Jeffrey Gold, AP, March 3, 2008
NEWARK, N.J. (AP)—Former Newark Mayor Sharpe James abused his office by steering discounted city property to a girlfriend who then sold the parcels for large profits, a prosecutor told jurors Monday at James’ fraud trial.
“This case is about fraud, favoritism and concealment,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip Kwon said in his opening statement.
James got romance while co-defendant Tamika Riley made profits by quickly selling the land instead of redeveloping it as required, Kwon said.
{snip}
James and Riley have pleaded not guilty and are free on bail. James, 72, faces five charges, including fraud and conspiracy. Riley, 38, faces those charges and eight others, including tax evasion.
James, mayor of New Jersey’s largest city for more than 20 years, is accused of arranging for the sale of nine city-owned properties at a discounted rate of $46,000 to Riley, who then sold them for $665,000, Kwon said.
Witnesses, including members of James’ security detail, will testify about trips and gifts exchanged between Riley and James, a married man nearly twice her age, Kwon said.
{snip}
After this trial, which is expected to last several months, James faces a second trial on charges alleging he used city-issued credit cards to pay for $58,000 worth of personal expenses while he was mayor, including trips with several women other than his wife to Martha’s Vineyard, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Rio de Janeiro.
James was mayor from 1986 to 2006 before deciding not to seek a sixth term. He also served as a state senator from 1999 to January 2008, when he left office after not seeking re-election.
Under federal advisory guidelines, he could face seven to eight years in prison if he is convicted on all counts.
James is one of the best-known figures snared in a series of New Jersey corruption cases brought by the U.S. attorney’s office. In the past several years, federal prosecutors have won more than 100 public corruption convictions statewide of elected and appointed officials and people doing business with them such as contractors.
Sharpe James, former mayor of Newark. |
Original article
(Posted on March 4, 2008)
Comments
Nice suit, Mr. Mayor. The taxpayers took GOOD care of you, didn’t they?
Posted by at 6:12 PM on March 4
“NEWARK, N.J. (AP)—Former Newark Mayor Sharpe James abused his office by steering discounted city property to a girlfriend who then sold the parcels for large profits, a prosecutor told jurors Monday at James’ fraud trial.”
There are many corrupt white politicians, but it takes the black ones to show us that corruption within their ranks is not only more numerous, proportionately, but expected of them as well.
Posted by at 6:47 PM on March 4
Oh you bad ole white people gonna put this innocent black man on trail….tsk tsk….maybe the blacks will riot if they find him guilty…what say all of you in Amren??? You know that happens when a black man is found guilty ….they are allowed to steal, rob, rape…and lie….they are the privilaged of this country don’t you know that??? And the latino’s are in second place especially illegals…they have more rights then us who PAY ALL THE TAXES THEY RIP THE SYSTEM OFF OF!!!! THANK YOU ALL IN WASHINGTON YOU ARE DOING SUCH A GOOD JOB….FOR THEM…NOT US!!!!
Posted by lydia at 6:49 PM on March 4
Not to discount white corruption but I would like to see every black person holding public office to undergo a thorough examination of how they have managed the people’s finances. With all of those Federal, State, County, and City credit cards in the hands of all of those black folk, I bet the amount of fraud is staggering.
Posted by Drew at 8:55 PM on March 4
I wish America could again be the way it was before 1965.
The 50’s were the best.
I buy and watch movies from that era, it just makes me feel really good inside to see the best of what America was.
Most of what you see, hear and read now is just garbage.
Posted by at 1:47 AM on March 5
I saw an excellent documentary a year ago called `Street Fight`
which is concerned with the mayoral contest between
the upcoming college educated Corey Booker and the old school
`establishment`Sharpe James
Corey narrowly loses the race but wins the hearts of viewers in a fascinating study of street politics US style
James comes across as corrupt,vicious, nasty but also
possessing a fair amount of rat cunning and guile
which helps get him over the line in the end
Nothing in the above article surprises me and I hope James
gets his just desserts
Apparently Corey Booker is now mayor of Newark after all
that earlier trouble!
As I live in another country far away from New Jersey and the USA I wonder how Corey is faring in New Jersey…he certainly
reminded me of another Obama right down to the look,elite college background and oratory.
Posted by John at 5:34 AM on March 5
They get high paying jobs without being qualified. Years of corruption are overlooked. When they finally get caught, they cry racism.
Posted by at 7:47 AM on March 5
I’t amazing the blatent racism of African-Americans; I was listening to a black woman call up a radio program on some black radio station late last night. She was talking about how Clinton won Ohio because some black representative of some sort supported her, with a margin of victory provided by black voters. She then said that they have blacks waiting in the wings that could replace the black traitor.
Here is black racism OUT IN THE OPEN, yet ALL white commentators are TOO COWARDLY to comment on this in the MSM.
Posted by at 8:03 AM on March 5
They are held to easier standards than whites, and when they are caught not living up to those reduced standards, they cry racism.
Posted by at 10:26 AM on March 5
That’s his name? Sharpe? You’re kidding, right? You’re kidding me.
Posted by at 2:44 PM on March 5
It doesn’t matter if it’s the mayor of Newark or some African dictator in the jungle. Blacks are incapable of honestly and efficiently leading any city, state or organization.
If Barack Obama gets elected, the USA will go the way of Rhodesia or South Africa. That black will bring this country to ruin just as blacks do all over the globe.
George Manuelian
San Jose, CA
Posted by George Manuelian at 2:45 PM on March 5
Fraud & corruption is rampant inside the political system. Once in awhile they get caught but overall most get away with whatever. Politicians, like most other professionals stick together. They do not want to see their group prosecuted. I venture to say that NO OTHER CRIME is worse (except murder) than violation of the public trust. Real representation needs to include swift and severe prosecution and penalties for cheating and stealing from taxpayers. Also, everyone office seeker needs to comply with open disclosure of medical records and pass a drug test! After all everyone else is subject to such disclosure for minimum wage jobs, why should high office representing the citizens be exceptional. It is time for complete disclosure and transparencey for election to representative office. This would clear the way for more important discussion about the needs of the state instead of the ridiculous constant inquiry into personal lives of candidates. V
Posted by Vickie at 5:18 PM on March 5
I object to Gold’s use of “romance” in this context.
Mayor: The poet says that true love is engendered in the eyes.
Riley: Huh?
Mayor: That the marriage of true minds has no impediment.
Riley: Uh-huh.
Mayor: That it is better to kill a baby in his cradle than nurse festering desire.
Riley: (Silence)
Mayor: The city comptroller says we got some property we can turn around for a quick buck.
Riley: Loves you, Baby.
White men were the first to treat women better than dogs. And, maybe, the last. We are the true romantics, certainly the only Romantics upper case. Only a stupid white man would fret for days because he saw a scrawny Afghani beat a kneeling, cowering woman on the news—he’d have a tougher time swinging that stick after some big, dumb hillbilly (yours truly) broke both his arms. Only an ignorant hick would see Myrna Loy on the screen and lose his heart.
Posted by Robert Binion at 5:27 PM on March 5
Since this happened in an inner city with a black mayor, this incident does not seem exactly newsworthy. As Sbuffalonative once said, this item is on the order of “Dog Barks at Fire Engine.”
Posted by Michael C. Scott at 2:36 PM on March 10
