Fort Lee mayor who took a stand 40 years ago sees parallels to Hoboken's Dawn Zimmer

[George II]

I had just moved into my first apartment, in Fort Lee, a month or two before this. At the time I thought this guy was courageous, taking on the questionable element to expose a bribery scheme. The property in question is the same one that Fort Lee is developing today, just a few yards from the infamous GWB entrance lanes.

Fort Lee mayor who took a stand 40 years ago sees parallels to Hoboken's Dawn Zimmer

How should politicians like Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer react when they’re asked to do something they think is wrong?

Burt Ross knew exactly what to do nearly 40 years ago when a mobster with a scar on his face and a gun in his jacket arrived at his home to offer Ross a bribe. The very next day, the former Fort Lee mayor went to the U.S. attorney and agreed to wear a wire so the first installment of a $500,000 bribe could be witnessed and recorded by the FBI.

Zimmer doesn’t claim that bribery and certainly not that mob ties are involved in her case. But she does say she was improperly intimidated when, she claims, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno demanded that she either back a developer favored by Governor Christie or risk losing aid for damage caused by Superstorm Sandy. Zimmer, too, went to the U.S. attorney — but eight months after her alleged encounter.

And instead of working with the FBI, she went public with her story first, a tactic that may have destroyed the best chance of gathering evidence. Guadagno called Zimmer’s allegations “illogical” and “completely false.” A Christie spokesman called them “partisan politics.” If the Democratic mayor’s claims were genuine, said Assembly Republican leader Jon Bramnick of Union County, she would have “worn a mike” and gathered evidence to prove it.

But if her story is true, should voters expect their mayors to behave as Zimmer or Ross?

That theoretical question has intrigued lawyers and ethicists since the mayor’s story made headlines a week ago. But for one man, there’s nothing theoretical about it.

“You can’t expect elected officials to do what I did,” said Ross, who now lives in California. “It’s way too much to ask. If I had kids at the time, I’m not sure I would have done what I did back then.”

(MUCH more....)

http://www.northjersey.com/fortlee/Fort_Lee_mayor_who_took_a_stand_40_years_ago_sees_parallels_to_Hobokens_Dawn_Zimmer.html

[libdem4life]

1. I don't doubt Zimmer's account, especially as she mentioned that Guadagno didn't think it was

right and would deny it, but was "under orders", so to speak. They were seemingly on good terms with each other and Kim acted (apparently) like she felt a little guilty about it. I'm sure she was shocked and embarrassed and her City Council members seemed to agree with her decision to just let it go.

But, when the ship starts to sink, there is only a certain amount of bailing that can stall the inevitable...all of the "rats=bad deeds" ultimately will come out on deck. More to come. I think the only question is whether Christie will do time, or just have to fade away into political purgatory.