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| Left side: Carmelo Garcia, Chris Campos, and Ruben Ramos at March 7, 2015 Teak Fundraiser for Garcia's 6th ward council campaign, right side: credit Hudson County View, First Ward Council candidate Mike DeFusco at his February 5, 2019 fundraiser for re-election to Hoboken |
As reported by Hudson County View, former Hoboken elected School Board Trustee and 2015 candidate for 6th Ward council, Carmelo Garcia, attended last Tuesday's 2019 Kick-Off fundraiser for First Ward Councilman Mike DeFusco.
City Council President Ruben Ramos was there, too.
Missing from DeFusco's fundraiser was the twosome's longtime political ally, former Hoboken City Council President Chris Campos. The three childhood besties grew up in Hoboken politics together, which Al Sullivan noted in a 2013 column:
Chris Campos later served as Carmelo Garcia's Chief of Staff in the Assembly, for Garcia's 2-year term beginning January 2014. Campos told Jersey Journal's Steve Strunsky on January 7, 2016, "He can run for dogcatcher and I'll always be with him." Two months later, on March 9, 2016, Campos was arrested for his alleged role in a $7M bank and wire fraud scheme. After a week-long trial, Campos was found guilty on June 22, 2017. On December 8, 2017 Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Campos was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
Then, just last week, jailbird Campos was slammed with $22K in fines by the New Jersey Law Enforcement Commission (NJ-ELEC) for campaign reporting violations dating back to 2007.
Coincidently, three years ago a GA investigative report ("Campos ELEC Mysteries"), had found unusual activity on Campos' 2007 ELEC filings. It appeared that Campos had opened a new campaign bank account (in 2015!) for Friends to Re-elect Christopher Campos then filed fourteen ELEC reports (also in 2015-- R-1s, Amendments) for his 2007 Municipal and 2007 Runoff elections. Well, whaddaya know.
GARCIA FOR ASSEMBLY ELECS SHOW UNUSUAL ACTIVITY
In addition to strange activity on Campos' ELEC reports, GA found highly unusual activity on those of DeFusco/Campos/Ramos ally, Carmelo Garcia. One April 2016 post,""Garcia for Assembly's" $384K in "aggregate" contributions..." found that:
"...Carmelo Garcia's Jan 15 ELEC account, Garcia for Assembly, reported a sudden uptick of $384,043.84 in "aggregate contributions" (Schedule A) which disappeared on the next (April 15) ELEC filing. Why would a tsunami of "aggregate contributions" be reported on one period, and disappear the next?"
It goes without saying that the huge aggregate contributions ($42K) reported for individual donors, PACS, and a business on Garcia for Assembly's Jan. 15, 2015 violate legal campaign contribution limits. Those are straight-up ELEC violations.
Three months later, on the April 15, 2015 ELEC report, these huge aggregates DISAPPEAR; they are all down to legal limits. NO REFUNDS WERE REPORTED.
WOOSH! $336,603.17 disappears. Gone. No refund reported. Where did the money go?
Coincidentally, while this vast sum of loot washed through, Garcia was running his 2015 campaign for 6th Ward City Council. The election was on November 3, 2015. The total contributions reported by Garcia for Hoboken Council were $30,409.52.
Three months later, on the April 15, 2015 ELEC report, these huge aggregates DISAPPEAR; they are all down to legal limits. NO REFUNDS WERE REPORTED.
WOOSH! $336,603.17 disappears. Gone. No refund reported. Where did the money go?
Coincidentally, while this vast sum of loot washed through, Garcia was running his 2015 campaign for 6th Ward City Council. The election was on November 3, 2015. The total contributions reported by Garcia for Hoboken Council were $30,409.52.
DOCUMENTS
JAN 15, 2015 ELEC- GARCIA FOR ASSEMBLY
Schedule A "Aggregate contributions" reported total $384,043.84
Table 1 "Receipts" Line 2 "Cumulative-to-date" total $47,441.67.
Schedule A "Aggregate contributions" reported total $384,043.84
Table 1 "Receipts" Line 2 "Cumulative-to-date" total $47,441.67.
AGGREGATE CONTRIBUTIONS
NJLBA PAC--$42,067
Jeffrey Rodriguez--$42,067
RAI Services Company---$42,069
Idida Rodriguez---$42,075
Diana Punales Morejon---$42,076
Luis Mirabel--$42,076
Sun Chong Kim--$42,076
Gilberto R. Paz--$42,076
Food Council for Good Government--$42,079
click on any image to enlarge
APRIL 15, 2015 ELEC- GARCIA FOR ASSEMBLY
Schedule A "Aggregate contributions" decrease by $336,603.17 (from Jan 15 report)
Table 1 "Receipts" Line 2 "Cumulative-to-date" total $47,441.67 (same as Jan 15 report
CHANGES TO AGGREGATE CONTRIBUTIONS (from Jan 15):
NJLBA PAC-- $42,067 $1,000
Jeffrey Rodriguez--$42,067 $500
Jeffrey Rodriguez--
RAI Services Company---$42,069 $500
Idida Rodriguez---$42,075 $500
Diana Punales Morejon---$42,076 $500
Luis Mirabel--$42,076 $500
Sun Chong Kim--$42,076 $1000
Gilberto R. Paz--$42,076 $1000
Food Council for Good Government--$42,079 $1000
click on any image to enlarge
click on any image to enlarge
As mentioned earlier, GA noted Chris Campos' unusual ELEC activity--which occurred during Garcia for Hoboken Council's 2015 campaign; on August 21, 2015, Garcia's Chief of Staff Christopher Campos filed a D-1 to open new TD Bank North Account # 4313068151. for "Friends to Re-Elect Christoper Campos."
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| Ruben Ramos and Chris Campos are there for BFF Carmelo Garcia's 2015 announcement in Church Square Park. |
On who?
DeFuckup has a lot in common with Garcia. A lot.
ReplyDelete80 River Street, Campos's campaign headquarters, is owned by the guys who own the bar where the slut whisperer performed.
Campos, Ramos and Garcia were also besties with that creepy, crooked convicted felon Cammarano. DeFusco is a perfect fit.
DeleteThis stink is all over "the good government trio." Ever hear mister horseshit say a critical word about Ramos or DeFusco?
ReplyDeleteThe Campos ELEC investigation and decision didn't happen on its own and it had nothing to do with his federal crimes.
ReplyDeleteIt was generated back in 2007 as a result of two detailed complaints filed (each without the knowledge of the other) by two Hoboken residents - one by Eric Kurta and one by an individual close to then council candidate Dawn Zimmer. Both Eric and the other individual received letters at the time saying ELEC had voted to open an investigation and then in 2011 were notified that ELEC had filed a formal complaint. Despite how eggregious and obvious the violations were, without those compaints filed by concerned (if not disinterested) citizens, ELEC would have done nothing.
Were any ELEC complaints filed about the"anomolies" on Garcia's ELEC reports and if so did ELEC advise they were investigating? If not, then sadly Garcia will never be held accountable, not even 12 years later.
This is why Hoboken so misses Eric Kurta who, in an era filled with so many who proved to be phonies, was a true reform icon.
Props to Eric and the other person. I don't know if anyone has reported Garcia's ELEC anomolies, but I doubt it. In 2015, I recall Garcia spending money like water: a block party, halloween gift bags, donut buys, multiple color mailers, serious GOTV, campaign swag. IMO, $30K is a low number for the extravagance I recall. So, where did the $ come from?
Delete