From the Office of the Mayor:
=&0=& Mayor Dawn Zimmer issued the following statement today after the FBI announced the arrest of a City employee stemming from an investigation regarding a potential security breach in the City’s electronic communications. “In May, my Administration suspected wrongdoing regarding electronic communications in City Hall. We hired a private security firm to evaluate the situation and discovered evidence of potential wrongdoing. As I have done whenever my Administration has uncovered such evidence since I became Mayor in 2009, my Administration immediately contacted the appropriate authorities — in this case the Federal Bureau of Investigation. We provided them with all evidence and have been working with the FBI since. I thank the U.S. Attorney’s office and the special agents in the FBI Newark field office for their assistance and for taking this matter seriously.” “This is a good example of our City working with the authorities and demonstrates the justice system at work.” “As we have done in the past, my Administration is respectful of the presumption of innocence while taking the necessary actions to protect the interests of the City. Patrick Ricciardi, who has worked for the City of Hoboken since 1992, has been suspended without pay since May.” View the announcement from the U.S. Attorney: http://www.justice.gov/usao/nj/Press/files/Ricciardi,%20Patrick%20Surrender%20News%20Release.html View the criminal complaint: http://www.justice.gov/usao/nj/Press/files/pdffiles/2011/Ricciardi,%20Patrick%20Complaint.pdf =&1=& Email | Text |Website | Facebook | Twitter | RSSThe criminal complaint makes it clear there are two municipal officials directly involved in requesting the communications of Mayor Dawn Zimmer’s office.
The implication is that there are more arrests pending.
The complaint notes the atmosphere surrounding the mayor when she took office after the resignation of ex-mayor and felon Peter Cammarano noting:
“As part of the investigation, law enforcement learned that the City’s political culture is currently divided into two main factions….
The mayor’s communications, along with two other senior officials were being automatically downloaded and intercepted – both COMING IN AND GOING OUT.
The criminal complaint while not naming the current and former municipal officials offers background on =&1=&| Ex-mayor Peter Cammarano was the last City official arrested by the FBI. Are more coming? |
According to a tweet by Hoboken Patch editor Claire Moses, the Hoboken IT Manager Patrick Ricciardi is under arrest and has surrendered to FBI authorities.
Ricciardi was removed from work at City Hall when the Mayor’s Office contacted FBI authorities last May and is allegedly the focal point of an investigation involving City documents and email.
Charges on what is anticipated to be the City Hall Data Theft Ring coming.
Ricciardi is facing charges of leaking confidential information and intercepting communications to Mayor Dawn Zimmer herself. Ricciardi setup a separate file to automate intercepts to another folder – communications to and from the Mayor according to the complaint.
Once again the stench of yesterday’s election is lingering due to the Vote By Mail ballot. Grafix Avenger is reporting Anthony “Stick” Romano earned fully 38% of his vote with suspect paper ballots.
| The paper ballot harvest was bountiful in the 4th ward just like last November |
The unofficial total of Vote-By-Mail Ballots for incumbent Anthony “Stick” Romano is 616.
The 4th ward generated 574 absentee ballots, the vast majority from the 4-4, re: the Housing Authority.
4-4 paper ballots – 240
4-3 paper ballots – 161
4-1 paper ballots – 114
| Giant celebration at Turtle Club |
With practically no campaign budget, staff and facing the full might of the Hudson County Machine, first time candidate Kurt Gardiner shocked everyone running off the line pulling over 30% of the Hoboken vote for the county freeholder seat including sections of Jersey City Heights.
Although final numbers are not available, it’s already clear Kurt Gardiner’s viral campaign – with no campaign office and a flurry of late endorsements from Council members Peter Cunningham, Ravi Bhalla, Jen Giattino and Dave Mello pulled over 1,500 votes in a small election with scant attention.
Ballot Question No. 2 the election item of suspense, Gardiner makes valiant battle against huge odds
The polls are closed and the real question in this race for Hoboken will be the results on Ballot Question No. 2. MSV believes that one may be close.
Ballot: Question 1 on gambling expected to pass and has an early lead.
| Public Question #1 |
| 62/447 13.87% |
| Vote Count | Percent | |
| – Yes | 1,448 | 63.09% |
| – No | 847 | 36.91% |
| Total | 2,295 |
Ballot: Question 2 – the referendum on the rent control ordinance: a likely NO! – FAILS!
Rent control change will stay – city votes 3,349 to 1,563 to keep changes in place, according to clerk’s office.
Hoboken Now reporting: Absentee ballots showed 561 voters chose “No,” to keep the amendments, while 79 voted “Yes” to repeal them.
Mayor Dawn Zimmer’s twitter went out coinciding with the post work voting timeframe:
Talking Ed Note: The mayor is advocating that the City Council’s two year effort to update the rent control ordinance not be wasted with a yes vote. Ironically, that committee was headed by Councilwoman Beth Mason.
It appears Mayor Zimmer values the councilwoman’s time. Do you think Mason will return the favor?
Or will she continue with her scorched earth tactics to the detriment of Hoboken to take down the mayor?