I just heard that my ward councilwoman, Jen Giattino, has officially thrown her hat in the ring! That is good to know.
Because now she will have to answer to why that April 2018 legal opinion she had procured in her official capacity as Hoboken Councilwoman, from County Boss Nick Sacco's attorney, found it's way onto her 2015 ELEC report as an in-kind political contribution.
Because now she will have to answer to why that April 2018 legal opinion she had procured in her official capacity as Hoboken Councilwoman, from County Boss Nick Sacco's attorney, found it's way onto her 2015 ELEC report as an in-kind political contribution.
Folks may recall that Giattino procured this opinion, like a magician's rabbit out of a hat, to justify reductions in the Mayor's Rent Leveling Board appointment powers. Since Corporation Council had argued that the council majority's efforts were "illegal," like magic Giattino had a contrary legal opinion written for her. For free. And everybody knows that lawyers work for government entities for free. Oh, they don't?
At the meeting, the Councilwoman said publicly that she "did not pay" for the legal opinion. She failed to identify the gift of legal services (valued at $1,250) as a political contribution.
In fact, the Councilwoman back-filled the Ryuglicki in-kind contribution on her "April 2018" report filing it 7 months later in November 2018. Transparent or shady? We report, you decide.
In fact, the Councilwoman back-filled the Ryuglicki in-kind contribution on her "April 2018" report filing it 7 months later in November 2018. Transparent or shady? We report, you decide.
GIATTINO CAN'T CLAIM "ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE" ON POLITICAL GIFTS
Moreover, Giattino denied my OPRA request based on "Attorney Client Privilege." News for the councilwoman: any claim to "attorney-client privilege" was pierced when the gift of legal work became a political contribution. So, when the OPRA request is re-filed, no excuses.
WHERE ARE GIATTINO AND FISHER'S ELECS?
If they have been filed, they are not online. Yet. Why not?
Had enough shady campaign reporting? Welcome to the light...
ZIMMER-BHALLA TRANSPARENCY IN CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTING
A hallmark of Zimmer-Bhalla governance was/is transparency in campaign finance reporting: the public can access all contributions (currency, in-kind) coming in and all going out. Timely filed.
Bhalla's campaign finance reports are not filled out with indecipherable scribble (Mike DeFusco's) or in microscopic, unreadable font (Ruben Ramos'.) Unlike The Shady Bunch, Bhalla does not use campaign operatives to manage and report his campaign contributions and expenditures. No, Bhalla employs an a professional municipal accountant, Judith L. Tutela, CPA, RMA, PSA. Simply put, Tutela does not answering to a campaign boss, she answers to the law of the State of New Jersey.
About Tutela:
"Judith works primarily in the audit department for governmental, nonprofit and for-profit entities. During her many years in practice, she has gained extensive knowledge in local statutes, rules and regulations applicable to New Jersey Government. She has experience with auditing authorities, municipalities, school districts, public charities, among many other types of entities. Judith has extensive single audit experience and was the lead partner in the AICPA Governmental Audit Quality Center for Spire CPAs prior to their merger with HBK. Judith is also a registered municipal accountant, a registered public school accountant, and a certified municipal finance office member in the state of New Jersey."
That is who is handling campaign finance reporting for Team Bhalla. Team Transparency.
It’s called political growth. DUH!
ReplyDeleteRobert Kennedy went from spoiled scion of a political dynasty to a deeply empathic fighter for social justice.
Martin Luther King grew from laser-focused on de-segregation to recognizing the injustice of the Vietnam War.
And now we have our beloved Porcelain Jen, transformed from Romney delegate to accepting gifts under the table from the most shameless machine Democrat in the state.
I’m tearing up a bit. If that doesn’t give you hope for the world, I don’t know what will.
Given our dependence on Uncle Nick, under the table or otherwise, we’re exploring a name change to Team GiaSacco.
How can a political donation be used at the Hoboken City Council to change municipal law? That reeks of corruption.
ReplyDeleteWhat you’re mistaking for the reek of corruption is actually the stench of transformation. So.....
DeleteIs it legal to bury a 2018 contribution in a 2015 elec report? Very disappointing that she would do something so obviously shady.
ReplyDeleteGood Q. I'm hoping someone better versed in the law will pop on here (*hint hint*.) Shady, at a minimum. The more problematic one in my unprofessional opinion, is using a political contribution to change a Hoboken ordinance. Is that illegal? It might be, I don't know.
DeleteShe's not that bright. Playing the shell game of hiding contributions in an earlier ELEC report is not something Giattino would have come up with on her own. Makes you wonder who else has done the same thing in the recent past to hide some dubiously donated dough. Who's advising her? If it's the same attorney, they can be disbarred for advising a client to break the law.
ReplyDeleteMaybe her justification is this relates to her losing mayoral bid and the expenditure has to do with her ongoing campaign of resistance and sabotage of the city's duly elected mayor?
DeleteWell that neurotic rationalization would be completely contrived, covenous conjurings of her current coterie, and totally consistent with the delusions of deployable unemployables.
DeleteAnon @ 6:33pm-- Did you mean "deplorable" unemployables? Nice alliteration. Speaking of deplorable, so, I posted this link on HCV and Roman Brice replied, "Vision Media is gonna have a field day with you." Which is interesting- when did Jen hire Vision Media? Tiffanie and Peter are using them too? I thought they were. Confirmed by the unhinged proprietor of a dead, Alt-Right blog!
DeleteOh what a waste of money............
DeleteAs our blog administrator has pointed out, the update to the 2015 ELEC was done in 2018. That makes the 2015 ELEC automatically a 2018 ELEC.
DeleteAlso, this is not gas-lighting. This is bringing alternative facts to light. It's a journalistic service. You are referring to our SERVICE to the COMMUNITY as some sort of skulduggery! Do you want to live in a community where PUBLIC SERVICE is made fun of??? Have you no shame???? Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?
Anyway, not gas-lighting. So that's settled........