Jersey Sting", incorrectly describes the meeting he had with Dwek. Russo insists that "No bribe was discussed." Today authors Ted Sherman and Josh Margolin released a copy of the recording showing the full meeting between Dwek and Russo at the Light Horse Tavern in Jersey City that indicates otherwise.

April 6, 2011-City of Hoboken web site posts transcripts of F.B.I. surveillance video of Michael Russo meeting with Solomon Dwek.

May 16, 2011- Mason/Russo re-introduce (amended) resolution for Melli/Bryan emails

Council President Beth Mason has re-introduced legislation requesting copies of emails from City Communications Director Juan Melli and Mayor Dawn Zimmer's Confidential Aide Dan Bryan sent to and from the local media and bloggers. Her intent is to see if the mayor's communications staffers have been sending out political information on taxpayer time.

May 26, 2011- Mayor Announces F.B.I. at City Hall and the removal of computer equipment.

In fact, the FBI was at Hoboken City Hall today and "removed equipment," Mark Tabakin, the city's corporation counsel said this afternoon. Tabakin would not say what equipment was taken.

November 9, 2011- Patrick Ricciardi arrested AND Mayor Zimmer deposed in Campbell case (see transcript)

Ricciardi had been arrested earlier that day for allegedly slipping confidential City Hall communications to unauthorized parties, including allegedly at least one present city official who has not been named.  In court, Ricciardi, a Hoboken resident, had his hands and feet shackled.  He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison if convicted on three charges for which he was arrested.

November 14, 2011- Beth Mason implicates herself in the Ricciardi  email conspiracy to Roman Brice at the Hoboken City Council.

"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 REALLY see what has 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 (?), false accusations between members of this council.

If you have proof come with it, stop talking, show your effort."

January 3, 2012- Mason sends videographer to tape Mayor Zimmer's 4 hour deposition in the Campbell suit. Plaintiff's layer, Catherine Elston does not object to Mason's videographer; the City attorney does. Elston, hits every Mason political talking point in her examination. She questions the mayor extensively about the publication of the Russo transcript- which was NOT included in the complaint and happened AFTER Campbell's firing.

January 15, 2012- Mason leaks video to Hoboken Reporter, they publish "juicy" details.

January 17, 2012- Mason gives video to Hoboken411.  He posts entire 4-hour video with a vicious, partisan hit piece called "Hoboken411 Exclusive: Did Zimmer commit perjury". Same day, GA breaks that the HR leak and videotape were provided by Beth Mason.

Did you get all that?

You can draw your own conclusions, but here's GA's theory.

The Ricciardi email 'heist' was well under way by the time Campbell got fired on August 6, 2010.  By then, Ricciardi was an established 'Sears & Roebuck catalog' type operation; if one wanted the emails of any individual in particular they knew who to go to.  The idea for the Campbell suit may have been a collaborative effort.  In pursuit of 'proof' that Campbell was ousted for political reasons, the conspirators went to 'Sears and Roebuck' Ricciardi and ordered the emails of Melli and Bryan for anything they could 'use' in the lawsuit.  These emails were illegally obtained and shared.

WHAT was shared and with WHOM?

Based on the timeline, GA believes that the Mason- Russo email jihad stemmed from the email 'hunt' for the Campbell suit.  The Campbell suit was a 'project' to embarrass and weaken the mayor and 'destroy' her 2 top staffers.  The Campbell suit was conjured as a pure political operation; Mr. Campbell, angry about being fired, was willing.

Remember, no explanation was ever given by Mason and Russo why they targeted these 2 staffers as 'politicizing' City Hall- why not any other Director or staffer?

It was because of the Billy Campbell law suit.  GA believes Mason and Russo were part of the conspiracy to dig up  dirt for the plaintiff's use and to provide Campbell's attorney, Catherine Elston, with the 'backup needed.  What they had done for the Campbell case became the email jihad 'case' against Melli and Bryan.

What was Elston given?  What was she told?   By whom?

Was Elston given or told anything that was not properly procured?

If so, GA is not implying she KNEW of the material's shady provenance: I couldn't say that.  But the persons providing it knew. Everything.  Further...

GA is sure there was no smoking gun in the emails, never was. Melli and Bryan did NOTHING wrong. 

But that doesn't mean their emails weren't shared,.  GA believes they were. And  just ASKING the question suggests wrongdoing.

There is a LOT more to this case than a City worker seeking compensation for his firing.

And it begins with Patrick Ricciardi.  And GA believes it ties the Sears and Roebuck operation to the larger conspiracy to damage the mayor and her staffers through a dupe, Billy Campbell.

Mason could give a rat's ass about Campbell.  She got her email jihad, threw lots of mud. She got her videotape and put it on Hoboken411.

And that's why they DON'T want to talk about it.

That's my theory, anyway.