Lenz' Voter Fraud Case Dismissed in Hudson Superior Court
The Fourth Ward candidate had accused the campaign of his rival of paying residents to vote.
The voter fraud law suit that was filed by the Lenz for Council campaign Thursday afternoon and alleged that Fourth Ward Council candidate Tim Occhipinti paid people for votes, was denied by a Hudson County Superior Court judge on Friday afternoon.
Representatives for both parties—Mike Goldberg for Occhipinti and Tim Howes for Lenz—appeared before Judge Maurice Gallipoli in Hudson County Superior Court at 2 p.m.
The matter has been referred to the superintendent of elections, but for now the ballots should not be disregarded, said Gallipoli.
On Saturday morning at 8 and 10 a.m. the Board of Elections will canvass the ballots, at which point the Lenz campaign can challenge individual votes.
"It's being taken seriously," said Howes.
On Thursday, the Lenz campaign submitted a complaint, accusing the Occchipinti campaign of voter fraud. Anecdotal evidence and four signed affidavits that were submitted with the complaint alleged that voters were given $40 by Occhipinti campaign workers.
Howes said he could not predict how many ballots would be challenged by the Lenz campaign. On Thursday, Lenz campaign manager Sam Briggs said the four affidavits cast a "cloud of doubt" on all vote-by-mail ballots that have been sent in, especially the 78 out of 79 that have been submitted by Occhipinti campaign volunteers.
"There's absolutely no truth to it," said Occhipinti Campaign spokesman on Thursday after being served the papers.
Goldberg, volunteer legal counsel for the Occhipinti campaign, called the challenge "premature."
He added that he is prepared for any challenges from the Lenz campaign.
"I believe those affidavits won't carry the day," Goldberg said.
cat
4:25 pm on Friday, October 29, 2010
The one good thing being that the story is covered on patch is that more of the Hoboken Grown-ups will see what is going on. Ask yourself does this look like the buying of votes - of course it does no matter what the good lawyer Goldberg and judge says. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck it is voter fraud - as responsible citizens would define it. So let this be a lesson to the rest of hoboken - you work hard and are are entitled to a democracy that works - take names and numbers. If you don't these thugs will be running - and paying people in your own district. For the rest of the people in the 4th ward - time to vote
George
4:45 pm on Friday, October 29, 2010
The courts are wrong, evidently, unless they had ruled in favor of Lenz. Just look at the supposed "evidence." It's a joke and the judge took all of 15 minutes to reject it. Lenz should be ashamed of this stunt. This doesn't bring people together. It simply serves to further divide our city. Tuesday can't come soon enough.
cat
4:51 pm on Friday, October 29, 2010
Amazing how people can look at the same dat and come to differences of opinion - you really believe people were not paid for there vote?? after looking at the data presented - put that up for a vote
Bet Mazin
5:14 pm on Friday, October 29, 2010
Well cat, don't take it personally. George/Marcus/Jon is all the voice of the Tim Occhipinti campaign.
You will not be hearing a shred of decency on the substance of that data where 80 of 80 people were paid and all had asked for and almost all already sent in their vote by mail ballot.
Rockin Out With My
9:40 pm on Friday, October 29, 2010
Oh Happy Day!
jane
10:18 pm on Friday, October 29, 2010
Yes, the voter fraud may continue, undaunted. Not one shred of decency. 4 sworn affidavits, proof of non residents voting, and a coincidence of $40 paid to people voting by mail. No merits to throw all of them out- maybe? But individually, those ballots had better be thrown out or there should be a major rally in front of that building. NY stepped up to the plate with the Troy indictments for voter fraud and they had less than Friends of Lenz, Sam Briggs. I expect NJ to follow suit or have a very disgruntled hoboken population.
Rockin Out With My
10:20 pm on Friday, October 29, 2010
You're right, the impartial superior court judge must be dumber than you on this issue.
hullabaloo
10:31 am on Saturday, October 30, 2010
I wouldn't be doing a happy dance just yet. The investigation isn't over.
The judge didn't rule on "merit" he ruled that the application to have the VBM ballots sequestered was "premature" in part because the Hudson County Superintendent of Elections is in the midst of an ongoing investigation into the evidence of allegations of election fraud by the Occhipinti campaign.
concerned
11:28 am on Saturday, October 30, 2010
In My opinion, The mail in votes should not be allowed, an individual should be there to vote in person the poles are open till 8pm. But also true is that there are people who are unable to go if they are sick . All I can say is that I hope the the New Councilman of the Forth ward keeps His word and does the repair's that are needed to be done to correct the flooding and repair of the streets by repaving them . and what ever is needed to make our quality of life better.
HobokenDad
11:34 am on Saturday, October 30, 2010
The Occhipinti vote harvesting in the HHA will still have to pass the Board Of Elections review.
Whit a clear heads up to check both the ballots and Occhipint's paid worker list it should at very least raise a few eybrows.
George
3:07 pm on Saturday, October 30, 2010
First it was team Cammarano, then it was Team Russo, then Team Ramos. Never have I heard the Lenz side use its bloggers and commenters to spread the word about where he stands on the issues. All they've been saying is how the dirty the other side is. That's a sad commentary on a man who says he's been a public servant for 20+ years. Is that all ya got, Michael Lenz? Thank goodness that Tuesday will be your last day on the Council. Hurray for the 4th ward!
hullabaloo
4:58 pm on Saturday, October 30, 2010
Issues or lack of issues is an interesting point- all we've had on issues is from Tim's talking binder and if the binder hasn't got a tab well there's no answer. I guess the binder didn't coordinate a response from the Occhipinti team for the Hoboken Revolt Election questionnaire. Here's the email from Revolt to its members:
Since our creation in December of 2008, Hoboken Revolt has asked local candidates for City and BOE elections to answer a questionnaire in regards to the issues of each election. We asked 4th ward council candidates Michael Lenz and Tim Occhipiniti to answer a questionnaire in regards to 4th ward and city wide issues for Tuesday's upcoming election. Candidates were sent the questionnaire on October 18th and asked to respond in one week.
