What They Are Saying About Doria:

From NJ.com

"He was always by-the-book, straight as an arrow, no implication ever -- ever -- of any wrongdoing," ~ former longtime Republican Senate President and Acting Gov. Donald T. DiFrancesco.

"one of New Jersey's great public servants" who has "brought integrity and intelligence to everything he has done." ~ Jon Corzine

"one of the finest human beings I ever had the pleasure of serving with.'' ~ Senate President Dick Codey

Here's what we've had to say about Doria at MoreMonmouthMusings:

Doria Nominatation a test of how serious Corzine, Legislature is about cleaning up corruption ~ November 26, 2007

Joe Doria is the ultimate Trenton insider. He is a former Speaker of the Assembly. He recently resigned his seat in the State Senate and his office as Mayor of Bayonne to accept Governor Corzine's appointment to be the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs (DCA), one of the most powerful cabinet level posts in State government.

And, Doria was a party to corruption, ticket-fixing and other official misconduct in the Bayonne Parking Authority, according to allegations filed in a federal lawsuit by two fired employees of the Bayonne Parking Authority. In addition to the federal lawsuit, a State Grand Jury is investigation corruption at the Bayonne Parking Authority.

Doria was nominated by the Governor to head DCA in September. He has been Acting Commissioner since October 9, 2007. The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved his nomination on November 8, 2007. The nomination awaits approval of the full Senate. According to the State Legislative Calender the next Senate voting sessions are on December 10 and December 17.

How this nomination is handled, by the Senate, the Governor and Doria himself will tell us volumes about how serious our leaders are about restoring confidence to our government, which has been shaken by numerous corruption scandals. As bad as all the corruption scandals have been, most to date have involved bit players and second stringers. Doria is an All Star. Will the Trenton elite circle the wagons and protect one of their own, or will this nomination be tabled until these serious allegations are resolved? So far, the silence is deafening.

Another scandal brewing: NJ Lame Duck News Media ~ November 25, 2007

Hank Butehorn at Conservatives with Attitude has a post written by "Willie Stark" about a Federal Law suit alledging corruption by ultimate insider Joe Doria. Doria is the former Mayor of Bayonne, former Assembly Speaker, former State Senator and the current Department of Community Affairs Commissioner in the Corzine administration.

"Stark" writes:


The first tremors of the next Corzine Administration political corruption scandal rippled through the Bayonne Evening Star last week and will likely tumble through the state’s major papers this coming week. The City of Bayonne is abuzz because the Star printed in its entirety a lawsuit against Joe Doria and a host of Bayonne political cronies, and the City of Bayonne. This story has everything: Suspicious envelopes of cash, taxpayer funded junkets to Florida, ticket fixing and profiting from a public office, not to mention a paper shredder or two.

But wait; there’s more!

Former Bayonne employees Peter Hilburn and Felicia Ryan sued because they were fired by then Mayor Joe Doria for raising questions about the corruption that they suspected. But there was a surprise in store for Doria: Mr. Hilburn was a confidential informant for the Office of the Attorney General!

....

Now that the election is over, where is the reform and clean government? ~ November 29, 2007

Just three weeks from Election Day and there’s reason to seriously doubt that either our elected leaders in Trenton or the major New Jersey newspapers are serious about cleaning up corruption.

According to a federal lawsuit filed in late October, Former Bayonne Mayor Joseph Doria was a party to corruption, ticket-fixing and other official misconduct in the Bayonne Parking Authority. In addition to his job as mayor, Doria is a former the Speaker of the State Assembly, and State Senator. He resigned from the Senate and the Bayonne Mayoralty in September in order to accept Governor Corzine’s appointment as the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs (DCA). He has been serving as Acting Commission of DCA since October 9. His nomination passed the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously on November 8. He is awaiting confirmation by the full Senate in December. With a career in politics that spans the better part of three decades, Doria is the ultimate Trenton insider and qualifies as a “big fish.”

....

Republicans on Doria: Silence ~ November 27, 2009

Where are the Republicans on the brewing Doria scandal?

Will the "opposition" party stand by, or worse, comply, as the ultimate Trenton insider cruises to conformation as the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs while under suspicion for serious legal and ethical violations?

Doria has not been convicted or charged, yet the allegations against him are serious and credible. I can believe the administration that gave us Zulima "Speedy" Farber as Attorney General letting Doria's nomination to perhaps the most powerful cabinet position proceed to confirmation. But the opposition going along?

As the Democrats pile on US Attorney Christopher Christie for doing his job, where are the Republicans on Doria?

Calls to Senators Tom Kean, Jr and Joe Kyrillos, both members of the Judiciary Committee, about Doria, went unanswered yesterday, as did a call to NJ GOP Chair Tom Wilson.

Certainly the allegations against Doria raise above the Governor emailing his ex-girlfriend or the former Attorney General fixing a ticket for her boyfriend.

Doria's nomination to DCA Commissioner should not proceed until the cloud of these allegations are cleared up and the Republican leadership should be leading the charge to make sure the nomination is not confirmed.