Free Republic

Charles Kushner, the Port Authority commissioner who is New Jersey Governor James McGreevey’s choice to be the agency’s next chairman, may soon find the dreaded appellation "embattled" attached to his name. Mr. Kushner is facing a whistle-blower lawsuit that could jeopardize his appointment to head the Port Authority—an appointment he doubtless helped to secure through generous contributions to New Jersey Democrats. He was the single largest donor to Mr. McGreevey’s campaign fund last year; to Hillary Clinton’s in 2000 and 2001; and to Senator Robert Torricelli’s in 1999 and 2001. Kushner companies collectively provided the largest bundle of contributions to...

The US Senate is looking into allegations that a former US senator urged Baghdad to give a US company lucrative contracts under the much-criticised United Nations oil-for-food programme. This is the first time that a leading US lawmaker has been linked to the controversial UN programme, whose shortcomings have been an important element of the Bush administration's critique of the UN. The investigation involves one of the most vivid figures in US east coast politics, former senator Robert Torricelli, a New Jersey Democrat who was forced to pull out of the 2002 election after being "severely admonished" by the Senate...

<p>September 17, 2002 -- NEW Jersey voters already concerned about Sen. Robert Torricelli's low ethical threshold now learn that he's been a paid shill for a group the government identifies as a terrorist organization. Called on this by his Republican opponent, Douglas Forrester, in a debate Thursday, Torricelli said the group had been pulled from the State Department's global terror list and given a clean bill of health. Not true.</p>

It was September 2002. (Robert Torricelli's) re- election campaign had turned into a referendum on his ethics.............. He .....pulled out his cell phone, and punched in the number of his friend Bill Clinton. He was through......Clinton tried to talk him out of it. With that, Torricelli ended his lifelong passion for climbing the political ladder. He was 51 years old. Torricelli remains a busy man. With two former Senate staffers he formed a consulting business, Rosemont Associates, that advises the government of Taiwan, along with a list of corporate clients. He invests in real estate, including a handful of apartments,...

Inquiry Said to Be Focusing On Plan for Touro CollegeBy DAVID KOCIENIEWSKI and JOSEPH BERGERPublished: August 17, 2004 RENTON, Aug. 16 - The federal investigation into Gov. James E. McGreevey's accusation that a former aide tried to extort him by threatening to reveal their extramarital affair is now focusing on a strange, last-minute offer to keep the matter secret if the governor agreed to approve a plan for a new medical school in New Jersey, according to three people involved in the inquiry.Just 10 minutes before Mr. McGreevey was scheduled to announce his resignation last Thursday, a member of his...

Although they swear that Robert G. Torricelli never really had an inside track, several top officials in the McGreevey administration said last week that the former U.S. senator has been declared radioactive and his clients are to get nothing from the state. "The word from the front office is he's cut off," said one Cabinet officer, using the Trenton insider term for the governor's office. "They said, 'Cut him off and the people he brings around.' I sent the word to my people not to send anything he's connected with to my desk." Another Cabinet member said there had initially...

MIDI - LAST KISS The Torch was caught in illegal stuff The RATS knew things were getting tough They had a seat that they most surely would lose And so they pulled a scheme that would be making the evening news Their time had all run out…Jersey's law had said The party knew the Torch was dead So they all screamed, "Let's abort" Like Florida, they'd whine to the court They said "No one should be making a fuss Your laws do not apply to us" They're filthy cheats…just check the stats That's why the scum are called the...

[Congressional Record: September 30, 2002 (Extensions)] [Page E1710-E1711] From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:cr30se02-109] INDIANS BOAST OF SUCCESSFUL INTERVENTION IN U.S. ELECTION ______ HON. CYNTHIA A. McKINNEY of georgia in the house of representatives Monday, September 30, 2002 Ms. McKINNEY. Mr. Speaker, as you know, I recently suffered a setback in my bid for reelection. I am beginning to get over the disappointment that I will no longer be able to serve the people of Georgia in the next Congress. I will miss serving. However, there were some alarming things about the campaign to defeat...

Linda Chavez on Fox News just said the US Supreme Court can't appeal the New Jersey Supreme Court's decision today and she fully expects thee state Supremes will permit a ballot change. She said federal law does not have jurisdiction over state election law.

<p>TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- The state Supreme Court decided Tuesday to hear arguments over whether Democrats can replace Sen. Robert Torricelli on the November ballot, a day after the senator abruptly dropped out of the race.</p> <p>The court issued an order saying it would hear the case directly instead of waiting for a lower court to act. The high court hearing is scheduled for Wednesday morning. As a result, a hearing set for Tuesday afternoon in Middlesex County Superior Court was canceled.</p>

Did anyone hear Clinton buttboy, Jonathon Alter on Imus this morning? Alter continues to be a cheerleader for the Dems at Newsweek. Imus asked Alter to give one good reason to vote for corrupt Senator Bob Torricelli. Alter's reply was that it was important to vote for Torricelli to keep Senate control in Dem hands. He went on to say that many Republicans in DC prefer the Senate in Dassholes control rather than reverting back to Lott. He said the consensus was that 'more' got done with little Tommy in charge.

  http://www.nrsc.org/nrscweb/newsdesk/articles/381.shtml  Good Afternoon,Tonight at 8:00p.m. on CSPAN you can watch New Jersey Republican Senate candidate Doug Forrester debate Senator Robert Torricelli. Known for his fiery temper it should be entertaining to watch the "Torch" get hot under the collar when questioned about his recent ethical problems.We would love to hear about what you thought about the first debate between these two candidates. Please watch the debate and send your thoughts to this e-mail address at put_out_the_torch@listserv.nrsc.orgAlso below is an editorial written by esteemed columnist George Will. It is well worth a read.Can He Douse The ‘Torch’? A New Jersey joke: "Why do...

NEW YORK - The former president of a defunct Hackensack brokerage firm was sentenced to nine months in prison Monday for making illegal campaign contributions to Sen. Robert G. Torricelli and former President Bill Clinton, as well as manipulating the prices of stocks. Lawrence Penna, 58, of Edgewater pleaded guilty in October 1999 to illegally funneling $20,000 to Torricelli's 1996 campaign and up to $12,000 to Clinton's reelection campaign by reimbursing "straw donors" after personally contributing the maximum. Federal election laws limit individuals to donating no more than $1,000 per election, and prohibit one donor from reimbursing another. "The Torricelli...

<p>As candidates for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination head into the home stretch for Tuesday's primary election, self-made millionaire Douglas Forrester maintains a solid lead, according to a poll released tonight.</p> <p>Forrester has support from 39 percent of the likely Republican voters surveyed, trailed by former newscaster Diane Allen, with 26 percent, and state Sen. John Matheussen of Gloucester County, with 14 percent, according to the Survey/USA poll conducted for KYW-TV and the Courier-Post.</p>

TRENTON - In their last debate before the June 4 primary, the Republican candidates for U.S. Senate yesterday took more shots at incumbent Robert Torricelli while taking stands on stem-cell research and gay marriage.State Sen. Diane Allen, millionaire businessman Douglas Forrester, and State Sen. John Matheussen appeared in the Trenton studios of WPVI-TV (Channel 6), which will air the hourlong debate at 2 p.m. today.In previous face-offs, the candidates spent much of the time bashing Torricelli, whose campaign finances were the subject of a three-year federal investigation. The inquiry ended in January without any charges against the first-term Democrat.Prosecutors gave...

<p>Every year is an election year in New Jersey, and this November all of New Jersey’s 13 U.S. House seats are up for grabs.  But the biggest prize is the U.S. Senate seat being defended by first-term Democratic incumbent Bob Torricelli.</p>