|
WOODBRIDGE: Schundler on McGreevey's turf
Originally appeared in Home News Tribune on 11/03/01
WOODBRIDGE: On the home turf of Woodbridge Mayor Jim McGreevey and surrounded by a loud and angry scrum of the Democrat's supporters, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bret Schundler accused his opponent of shifting millions of legal business toward a political ally and campaign contributor.
Schundler swung into town, joining a handful of local GOP supporters to draw attention to the McGreevey's administration failure to respond to a request Schundler filed in late August seeking information about the township's dealings with state Sen. Ray Lesniak's Roseland law firm, Weiner Lesniak.
But by the time Schundler's campaign bus -- delayed by traffic aides blamed on suburban sprawl allowed by McGreevey -- arrived at Town Hall, the Republicans were overtaken by more than a dozen McGreevey supporters, many of them campaign aides from a nearby office.
"Go, Bret, go," the GOP members shouted, hoisting their red signs proclaiming "McGreevey Higher Taxes" toward news cameras. "Go, Jim, go," McGreevey's group retorted, seething closer and surrounding the Schundler backers in a boisterous knot.
Early-afternoon traffic slowed and honked at times as the crowd grew pushy and the chants more creative.
"We're for schools, not for guns," one McGreevey supporter cried.
Despite the animosity, Schundler, surrounded by a few aides and his gamely grinning wife, Lynn, delivered his pitch the best he could, loud and calm with a smile on his face.
"During Jim McGreevey's time in office, his key political patron, Ray Lesniak, made almost $5.5 million dollars off the taxpayers of Woodbridge," Schundler said. Some years this meant more than $500,000 in business to that firm alone, said Schundler, the former Jersey City mayor.
"That's more than the entire legal budget in Woodbridge, before Jim McGreevey became mayor (in 1992), and more than the entire legal budget for Edison today," he said, offering a comparison to a similar-sized township nearby.
"And then you see the Lesniak law firm giving massive contributions to Jim McGreevey's campaign," Schundler added, explaining that political contributions from people at the Weiner Lesniak firm approach $40,000.
Schundler also complained that despite a letter requesting information about Woodbridge's dealing with Weiner Lesniak, the township had turned over no information.
"This is public information, and we've heard nothing from them," Schundler said, before getting back on his campaign bus.
He did not go to the Township Clerk's Office a few yards away to ask in person about the information. McGreevey spokesman Rich McGrath said that is because the request is just a publicity stunt.
"Their motives are not pure . . . this is information that has been out in the public domain. They'd have to put blinders on not to see it," McGrath said, referring to a newspaper story published this summer on some of the dealings.
McGrath said McGreevey hired Lesniak's firm as part of a strategy to more aggressively collect debts and fees owed the township and, as a result of the firm's work, Woodbridge collected $4.7 million in revenue. But Schundler said he wants proof, and Woodbridge won't turn over the documents.
"Mr. Schundler is just jealous because Jim McGreevey used strong fiscal management to recoup enough legal settlements to have the law department almost pay for itself," McGrath said, adding that McGreevey fired the firm earlier this year over a disagreement.
"Mr. Lesniak had no role in this campaign," McGrath said.
McGreevey, who leads Schundler by as much as 17 points in recent polls, spent the morning talking about health care and schools with seniors in East Brunswick before attending a rally at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. That rally also became boisterous when Schundler supporters ambushed the McGreevey squad from across the street.
|