You can read Michael Lenz's response here: http://www.hobokenrevolt.com/forum/topics/4th-ward-questionnaire
We have not received a response from Tim Occhipinti.
General Election information:
Election day is THIS Tuesday, November 2nd. Polls are open from 6am-8pm. If you do not know your polling location you can find it here: http://www.hobokennj.org/departments/city-clerk/voter-information/
Outside of the 4th Ward City Council race, voters city wide will be voting for House of Representatives 13th Congressional District and for County Sheriff.
LOVE YOUR TOWN, VOTE! (and tell your friends!)
hullabaloo
7:20 pm on Saturday, October 30, 2010
Enjoy!
http://timsings.com/
marcus
5:49 pm on Saturday, October 30, 2010
Hoboken Revolt? What is that, five people? How many of them are on the city payroll? How many are just die hard anti-anyone not Zimmer? This whole thread is a Lenz pity party. I saw Occhipinti signs and volunteers all over the ward today. I guess the Lenz people are inside, spreading their intellectual pestilence all over the web, rather than meeting people face to face.
hullabaloo
7:18 pm on Saturday, October 30, 2010
Not from around here huh? Hoboken Revolt was created in response to the 47% tax increase that was the result of decades of underfunded budgets brought to Hoboken by none other than the team behind Occhipinti. It's really no surprise that Occhipinti has no plan to cut taxes. Here's Mike Lenz and Tim Occhipinti on Taxes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jn_wrpEnwk
Enough
3:06 am on Sunday, October 31, 2010
Maybe I missed something but didn't Hoboken Revolt already sent an email endorsing Lenz? I thought I saw that last week.
And it looks like no one wants to work or vote for Lenz no matter how much he's payin'! He must be using all his money to hire a lawyer to keep people from voting for the other guy. Strange campaign strategy, but this is Hoboken.
jane
9:59 am on Sunday, October 31, 2010
Hmmmwhat is Occhipinti using his money for? Here is a list of supporters for Tim Occhipinti. Roughly 15k from 7 people. Interesting, many of which are in real estate/banking/investors/contractors.
Louie Carbone, attny, delray FL, $2,000
Kerry fitzgeral, real estate, weehaken, $2,600
Michael Fitzgerald, real estate, rutherford, $2,600
Kenneth Oniel, Banking executive/loans, Hoboken$2,600
David Ruosso, financial services/other investor, Hoboken$2,600
Robert Luongo, plumber, Seacacus, $2,600
Michael Russo, CC perosn, Hoboken, $500
hullabaloo
11:22 am on Sunday, October 31, 2010
Are you surprised Revolt endorsed Lenz? Occhipinti hasn't been coherent on any issues with or without his well tabbed binder and on financial issues he's decided to repeat the mistruths of the financially challenged grandstanding Council of No. Occhipinti's team is the composed of the very people who when in power over the last 20+ years have run Hoboken's finances and infrastructure to the point of collapse and beyond. Revolt understands what decades of underfunded budgets produce: the loss of control of Hoboken's finances to a state fiscal monitor for 2 years and a 47% tax increase.
Griswell
7:05 am on Sunday, October 31, 2010
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George
2:20 pm on Sunday, October 31, 2010
Paranoid much? I guess trying to say I'm someone else makes it easier for you. That's fine.
Lenz is Lenz, and that's one thing you'll never be able to deny.
hullabaloo
6:57 pm on Sunday, October 31, 2010
And Occhipinti is: Russo, Castellano, Labruno, Raia, Romano, Del Boccio, Bado, Belfiore, Fitzgibbons,Ramos among others and that's one thing you'll never be able to deny.
This is the same team that for decades has run Hoboken's finances and infrastructure into the ground and brought us Cammarano. Enough said.
http://timsings.com
Enough
11:25 am on Monday, November 1, 2010
hullabaloo, Revolt endorsed Lenz and then expected Occhipinti to answer questions? Why should he? I saw him campaigning all over the 4th Ward this weekend. Good for him, I hope he got a lot of voters to support him. And like someone said, who cares about Revolt. They never showed up or bothered to send an email for the budget hearings and have said nothing about the over-taxing and the surplus. They are useless.
hullabaloo
2:01 pm on Monday, November 1, 2010
You're correct who cares about Hoboken Revolt .... I guess you enjoyed the arrival of the fiscal state monitor and the 47% tax increase. Yes, decades of under funded budgets and financial mismanagement from the team behind Occhipinti have been great for Hoboken. And let's not forget decades of over-development with generous pilots: how are you enjoying the community pool and the wonderful 4th Ward park? And the surplus you're right -it really is silly - much better for Hoboken to have a junk bond rating and pay millions yearly in interest when the city needs to bond or borrow- who needs to being prepared for emergencies and expenses? Prudent financial practices are for sissies- it' outrageous. As wise horse noted earlier today, why "love this town" (the Revolt slogan) when you can "loot this town" (team Occhipinti slogan).
hobokenhorse.com
11:57 am on Monday, November 1, 2010
Hoboken Revolt has done well for the town. No surprise there's harsh feelings toward any reform group in Hoboken that has turned away from Beth Mason. This is old hate, sorry, mean old hat.
This is not:
Developers and shady characters - "We're with Tim!"
It's on his ELEC but the media is napping. Most anyway but the facts are up on MSV:
http://hobokenhorse.blogspot.com
It's important the facts are out and on the record.