No Straight Shooters in this Bunch

In today's Asbury Park Press Democratic County Chairman Victor V. Scudiery calls Republican Chairman Adam Puharic's Ethical Roadmap a ruse to keep power and criticises the APP for endorsing it.

The problem is that, much like his new candidate, J. Gregory Gibadlo, Mr. Scudiery embellishes, twists and takes liberties with the facts.

Scudiery said:

"First, the Republican proposal suggests limiting campaign expenditures to $75,000, but ignores these facts:

There are criminal investigations into Republican fundraising accounts that contain more than $120,000.

Puharic just held a fundraising event for this year's campaign and touts it as yielding more than $100,000."

Truth:

Adam's plan called for $75,000 in spending per candidate. That would mean $225,000 for the county campaign. If Adams's fundraising event raised $100,000, that doesn't cover the cost of his proposal.

And where does Scudiery get his information from regarding criminal investigations into "Republican fundraising accounts that contain more than $120,000." Prosecutors don't comment on ongoing criminal investigations and there has been no news of subpoenas served or investigations initiated.

Who is investigating, Victor? Is there a leak in the Monmouth County Prosecutor's office? You know, that office where you failed to get one of your own cronies appointed by asking for the help of a Republican State Senator. Or maybe the State Attorney General is investigating. Now that Zulima Farber has been sent packing and Stu Rabner has been on the job for 3 days. Did Stu call you? You said it was a state investigation, so I assume the US Attorney is not involved, unless you got that fact wrong too.

Maybe there's an ELEC investigation. Has ELEC finished investigating why your 2005 reports where four months late? Have they finished investigating why your last candidate's reports for 2003 and 2005 were late?

I assume the $120K you are talking about is the PAC money raised by our former chairman. Mr. Scudiery, the rank and file Monmouth County Republicans sent our last chairman packing because we were not comfortable with his ethics. The County Republican Party has no control over that money. Even though the money was raised legally, our Freeholder Anna Little turned down contributions from those accounts for ethical reasons, thereby leading to the chairman's ouster.

Mr. Scudiery knows all of this. The problem is that, much like his new candidate, J. Gregory Gibadlo, Mr. Scudiery embellishes, twists and takes liberties with the facts.

Mr. Scudiery goes on and says:

"County Republicans have been arrested and convicted for taking kickbacks."

So have Democrats! And Mr. Scudiery was is the only leader of either party to defend the crooks! When Operation Bid Rig broke, the Republican leadership condemned the corruption. The Republican Freeholders suspended those indicted without pay and stopped doing business with the vendors that were implicated. Mr. Scudiery defended the crooks, saying they “were enticed to do something wrong: It was entrapment.”

It is Mr. Scudiery who is "disingenuous."

Scudiery says that "Certainly there is a need for campaign finance reform.." but not until ..."the Republicans clean their own house and the results of criminal investigations into their fundraising are complete."

In the mean time, Scudiery will keep wheeling money in from Middlesex, Union and Camden Counties, all of which have ongoing and documented criminal investigations into Democrats, and he and his gang will continue to embellish, twist and take liberties with the facts.

We have cleaned house, and we keep cleaning it. Again, what criminal investigations? Those are serious allegations and Scudiery better be able to back them up.