2011 ELEC Shocker: Mason Spends $49K (Aug/Sept 2012)

Are 14 generators ordered with federal grant money a subject of the OIG's investigation?

Today MSV featured HHA Interim Director Bob DiVincent's interview with Hudson County View.  DiVincent said:

"There are some investigations going on [at the HHA]. The biggest one I'm aware of is the Office of the Inspector General has requested some documents on contracts that were part of the procurement investigation that HUD already did."  

Just when you thought our federal agencies didn't care!   

The Office of Inspector General (O.I.G. ) no less. The OIG can easily access records, documents, correspondence, from another federal agency (FEMA) without courts, subpoenas, or any legal wrangling whatsoever.Thus the  O.I.G. could obtain the application of a local Housing Authority for FEMA grant money to repair or retrofit facilities against future storms (such as $ to raise building generators). They could obtain all records relating to whether the grant was awarded, how much money, and which agent of the Housing Authority actually signed for it and took the money.   If a check was issued to that Housing Authority, the Feds could track the deposit.  Finally, the Feds would ascertain the existing conditions at the facilities to complete their investigation into whether the work was performed- or not.  In order to discourage (rampant) abuse of federal grant money, the Feds might choose to make an example of a HUD official involved in such behavior, someone like... anybody we know?

It is interesting to look back at what the Feds were allegedly 'up to' at the HHA around the time Carmelo Garcia dropped his (first) 'ethnic cleansing' lawsuit, in mid-August of 2013.

GA wrote on August 30, 2013:

According to witnesses, the Feds were at HHA this Monday; one witness described the "white men in suits" on the grounds. The next day an HHA maintenance employee confirmed the visit and said the agents had been going into "boiler rooms."  Looking at generators, perhaps?  Ones that didn't get raised with federal grant money disbursed?  Stay tuned...

Then on September 2, 2013, GA was told by a source at the HHA, around the time of the Feds' visit, that Carmelo Garcia had left 'suddenly' for Costa Rica.  The source alleged:

When he returned home from the trip to Costa Rica, the Feds were waiting. They met him at the airport as soon as he landed.  Carmelo wasn't arrested. The Feds questioned him about the tapes. They wanted to know what he had, if there were more. He told them he didn't have any more tapes. They let him go.  Garcia allegedly had  been telling others he has two more tapes (one of an HHA Commissioner)... told HHA residents that he has "Brian Stack on tape", and has Stack "trained like a dog".

Then, on top of alleged federal investigations into HHA boiler rooms and secretly recorded audiotapes, there were rumblings of another investigation- of absentee ballot farming at the HHA.

On September 22, 2013, GA wrote:

A couple of little birdies flew over from the HHA this weekend and delivered  a BOMBSHELL. In fact, this delivery casts a whole new light on motives for Carmelo Garcia's sudden Absentee Ballot Education Drive.

The first birdie was called to a meeting last week with a high level Hoboken official and "someone from the NJ Attorney General".    The topic was absentee ballot fraud at the HHA.  The AG wants evidence on past and ongoing absentee ballot farming.   

The next birdie said:

On Thursday [September 10th] ****  was at the HHA with ballots. He gives $40 to sign and doesn't seal them. He's been doing it for years.  He'll work for anybody don't matter.  He don't live there.  The next day ***** got  a call from the office to come back. They told him the FBI is investigating the ballots. I haven't seen him back since.

"What office?" GA asked. "The HHA?"  

No, Frank Raia's.

This flurry of federal activity occurred against a backdrop which included revelations that Garcia had  secretly worn a wire to tape "friends," a bombshell  broken by Al Sullivan on  July 28, 2013.  The saga unfolded with a drip, drip drip of pages from a transcription of Garcia's secretly taped lunch with the mayor's husband!  Juicy.

.

And if that wasn't enough 'excitement,'  Garcia's 'ethnic cleansing' lawsuit dropped on or about August 15, 2013.  

The ramifications of the nutty charges reverberated in the Ramos camp.  Many believe Carmeo's lawsuit put the tombstone on Ruben Ramos' mayoral run.   A source told GA on August 21, 2013:

Did Carmelo's 'ethnic cleansing' lawsuit open the door to Raia's Third Ticket?

Stack's backing off from Carmelo. Everybody is. It's the lawsuit. That was the last straw.

Everybody thinks its crazy, accusing the mayor of "ethnic cleansing". Nobody thinks it was a good idea. It's embarrassing to our people and Ruben is stuck with it. That suit was all Carmelo.  Nobody told him to do it. He's always played the race card but taking it to court is a whole different game. It's hurting Ruben. People are leaving Ruben.  Rudy Garcia left the campaign.  Renee Abreau doesn't want the attention his name is out there and he doesn't like it.  He's in with Carmelo on Vision 20/20, made some deal.

The Raia-Mason third ticket is going to happen.  Timmy is at the top.  Nobody thinks Ruben can pull it off.

And the Raia-Mason ticket came to pass.   One week later, Timmy threw his dunce cap into the ring and declared he was running.  Buh-bye Ruben Ramos.

So here we are, one year later-- Lawsuit #3 and concurrent "multiple" federal investigations at the HHA.

Not much seems to change but the hands on the clock. When do one of these "multiple" investigations move to a grand jury?

When?