http://www.politicsnj.com/kornacki041003_treffinger.htm Fundraiser nets reported $30K for Treffinger legal defense
By STEVE KORNACKI
PoliticsNJ.com
SOUTH ORANGE, April 10 - Nearly one year to the day after FBI agents raided his Newark office, former Essex County Executive James W. Treffinger held a fundraiser tonight to help defray the costs of his legal defense.
Treffinger, who was arrested by federal agents last October outside his Verona home, is awaiting trial on a 20-count indictment that alleges he used his position as county executive to secure illegal campaign contributions from a contractor, United Gunite, which was then awarded lucrative contracts.
Organized by former Essex County Sheriff John F. Cryan and his son, James, the fundraiser was held in a private room at the Cryan family's restaurant in South Orange. Charging a minimum of $100-a-head, Jim Cryan said the event raised about $30,000 for Treffinger's legal defense fund.
Unlike election funds, there is no public reporting requirement for contributions to legal defense funds, a point that was emphasized in a letter accompanying the event's invitations. The reception was closed to members of the media.
The fact that the Cryans, a Democratic family, organized the fundraiser for Republican Treffinger raised some eyebrows. But Jim Cryan said his family has a longstanding friendship with Treffinger dating back to before Treffinger was elected county executive in 1994.
"He's our friend, and we take care of our friends," Cryan said. "We know what it's like to be down in the dumps."
The Cryans have a long history in politics. In addition to serving as sheriff, John Cryan was also a state assemblyman from 1964 to 1968. Another son, Joseph Cryan, currently serves as an assemblyman from Union County and is also the vice-chairman of the Democratic State Committee, but he was not in attendance at the fundraiser, according to his brother.
The elder Cryan was indicted on corruption charges while serving as sheriff in 1979. He was ultimately cleared. Jim Cryan said that experience gives him hope that Treffinger's trial will result in a similar outcome.
"I'll be honest with you, I think he's innocent," Cryan said.
In addition to the charges that he extorted $15,000 in campaign contributions from United Gunite, the indictment alleges that Treffinger created no-show county jobs for campaign workers, and coached potential witnesses and created phony documents to cover his tracks.
It also implicates him in a scheme to mislead South Jersey voters during the 2002 GOP U.S. Senate primary by placing negative phone calls about a Treffinger opponent. The callers identified themselves as representatives of another Senate campaign, and not Treffinger's.
Treffinger unsuccessfully sought the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in 2000, but was the front-runner for the nod last year when federal agents raided the county's offices in Newark. He dropped out of the race four days later.
He served two terms as Essex County executive, finishing out the final months of his last term after his October arrest.
Treffinger has maintained his innocence, and speaking outside the reception tonight, said he was gratified by the support he received.
"I'm really overwhelmed by the people that showed up," he said. "Some of them are doing things that other people wouldn't do, showing their character."
Preparations for his pending trial have exhausted his personal finances, Treffinger said. The former county executive said he has cashed in his life insurance policy and taken out a second mortgage on his house to pay for his defense. He also noted that he never gave himself a raise during his eight-year term.
"It's been an ordeal, but I'm very optimistic, and so are my lawyers," Treffinger said.
Jim Cryan said Treffinger, a former Wall Street attorney, is supporting himself and his family now as a driver for a Catholic church in Verona.
Some of Treffinger's supporters have accused U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie -- who has made fighting public corruption his top priority -- of engaging in a vendetta against Treffinger.
According to the indictment, Treffinger told a friend in early 2001 that he hoped to become U.S. Attorney, and that if he secured the post, "this whole thing goes away." But the job went instead to Christie, a former Morris County Freeholder and leader of President Bush's New Jersey campaign.
Treffinger wouldn't discuss the case, or his view of the prosecution, but he did say that "there might be some truth" to the idea he has already been convicted in the court of public opinion.
"I think some of the newspaper accounts, aided by some unnamed leaks, might have created an atmosphere where there was some jeopardy to fairness," Treffinger said.
Jim Cryan said many of the attendees tonight were from the South Orange area, but that the fundraiser attracted a large number of Democrats.
Steve Kornacki can be reached at
kornackinj@aol.com