New Jersey councilman pleads guilty to extortion

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October 6th, 2009. Philip Kenny, a Jersey City councilman, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to exortion. He admitted to accepting two $2,500 payments from a government informant who posed as a real estate developer. The government informant was working on behalf of a large-scale corruption investigation, called "Operation Bid Rig", which has also led to charges against many other public officials in New Jersey [1].

Contents

[edit] Extortion

Kenny admitted to meeting the government informant on two separate occasions; March 23rd and 30th of 2009. At the meetings, Kenny was deceived into believing that the government informant was a real estate developer who had an interest in promoting a condominium project. The government informant offered Kenny two payments of $2,500 on the condition that Kenny would use his political clout to work on behalf of approvals for his buildings. Kenny accepted both payments. He then donated the money to his campaign fund [2].

In April, Kenny was appointed to fill a vacancy on the city council. He was subsequently elected to the position in May. He was not charged until October. [3].


[edit] Operation Bid Rig

Kenny is one of forty-five people who have been charged as a result of Operation Bid Rig [4].

Another Jersey City councilman, Mariano Vega Jr., faces a corruption charge, for which he has pleaded not guilty. Five individuals who ran for Jersey City council spots in May, but lost, have also been charged for corruption [5].

While meeting with the government informant in March, Maher Khalil, Jersey City's director of health and human services, was also present. In the course of meetings between Khalil and the government official, Khalil accepted tens of thousands of dollars in bribes. Khalil was charged, and he pleaded guilty in September [6].

[edit] External Links

[edit] References

  1. ↑ The Associated Press, Councilman pleads guilty in NJ corruption sweep
  2. ↑ The Associated Press, Councilman pleads guilty in NJ corruption sweep
  3. ↑ The Associated Press, Councilman pleads guilty in NJ corruption sweep
  4. ↑ The Associated Press, Councilman pleads guilty in NJ corruption sweep
  5. ↑ The Associated Press, Councilman pleads guilty in NJ corruption sweep
  6. ↑ The Associated Press, Councilman pleads guilty in NJ corruption sweep
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