Posted on 05/05/2020 8:32:46 AM PDT by Trump.Deplorable
TOMS RIVER, NJ – Years ago, political double-dipping, holding of more than one public job by a public official, was a big problem. Governor Chris Christie enacted a law to prevent double dippers at the state level, including local Mayor Michael Reina of Jackson. Reina worked as mayor of Jackson and held a politically appointed state job at the New Jersey Department of Homeland Security. When Christie enacted his double-dipper law, Reina was forced to stop taking his municipal salary and was eventually given a new double-dip safe haven in Ocean County.
Christie’s law prevented state-level double dipping, but one New Jersey Assemblyman holds an astronomical 21 public jobs! The revelation came in light of an emerging political corruption scandal out of Toms River where District 10 Assemblyman Gregory McGuckin is now facing accusations of extortion and political corruption by Councilman Daniel Rodrick. We looked into Rodrick’s claim and requested documents on file with the State of New Jersey and discovered McGuckin holds 21 public jobs, earning an estimated $2,000,000 annually for his firm. In McGuckin’s 2020 financial disclosure on file with the state, McGuckin’s Local Government Ethics Law Financial Disclosure list 21 different sources of income for the assemblyman who makes $40,000 per year from his elected office. According to Rodrick, 21 jobs is not enough for McGuckin as he’s now politicking for jobs number 22 and 23. Here’s a list of jobs currently held by McGuckin, according to his financial disclosure he submitted last week to the State of New Jersey:
1 Berkeley Township – County of Ocean Municipal Utilities Authority Conflict Attorney
2 North Hanover Township – County of Burlington North Hanover Township Joint Land Use Board Board Attorney
3 Lacey Township – County of Ocean LMUA Solicitor
4 Plumsted Township – County of Ocean Planning Board Attorney
5 Ocean County – County of Ocean OCEAN COUNTY BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES LABOR COUNSEL
6 Hamilton Township – County of Mercer Township of Hamilton Alternate Municipal Prosecutor
7 Surf City Borough – County of Ocean Borough of Surf City Attorney
8 Beachwood Borough – County of Ocean Borough of Beachwood Joint Land Use Board Attorney
9 Point Pleasant Borough – County of Ocean Borough Attorney Borough Attorney
10 Seaside Park Borough – County of Ocean Seaside Park Alternate Municipal Prosecutor
11 Lakehurst Borough – County of Ocean Borough of Lakehurst Prosecutor
12 Upper Freehold Township – County of Monmouth Upper Freehold Township Public Defender
13 Jackson Township – County of Ocean Jackson Township Township Attorney
14 Toms River Township – County of Ocean Planning Board & Board of Adjustment/Toms River Township Planning Board and Board of Adjustment Attorney
15 Ship Bottom Borough – County of Ocean Ship Bottom Borough Municipal Attorney
16 Ocean Township – County of Ocean Township of Ocean Attorney
17 Lacey Township – County of Ocean Township of Lacey Attorney
18 Berkeley Township – County of Ocean Berkeley Township Council Appointment Special Counsel for Litigation0
19 Berkeley Township – County of Ocean Berkeley Township Council Appointment Conflict Attorney
20 Berkeley Township – County of Ocean Planning Board Attorney
21 Berkeley Township – County of Ocean Berkeley Township Council Appointment Alternate Prosecutor
But Rodrick claims McGuckin has 45 jobs, how can that be? It turns out McGuckin’s firm has 24 other contracts with other entities across the state through his partners Jerry Dasti and fellow Assemblyman Christopher Connors. Connors, alone has 17 public jobs outside of his elected position as a New Jersey Assemblyman and those jobs aren’t the same ones claimed by McGuckin.
Here’s a list of Assemblyman Connors’ 17 public jobs:
1 Lacey Township – County of Ocean LMUA Solicitor
2 Ocean County – County of Ocean OCEAN COUNTY BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES LABOR COUNSEL
3 Berkeley Township – County of Ocean Municipal Utilities Authority Conflict Attorney
4 Surf City Borough – County of Ocean Borough of Surf City Borough Attorney
5 Galloway Township – County of Atlantic Zoning Board Zoning Board Attorney
6 Galloway Township – County of Atlantic Planning Board Conflict PB Attorney 0
7 Island Heights Borough – County of Ocean Administration Special Counsel
8 Beachwood Borough – County of Ocean Borough of Beachwood Joint Land Use Board Attorney
9 Point Pleasant Borough – County of Ocean Borough Attorney Borough Attorney
10 Evesham Township – County of Burlington EVESHAM TOWNSHIP PROFESSIONAL LABOR COUNSEL
11 Tuckerton Borough – County of Ocean Tuckerton Borough Borough Solicitor
12 Upper Freehold Township – County of Monmouth Upper Freehold Township Public Defender
13 Jackson Township – County of Ocean Jackson Township Planning Board Planning Board Attorney
14 Ship Bottom Borough – County of Ocean Ship Bottom Borough Municipal Attorney
15 Berkeley Township – County of Ocean Planning Board Attorney
16 Berkeley Township – County of Ocean Berkeley Township Council Appointment ALTERNATE MUNICIPAL PROSECUTORS 12/31/2020
17 Lacey Township – County of Ocean Township of Lacey Attorney
Jerry Dasti, the political muscle behind the Ocean County GOP organization holds no official political office, because he was never able to win one and had to install himself as shadow chairman in the background of figurehead chairman Frank B. Holman, who has been hiding out in the midwest during the entire COVID-19 pandemic. Dasti reaps the financial rewards of having two well-connected assemblymen in his firm. Dasti’s not as fortunate as his partners McGuckin and Connors, he holds only 15 public jobs, some overlap with his parters, bringing the firm’s total public contract take to 45 jobs, earning well over $2,000,000 annually in public contracts.
