U.S. Indicts Dozens of N.J. Officials in Sweeping Corruption Probe

New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Joseph Doria resigned yesterday after federal officials searched his home and office in a statewide, 10-year investigation that charged 44 public officials and others with public corruption or money laundering.

Doria was not indicted yesterday and the acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey, Ralph Marra, declined to say if the former commissioner would be charged with a crime. The DCAC’s Local Finance Board oversees municipal borrowing throughout the state. Doria has served as commissioner since October 2007. Prior to that, he was the mayor of Bayonne.

Those indicted in the corruption sweep include Assemblyman L. Harvey Smith, D-Hudson, and Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt, R-Ocean, for allegedly taking a combined $25,000 in return for their assistance in fast-tracking real estate development projects via quick permits and approvals from the state’s Department of Environmental Protection, according to the complaints.

Also charged with public corruption is Hoboken mayor and former at-large city councilman Peter Cammarano, who took office July 1 and supposedly accepted $25,000 prior to becoming mayor for his political influence in expediting development deals in the city. Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell and Ridgefield Mayor Anthony Suarez were also charged with accepting bribes in exchange for political favors.

In addition to the public officials, four rabbis in New Jersey and Brooklyn were charged with money laundering that included overseas banks. Another rabbi is charged with brokering the sale of a human kidney.

The 10-year probe, called Operation Bid Rig, is still ongoing and also involves the U.S. attorney general, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service.

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