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ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS HERALD |
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WHO'S NEXT IN THE CORRUPTION PROBE? Who’s next? While many readers might think about the song from a famous rock band, many local political observers and participants refer to it at the other shoe. That shoe, of course, belongs to the United States Attorney investigating corruption in Monmouth County. Republicans and Democrats alike are scratching their heads and waiting for the other shoe to drop. In announcing his charges against the Monmouth Eleven earlier this year, Attorney General Chris Christie all but promised that more indictments were on the way. Speculation is running rampant in political circles as to when, how, and who might be the next public servant to feel the wrath of Mr. Christie. Fortunately, Mr. Christie has not confined his search to one party. Any meeting between local politicians from neighboring towns- Democrat and Republican alike- brings up the inevitable question of “so what are you hearing?” And the answer, invariably is, “not much.” But that probably won’t last much longer. If Mr. Christie has the goods on more officials- and we should not rule out anyone that serves the public- the announcements will probably come sooner rather than later. He probably won’t get much new information from those officials already charged, because several have expressed their innocence and are demanding their day in court. But an astute attorney such as Mr. Christie would not have promised more to come, if he wasn’t already lining up his ducks. For now, the public can only wait for the upcoming announcements. It is sure to bring heartbreak to many families and communities, but the search for corruption should not end. The residents of our county, and state, have the right to expect that public servants are working for their best interests, and not trading influence for political favors. Stay tuned, because pretty soon the Attorney General promises to turn the other shoe into a hammer. Correction: In the last column, it was reported that the Atlantic Highlands borough council spent $3,000 for the training of an interim CFO. The borough authorized the spending of up to $3,000 to Ms. Campbell but expended only $1,600 for her services.
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