Here’s the15 jobs held by Dasti:
1 Point Pleasant Beach Borough – County of Ocean Administration Special Projects Attorney
2 Barnegat Township – County of Ocean Barnegat Township Attorney
3 South Harrison Township – County of Gloucester Land Use Board Board Solicitor 12/31/2020
4 Ocean County – County of Ocean OCEAN COUNTY BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES LABOR COUNSEL
5 Ocean County – County of Ocean OCEAN COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH LABOR COUNSEL
6 Seaside Park Borough – County of Ocean Seaside Park Special Legal Counsel 12/31/2020
7 Lacey Township – County of Ocean Township of Lacey Public Defender
8 Lacey Township – County of Ocean Township of Lacey LMUA Attorney
9 Berkeley Township – County of Ocean Berkeley Township Council Appointment Tax Appeal Attorney 12/31/2020
10 Berkeley Township – County of Ocean Council Appointment Special Counsel for Litigation 12/31/2020
11 Manchester Township – County of Ocean Municipal Court Special Counsel
12 Jackson Township – County of Ocean Jackson Township Attorney
13 Ocean Township – County of Ocean Township of Ocean Attorney
14 Lakewood Township – County of Ocean Lakewood Township Special Counsel 12/31/2020
15 South Toms River Borough – County of Ocean South Toms River Borough Attorney
At the end of the day, Rodrick’s claim that McGuckin holds 45 jobs is not exactly wrong. McGuckin personally holds 21 of his firms 45 public jobs, according to his own financial disclosures. Whether or not McGuckin, as accused by Rodrick is now pushing his weight around in Toms River to get a job at the Toms River Municipal Utilities Authority and as the town attorney remains to be seen. Rodrick said he will be filing an ethics complaint against McGuckin.
So he is a lawyer who has multiple municipal clients. Nothing wrong per se. What is wrong is that all jobs were through connections and no competitive bidding was taking place.
So the taxpayers get screwed. They pay this guys rates and I am sure they are not low. He can bill whatever he wants.
Corrupt. But as I said, tip of the iceberg.
Not my state. Not my problem.
However, you have to be sorry for the guy: He does need to pay those egregious state and federal income taxes. And that would probably only leave him with $1 million a year.
By the way-the article is somewhat misleading because state employees would have coverage under the state retirement system. And this guy does not seem to be an employee in the context of most of these positions.
They are, the 3 talked about, are all associated with the GOP, is that correct?
Well, that doesn’t surprise me. Nothing in NJ is very conservative it seems. The waters flow from liberal NY.
Political double-dipping,I wonder how many states democrats have P.O. boxes in?.
Yes, ocean county is GOP Run.
But they are Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney type of “Republicans”
The Ocean County GOP didn’t endorse President Trump until the last minute
Ocean County GOP Membership voted to endorse Trump but the leaders declined follow through on the endorsement.
Well, that doesn’t surprise me. Nothing in NJ is very conservative it seems
NJ Has conservatives, just not in any sort of political power, those are Paul Ryan Rino Republicans and the rest are ‘rats.
NJ needs a do-over. The typical NJ voter will push or pull the “D” candidate without second thought. The NJ “Republican” is not what one thinks and they are almost extinct.
41% of NJ (1.6 million people) voted for Trump; Hillary got 55% (2.1 million)
“Only in Jersey.”
Hardly. In NY, there is a different variation. Although the state senator or assemblyman may not personally perform the legal work, several cities, towns, and villages within his election district will retain an attorney associated with his law firm to perform the work upon the never spoken understanding that the senator/assemblyman will direct state funds to the municipality in exchange for retaining his law firm. To avoid the appearance of impropriety, the senator/assemblyman is not an equity owner in the law firm and therefore, he does not directly profit from the municipal legal work; rather, he is listed “of counsel” to the law firm and is paid a percentage of the legal fees that he generates, after covering expenses, excluding fees from the municipal legal work. However, even though the municipal fees are excluded, he receives a much higher percentage of the fees that he generates from other legal work than the percentage typically found in an of counsel relationship.
Thanks for the info. 8>)
What a great show In Living Color was.
Do you know what a retainer is?
The second definition of retainer is, "a fee paid in advance to someone, especially an attorney, in order to secure or keep their services when required."
It is really easier than a "job", he gets paid whether he works or not.
It was awesome and so anti-PC.
Awesome!
“NJ Has conservatives, just not in any sort of political power, those are Paul Ryan Rino Republicans and the rest are ‘rats.”
Pretty well put, TD.
NJ’s conservative Republicans are still there, and in reasonably large numbers too, but they exist in various stages of political disrepair, having unjustly suffered a considerable amount of isolation, alienation, and demonization over the years, all while their RINO colleagues (democrats in disguise?) have been not only surviving, but even thriving in many instances, by freely bending, twisting and stretching their so-called conservative convictions as needed in order to stay out of the political line of fire at any given moment, and, more recently, elevating the repulsive and effeminate practice of virtue signaling to a high art.
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