Rocco Riccio

Republican State Chairman Tom Wilson sent a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee John Adler today accusing him of caving into political pressure and watering down a call for an investigation into Gov. Corzine's relationship with Rocco Riccio, the brother-in-law of his ex-girlfriend/paramour/companion Carla Katz.

But Senate Democrats say that Wilson's letter is based on a misconstrued premise.

On Monday, news outlets originally reported that Adler called on the Attorney General Anne Milgram to investigate the $15,000 gift Corzine made to Riccio after he was forced out of Turnpike Authority job by the Corzine administration. This took place at the confirmation hearing of comptroller nominee Matthew Boxer, who was present at a meeting with Riccio. But Adler's letter to the Attorney General sent later that day only asked for an investigation into whether Riccio illegally looked into tax records, and news acocunts amended accordingly.

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Update: A new version of the AP article reports that Adler's letter to Attorney General Anne Milgram asks her to investigate whether Riccio engaged in misconduct by examining tax records. Adler did not mention the payment of $15,000 in the letter

In the letter, Adler said that he discussed the Rocco Riccio matter privately with Boxer after his initial testimony in front of the judiciary committee and reviewed his notes.

In the wake of a Quinnipiac University poll in which a majority of voters say Gov. Jon Corzine should make public his financial dealings with Rocco Riccio, Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance again called on Attorney General Anne Milgram to investigate Riccio’s role in a government job.

The brother-in-law of state workers union leader and former Gov. Jon Corzine girlfriend, Carla Katz, Riccio apparently quit his government post after Corzine’s people told him he should leave instead of turning into a political flash point. Corzine later admitted to giving Riccio money, a move the governor’s detractors say occurred after Corzine’s people couldn’t get Riccio the private sector job they said they’d secure for him.

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New Jersey voters polled by Quinnipiac University said Gov. Jon Corzine’s financial ties to Carla Katz’s brother-in-law, Rocco Riccio, should be a matter of public record and necessitate an independent investigation.

The results released today show that 55% of those in both parties polled believe the matter should be made public and should be independently examined, compared to 39% who say they believe it is a private matter.

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State Sen. Gerald Cardinale wants the Senate Judiciary Committee to hold up on the confirmation of Matthew Boxer as State Comptroller until a Special Prosecutor is named to review Rocco Riccio's acceptance of a $15,000 cash gift from Gov. Jon Corzine.  Riccio is the brother-in-law of Corzine's ex-girlfriend, CWA President Carla Katz. 

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After facing criticism for not being aggressive enough against Democrats, Republicans have coalesced around a new cause.

Although Republicans offered no comment on Sunday or Monday after The Star Ledger broke the story about Gov. Corzine’s $15,000 gift to ex-girlfriend Carla Katz’s brother-in-law Rocco Riccio, the GOP has now seized on this latest scandal to erupt over Gov. Corzine’s relationship with Katz in what appears to be a coordinated effort to turn it into a campaign issue.

In the latest twist involving Corzine’s monetary relationship with Katz, the governor gave Riccio $15,000 after he was forced to resign from a job at the Turnpike Authority, following rumors that he had looked into the tax record of Corzine’s political enemies. Corzine also promised to help find Riccio work in the private sector.

 

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Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance
Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance today called on Attorney General Anne Milgram to investigate the role Rocco Riccio was playing as an analyst in the state’s Human Services Department.

"Tax records are sacrosanct," said Lance. "Any information that someone on the public payroll might be pouring through them for political reasons is disturbing, and the attorney general should flesh out the facts of this case as quickly as possible."

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CWA President Carla Katz is Gov. Jon Corzine's former girlfriendIn response to the Star-Ledger story this weekend that Gov. Jon Corzine gave $15,000 to the brother-in-law of his ex-girlfriend after he said he’d severed financial ties with her, Republican State Chairman Tom Wilson says Corzine is involved in a cover-up of "Watergate" proportions.

"At virtually every turn, Jon Corzine has been dishonest about his ties to Carla Katz," said the state Republican chairman.

In March, Corzine had told the newspaper that he didn’t have any financial ties with Carla Katz, head of the state Communications Workers of America (CWA), or her family.

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