Personal gain with consulting services for a hospital in New Jersey...hospital relations appeared to cross a few borders here..was there a split between his personal and business life? BD
A federal grand jury on Friday indicted State Senator Joseph Coniglio of New Jersey on nine counts of mail fraud and extortion in connection with an influence-peddling scheme connected to a $66,000-a-year consulting arrangement with Hackensack University Medical Center, according to the US Justice Department. Coniglio is said to be one of the more powerful members of the New Jersey Democratic Machine that includes Governor Jon Corzine. "The allegations against Senator Coniglio in this indictment paint a disgraceful picture of exchanging public tax dollars for personal gain. The public has had more than enough of this type of conduct," he said.The Indictment also charges that Coniglio's Chief of Staff, responding to a newspaper's inquiry into Coniglio's arrangement with HUMC, falsely stated that "there is a complete split between Senator Coniglio's personal, private business life and his legislative life. . . . People from the hospital know not to call our office."
Coniglio, 65, of Paramus, NJ, a plumber by trade, allegedly set up the consulting arrangement with Hackensack University Medical Center to perform "hospital relations," a field in which he had no prior experience. In fact, according to the Indictment, the arrangement was a way for him to receive $5,000 monthly from the hospital in exchange for his official support for funding requests for so-called "Christmas Tree" budget items from the state Legislature and funding from other state agencies.
0 comments :
Post a Comment