Occhipinti Named in Pay-to-Play Probe

Occhipinti received a "secret check" from Birdsall Engineering

 BREAKING: Hoboken's Tim Occhipinti has been named by the Star-Ledger newspaper in a Pay-to-Play probe of politicians who received a "secret cash" donations from Birdsall Engineering.

According to the Star-Ledger:

From 2008 to early 2012, Birdsall made more than 1,000 secret contributions worth $1.05 million to candidates and political groups of all stripes and in all corners of the state, according to a Star-Ledger analysis of the records.

During the same period, business disclosure reports show, Birdsall cashed in on more than $84 million in public contracts.

What became of Birdsall?

Birdsall’s political machine ground to a halt in May 2012, records show, after the company’s former marketing director, Philip Angarone Jr., was secretly recorded by his estranged wife explaining how he had received illegal reimbursements from the firm for campaign contributions.

The tape landed in the hands of detectives at the state Attorney General’s Office, leading to an investigation that resulted in the March indictment of Birdsall and seven former executives, who stand accused of making more than $686,000 in secret and illegal contributions.

Wow.  GA wonders what contracts Birdsall was bidding for in Hoboken at the time of Timmy's 2010 election when he gobbled up the "secret cash" pay-to-play loot.  That will take some looking into... stay tuned.

Here is how Birdsall worked their scheme:

It was classic Jersey: Banned by law from giving more than $300 to many politicians, Birdsall instead had its employees write personal checks to candidates and then later reimbursed the staffers with salary bonuses and lied to the state on disclosure forms.

The company had created the perfect political machine, one that could skirt laws and churn out checks like a printing press, all without raising a single suspicion because each donation was for such a small sum of money it did not have to be reported to the public.

The scheme went undetected for at least six years until one of Birdsall’s employees was surreptitiously caught on tape discussing it, touching off an investigation that authorities say uncovered one of the most expansive and sophisticated criminal pay-to-play conspiracies in recent history.

But one major piece of the puzzle — who received Birdsall’s money — has remained a mystery.

Until now.

The only other Hoboken pols to receive 'secret cash' payments from Birdsall were convicted felon Peter Cammarano and BoE Slate 'United for Students': Anthony Oland. Frank Pupie Raia and Hector Irizarry.

WHO did NOT take Birdsall 'secret cash'?

• Camaranno's opponent, Reform's Dawn Zimmer.
• Occhipinti's opponent, Reform's Mike Lenz.
• 'United for Students' Slate, Reform's Kids First 

 Notice the pattern?