Thursday, August 19, 2004

Contact: Phil Morin, 908-789-0200 or 908-709-1450

UNION GOP CALLS ON DEMOCRATS TO RETURN MONEY

Kushner, Manzo Contributions to Union Democrats Far Exceed Any Other Entity in the State - What Was the ‘Play’ for the ’Pay’?

Union County Republican Committee Chairman Phil Morin today called upon the Union County Democrat Committee to return a total of $170,650.00 in campaign contributions by Charles Kushner and his companies, Quail Ridge Associates and Highview Planning, and by Ronald Manzo and his company, RAM Insurance, made to the Union County Democrat Committee between 1998 and 2003. 

Mr. Kushner pled guilty yesterday to 18 charges, including charges that he tampered with a witness in a federal probe, filed false tax returns for several entities (including Quail Ridge in 2000), and violated campaign finance laws.  Mr. Manzo pleaded guilty in June to five criminal counts stemming from illegal "insider" trading, which earned him over $1 million.

According to New Jersey Election Law Enforcement records, Mr. Kushner, Quail Ridge Associates and Highview Planning donated $108,650 to the Union County Democrat Committee from June of 1998, to November of 2002, including a personal contribution by Mr. Kushner of $2,500 in November of 2002, and $30,000 by Quail Ridge Associates in May of 2000.  Highview Planning is an insurance brokerage which was sold in 2000 to Mr. Kushner by Gary Taffet, Governor McGreevey’s former chief of staff, now under federal investigation for allegedly acting on insider stock tips from Mr. Manzo.

Mr. Manzo and his company, RAM Insurance, contributed $62,000 from October 1998 to October 2003.

"The Union Democrats should return this money, and any other donations linked to Mr. Kushner, and his companies, immediately," said Morin.  "Mr. Kushner has been one of the biggest contributors to the Democrat party on the federal, state and local level for years.  He and his companies have contributed to the campaigns of the Democrat National Committee, Senator Jon Corzine, Governor McGreevey, the New Jersey Democrat State Committee, and the Union County Democrat Committee.  Even the DNC, Corzine and the DSC have returned contributions from Mr. Kushner and his companies before Mr. Kushner pled guilty, while the Union County Democrats have stood mute on the sidelines, hoping not to be fingered."

"Mr. Manzo has contributed to the Democrats around the state and his company has won big contracts in Democrat-controlled counties.  Even the Hudson County Democrat Organization, in a bitter primary battle last year, pointed out the distasteful pay-to-play practices of Manzo’s company.  I certainly hope that none of the Union Democrat candidates or party officials ever knew of Mr. Kushner’s or Manzo’s activities, and to show their disdain, they should return this money now," said Morin.

"I am also concerned that the donations to the Union County Democrats by both Mr. Kushner’s companies and Mr. Manzo’s companies were by far the highest amount contributed to any New Jersey state, county or local campaign or political committee by those entities," said Morin.  "The County Democrats should be asked: what was the ‘play’ for the ’pay’?