The Feds have subpoenaed the governor's office for more than six years of records and e-mails related to the failed EnCap golf and housing project that was supposed to be built above the Meadowlands landfills, reports the Record. They're also asking for records relating to two South Jersey projects, a golf course and housing projects planned by EnCap's parent, Cherokee Investment Partners of North Carolina. The subpoena covers a period until one day before Corzine took office. Inspector General Mary Jane Cooper spent a year looking into EnCap but incredibly Cooper never interviewed former Govs. Jim McGreevey or Dick Codey or their staffs. That caused some to question the worth of her office. More than $50 million of state taxpayer funds from a loan were lost when the developer declared bankruptcy last year. Cherokee Chief Executive Thomas Darden and EnCap counterpart William Gauger contributed $40,000 to the Democratic State Committee in April 2004. Over the next two months, the Record noted, Cherokee was designated as developer of a project in South Jersey and a law was passed enabling EnCap to enter into the revenue-sharing deals with Meadowlands towns. The two South Jersey projects — one in Camden and one in Pennsauken — involved the construction of upscale housing and golf courses on tainted industrial land. Cherokee had a controversial plan to build on Petty's Island in the Delaware River off Pennsauken.
In 2005, Joe Salema, former aide to former Gov. Jim Florio, was hired as a consultant by Cherokee. A subsidiary of Cherokee paid David Luthman, Pennsauken's township attorney, about $80,000 of his salary. Luthman told reporter Alan Guenther he didn't see a problem with being paid funds provided by a company involved in contract negotiations with the township. According to The Soprano State, when Luthman worked on Cherokee-related business he doubled his fee from $125 an hour to $250 an hour. Luthman formerly was head of the Camden County Democratic Party.
In the '90s, Salema pleaded guilty to securities fraud and paid $325,000 to settle SEC charges. Salema could have been sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. But Judge Sonia Sotomayor sentenced him to six months in a half way house and six months of home detention, fined him $10,000 and gave him 1,400 hours of community service.
Yes, that Judge Sonia Sotomayor.