With clerk's office investigated, U.S. rejects Hudson documents
8/3/2004, 3:35 p.m. ET
By STEVE STRUNSKY
The Associated Press
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The U.S. Department of State has stopped accepting passport applications processed by the Hudson County clerk's office or birth certificates issued by the county as proof of citizenship, pending the outcome of an ongoing corruption investigation involving the sale of documents.
"It's a highly unusual action," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Tuesday during a briefing in Washington.
"The investigation has developed facts indicating that we cannot rely on the accuracy of information on passport applications that were processed by the county clerk's office," Boucher said.
Michael Drewniak, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Newark, which is conducting the investigation jointly with the State Department, said the activity did not appear to be terror related.
"It did not originate as a terrorism investigation, and there is no indication whatsoever of terrorist involvement," Drewniak said.
No arrests have been made.
County Clerk Javier E. Inclan scheduled a news conference Tuesday to discuss the situation, but later canceled it, saying a news release would be issued.
Neither Inclan nor a spokesman for County Executive Tom DeGise returned calls to their offices on Tuesday.
Boucher noted that residents of any county in New Jersey, including Hudson, can obtain official birth certificates from the state Bureau of Vital Statistics in Trenton, which the State Department would accept as proof of citizenship.
Boucher also said there were many locations aside from the county clerk's office where passport applications could be obtained and submitted by Hudson residents.
"We designate many post offices, clerks of court, public libraries, other state, county, township and municipal government offices to accept passport applications on our behalf," he said.
LOL, but of course.