GA's not clear on the details (yet), but it appears a Hoboken resident has filed an ethics complaint citing 6th Ward Councilwoman Jen Giattino and 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher with violating Hoboken's anti-corruption ordinance, § 30-1.
§ 30-1 Gift policy of the City of Hoboken
No officer or employee of the City of Hoboken shall directly solicit any gift or accept or receive any gift having a value of $25 or more, whether in the form of money, services, loan, travel, entertainment, hospitality, thing or promise or any other form, under circumstances in which it could reasonably be inferred that such gift was intended to influence the officer or employee, or could reasonably be expected to influence the officer or employee in the performance of official duties or was intended as a regard for any official action on the officer's or employee's part.
The complaint charges that Giattino took a FREE legal opinion from a lawyer whom she did not procure through the City of Hoboken, and that Fisher received FREE legal advice- from "no-name" attorneys- also not procured through the City of Hoboken. In emails and on social media, Fisher admits that she relied on these "no-names" to support ethics charges against Planning Board Commissioner Gary Holtzman.
The evidence supporting allegations against both Councilwomen exists in the public domain; Giattino's own words that she did not pay for the "Ryglicki opinion" were spoken at a Council meeting and Fisher has made numerous references to procuring legal opinions from "no name attorneys." Giattino's alleged misconduct is all on the record. As is Fisher's.
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| Fisher admitting she solicited freebie legal advice (used to confirm the narrative required to toss Holtzman off the Planning Board- UNETHICAL!) |
Now, Fisher will say that she solicited these opinions informally.
Um, no such thing. The Councilwoman did not ask for help in the dark. She is a Hoboken legislator, empowered to approve contracts with the City of Hoboken. There is nothing informal about a government official with legislative and hiring power procuring "help" from attorneys with potential interest in working with Hoboken, attorneys currently working with Hoboken or as Fisher cites, "a couple the City has contracted with." Its called quid pro quo. Above and beyond violating the City's gift policy, Fisher procuring legal advice from 'no-names' without transparency, is highly unethical behavior.
GA will publish the ethics complaint when I get a copy.
And I have questions: how does the City adjudicate these? In municipal court? Or at the state level?
And I have questions: how does the City adjudicate these? In municipal court? Or at the state level?
It seems to me these should be heard locally. The City needs to create an entity with teeth, that can adjudicate such complaints. If not, they should go to municipal court. What's the point of having law that can't be enforced? Ridiculous.
In the meantime, stay tuned.
If Jenn and Tiff applied the same standard to themselves that they applied to others, they would immediately resign. Taking free legal opinions from lawyers who likely are seeking future employment opportunities definitely has the appearance of impropriety.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest issue with these two, as well as Cunningham, is the hypocrisy which they are in my opinion genuinely too narcissistic to even begin to grasp.
ReplyDeleteWhen they look n the mirror they genuinely see the portrait painted of them by their online sycophants - honorable good government crusaders exposing wrongdoing by others.
Their own sh*t don't stink because, well, they are honorable good government crusaders being wrongfully attacked by the forces of evil.
I don't know what's more troubling - the hypocrisy or the fact that they are so genuinely incapable of any kind of honest self - reflection.
Agree 100%. An apology should suffice; an acknowledgment that what they did was wrong, in violation of Hoboken ethics rules, and it won't happen again. But for the reasons you described- hubris, arrogance, victimhood, reinforced by sycophants -- it'll probably never happen.
DeleteYou never know, hope springs eternal.
Their only sycophants are a couple of unemployable windbags, a half dozen mooches and a collection of crackpots not to mention a dozen or so political opportunists who are more interested in what is good for them than anything else. Not one of them is worth listening to.
DeleteThe opinions gathered ceased to be “informal” when she used them to support her vote and seek to influence the votes of other council persons and used then while attempting to influence public opinion.
ReplyDelete