EXCLUSIVE GA INVESTIGATIVE REPORT:
This breaking story is the culmination of a weeks-long investigation to verify whether a late-summer rumor GA had heard was true. It was.
HOBOKEN COUNCILPERSONS ATTEND MEETING OF THE HUDSON COUNTY BUILDING TRADES
When it comes to Hudson County Union Bosses, Patrick Kelleher is in a league of his own. Kelleher is President of Hudson County Building and Construction Trades Council; he's listed in the leadership directory of North America's Building Trade Unions. Kelleher is also a Business Agent for Local 24 Plumbers Union, which works closely with New Jersey State Pipe Trades Association. In 2017, the Kelleher brought mayoral candidate Michael DeFusco a slew of union endorsements, including the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 164, Sprinkler Fitters Local 696, Pipefitters Local 274, Plumbers Local 24, Bricklayers Local 4 and Painters, Tapers and Glazers Local 711. Some of these unions were named by Tiffanie Fisher as exceeding contribution limits to Mike DeFusco in her infamous P2P complaint letter.
So, it's no great surprise that on August 6, 2019, Michael DeFusco and his campaign team showed up at a meeting of the Hudson County Building Trades held in Jersey City. These are weekly meetings of local building trades union representatives who work together to ensure that unionized labor gets jobs.
Apparently, some attendees thought it "distasteful" that two sitting Hoboken councilpersons had bashed the pro-Union Mayor Bhalla to those assembled at the Hudson County Building Trades meeting. That is how word got out. It took time, but GA finally obtained confirmation that what was rumored is true: Jen Giattino is privately meeting with Union Bosses, hawking her pro-development stance while she publicly tables Pay-to-Play legislation.
I would not have believed this without seeing it myself. Here is what transpired on August 6, 2019, on meeting minutes obtained through confidential sources.
I would not have believed this without seeing it myself. Here is what transpired on August 6, 2019, on meeting minutes obtained through confidential sources.
MEETING MINUTES
Hudson County Building Trades meeting, August 6, 2019
Now, now, now. We are merely honing our great and valuable skill for the Good Government version of secret meetings with mega-donors to promote over-development.
ReplyDeleteJen will be campaigning under a banner that reads:
Develop or
Plié!
#MAGA!
#OurTicketIsNOTaTicket!
#StopSayingTicket!
#TwoWhistleblowersIsUnconstitutional!
#PresidentialHarassment!
YIKES ! Hard facts again showing the truth to the lies and disinformation that DeFusco, Fisher, Gianttino and Ramos campaign handlers have been trying to spread.
ReplyDeleteDroll indeed.... However you miss the irony here in your effort to be a comedian. The biggest union for the NJ Transit Yards endorsed 7/8ths of TEAM BHALLA. You moron. #YOURTicketIsDARKMONEYTicket
DeleteAnon @ 11:26 AM. As I told you offline, please keep it civil to the other commenters here. Calling someone a "moron" because they stated an opinion you don't like is not acceptable. I don't want discourse here to degenerate like it has on other sites. We all have to live with each other on November 6.
DeleteDear council chick,
ReplyDeleteI’m accused of hypocrisy and double-dealing all the time.
Like you, I’m caught being hypocritical and double-dealing all the time. I’m even filmed doing it.
Since both of us are Republicans, I’ll tell you how to play it.
1) Call it a witch hunt. Facts don’t matter to true supporters. (True supporters are the ones with the most drool on their chins.)
2) Come up with a demeaning name for whoever reported it. These union guys are all communists. Give that a shot. “Which commie union organizer made up this story?”
3) Helicopter noise/I didn’t hear your question. I use this even when there’s no helicopter in sight. When they tell me how much I owe at Wendy’s I cup my hand at my ear like I can’t hear and take my tray and leave.
4) Invent a non-crime and say you are innocent of it. For instance collusion isn’t a crime. I say I’m innocent of collusion every day.
Just a few tips to get you started. If problems persist we’ll discuss pros and cons of declaring war on Weehawken as a subject changer.
In the tradition of OJ Simpson “searching for the real killers” Mike is conducting a “search for the real dark money.” And with the remarkably phony Jen carrying the flashlight.
ReplyDeleteMike DeFusco is bragging about his affiliation with the Hudson County Trade Unions and being able to "secure approvals and project labor agreements" in return for funding his campaign. Isn't that the text book definition of quid pro quo? Oh, FBI guys, sounds awfully similar to what took down Peter Cammarano. Please, please!!!
ReplyDeleteBut but but.... the developer's/construction unions endorsed most of the Bhalla Slate. Leaving out Lisa. That is a positive for her! Since when is reform suddenly in need of construction union support?
ReplyDeleteSee below. Painting the pro-unionized labor mayor as a union-hater is simply dumb. The issue is compliance with campaign finance LAW: campaign contribution limits. The Bhalla peeps DO, the DeFusco peeps DON'T.
DeleteWell lookie here: https://hudsoncountyview.com/iuoe-local-825-endorses-majority-of-bhallas-hoboken-council-slate-plus-russo-ramos/
ReplyDeleteThe issue is complying with Pay-to-Play campaign contribution limits, a.k.a. "the law" and honesty to the PUBLIC. This Union endorsed Bhalla in 2017 AND Bhalla complied with local law, unlike Mike DeFusco, who according to my calculations, accepted $92K above P2P limits.
DeleteIt appears Jen wears TWO faces. Mike is brazen, and breaks P2P openly. As a 6th ward resident, I was genuinely distressed to discover Jen's secret pro-development position, setting up expectations for more, bigger development in exchange for support. Giattino has not filed an R-1 ELEC yet, and is represented by DeFusco's management. Since they have not filed as a slate, she is not allowed to accept "in kind" contributions from DeFusco or his PR firm in excess of P2P limits.
These are disturbing developments, no pun intended.
But the Big highrise tower and anti-COAH developer's Union endorsed Cricco Powell... Just sayin'
DeleteThey also endorsed Jim Doyle in 2017, and he's the last person anyone would call pro-development.
DeleteGiattinno appears to be tapping into her inner ballerina and is dancing around the election rules and ethics.
Delete