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TagsBY TOM HESTER SR.
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
In 1975, as New Jersey government tried to recover from the era of corrupt public officials and politicians like Newark Mayor Hugh Addonizio, Jersey City Mayor Tom Whelan and Hudson County Democratic boss John V. Kenny, mobsters were caught on tape by federal agents describing a state Superior Court judge in Newark as "a man who couldn't be bought.''
The judge was Brendan Byrne and tagged as "The Man Who Couldn't Be Bought,'' he went on to two terms as governor and presently can be considered one of the two most revered grand old men of New Jersey public life.
Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex) has emerged from the latest round of alleged official corruption as the possible heir to Byrne's title.
Wisniewski, 47 of Sayreville, a six-term Assemblyman and a lawyer, confirmed Wednesday that he received a telephone call from Assemblyman L. Harvey Smith (D-Hudson), who has been accused of official corruption, and asked to use his position to help out a developer, who Smith did not realize was a wired frontman for federal agents trolling for public officials open to bribe.Smith allegedly offered that in return for using his clout as chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee to help Solomon Dwek, the developer would provide legal work for Wisniewski's law firm.
Wisniewski said no and federal agents caught Smith recounting the turndown to Dwek on tape.
When Smith was arrested last week, the criminal complain filed against him referred to his effort to lure an unnamed "DOT official'' into the scheme.
Wisniewski confirmed to Gannett newspapers that he is the "DOT official.'' The Assemblyman does not work for the state Department of Transportation but as the Transportation Committee chairman oversees legislation related to highway and mass transit issues.
According to the complaint against Smith, the Hudson County Assemblyman met Dwek in a Hoboken diner on July 17. The Assemblyman told Dwek he want to arrange a meeting for him with Wisniewski, "So we can play this out.'' If Wisniewski would cooperate, Dwek would provide him "the business opportunity'' to do the legal work.
Smith excused himself to call Wisniewski. When he returned, Smith told Dwek, "The (DOT official) cannot. I should have known that ... his law firm couldn't represent you.''
Wisniewski told a Gannet reporter that he thinks "every minute of the day'' about what would have happened if he had accepted Smith's alleged offer.
Wisniewski is seeking re-election to the Assembly in the Nov. 3 election.
"I think about how close to evil I came,'' Wisniewski said.