Operation Bid Rig
In case you wondered why HBO series ”The Sopranos” was shot in New Jersey; because that is where it actually happens (or is it: happened?). 44 People were arrested in a corruption probe, including elected officials, 3 mayors, and religious leaders. The FBI was quoted “New Jersey’s corruption problem is one of the worst, if not the worst, in the nation…Corruption is a cancer that is destroying the core values of this state.”
One of the star players in this real life episode is a criminal informer (and son of a famous rabbi) who, while facing federal criminal charges himself, got ‘wired up’ and taped conversations that will be used as evidence against his fellow baddies. Although defense lawyers will argue that the criminal informer set everyone up to get his own sentence out of the way, there seems to be enough to put some officials away.
The undercover looked to grease the way for quick approvals of development projects in NJ, such as in Hudson County, in return for big political contributions and cash payoffs. With success. And guess what; not even that expensive. To smoothen a deal you need around $10,000. For the average real estate developer we can call that loose change. Ofcourse, we only have some details at this moment and we only focus on what this particular C.I. paid to the suspects. There is undoubtedly a lot more that is still hidden -and will remain hidden-. For sure that some arrested people will start to talk. And who knows what will be uncovered because of that. As if it is not serious enough as it is.
And in the most bizarre aspect of the case, the civilian undercover contracted to buy a kidney for $160,000 from a Brooklyn man long suspected of dealing in lucrative black-market transplants. Allegedlgy the kidney was to be flown in from Israel. Let’s hope that deal did not really led to someone being forces to separate from his/her kidney because of “an offer you can’t refuse”.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/sweeping_of_nj_corruption_leav.html
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/nj_corruption_probe_full_list.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/24/nyregion/24jersey.html/?_r=2
