Trenton NJ, State lawmakers were back to their old tricks on Monday quietly advancing legislation that would raise the salaries of judges, county prosecutors, gubernatorial Cabinet members and senior legislative staffers, passing the bill out of committee without a single word of discussion.
The measure, sponsored by state Senate President Steve Sweeney and two of his top Democratic allies giving the governor the ability to boost the salaries of all his Cabinet members from $141,000 to $175,000 a year.
The new legislation would allow for higher pay for the four top legislative staff members, enshrining in law the right of the Assembly speaker, the Senate president and each of the minority leaders to pay their top aides up to $175,000.
The salaries of all state judges, Supreme Court justices, prosecutors, surrogates, county clerks, registers of deeds and mortgages and sheriffs would increase by $24,000. The hikes would be phased in over three years in $8,000 increments. Further raises would be linked to the consumer price index.
County prosecutors and Superior Court judges now make $165,000, and Supreme Court justices about $186,000, while the chief justice makes about $193,000. Current salaries vary for the other positions.
Governor Murphy Signs Executive Order Requiring All ISPs that Contract With New Jersey to Adhere to Fake Net Neutrality Principles
February 6, 2018
the staff of the Ridgewood
Trenton NJ, in another huge step backwards for New Jersey ,Governor Phil Murphy signed an Executive Order mandating that all Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that do business with the State of New Jersey follow the principles of net neutrality, a critical step in securing a free and open Internet for state residents.
Murphy once again shows he is a dangerous threat to personal freedom .
Governor Murphy’s Executive Order responds to a recent decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to rescind net neutrality and potentially limit access to the Internet, allow companies to pay more to have their content treated favorably, or force consumers to pay more to access websites.
Murphy seems dead set to attempt to limit choice and control and manipulate internet searches instead sending New Jersey backwards with fake “Net Neutrality”.
Making the straw man argument, “We may not agree with everything we see online, but that does not give us a justifiable reason to block the free, uninterrupted, and indiscriminate flow of information,” Governor Murphy said. “And, it certainly doesn’t give certain companies or individuals a right to pay their way to the front of the line. While New Jersey cannot unilaterally regulate net neutrality back into law or cement it as a state regulation, we can exercise our power as a consumer to make our preferences known.”
Governor Murphy’s Executive Order will make New Jersey the third state –along with New York and Montana—to mandate that ISPs adhere to net neutrality rules or lose the ability to contract in state. The Executive Order will apply to all contracts between state entities and ISPs that are executed on or after July 1, 2018. The Attorney General’s Division of Consumer Affairs will work with the Division of Purchase and Property to carry out the Executive Order and monitor its enforcement.
Desperate to limit and manipulate what you can access on the internet ,Governor Murphy’s Executive Order coincides with an announcement from Attorney General Gurbir Grewal who today announced that New Jersey will join 21 other states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit aimed at blocking the FCC’s rollback of net neutrality. That lawsuit was filed by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in December.
With your freedom in their sights Murphy says , “We are committed to taking whatever legal action we can to preserve the internet rights of New Jersey consumers, and to challenge the federal government’s misguided attack on a free and open internet,” said Attorney General Grewal. “Our position is that the Federal Communications Commission acted arbitrarily and against the evidence before it when doing its about-face on net neutrality.”
Trenton NJ,New Jersey Attorney General’s Office TAX IDENTITY THEFT AWARENESS WEEK: January 29-February 3 is New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell “Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week” to spread awareness of tax-related identity theft and IRS imposter scams. Stay tuned throughout the week for the best ways to avoid tax identity theft.
New Jersey Attorney General’s Office Today’s tip: NEVER provide personal information to anyone purporting to be an IRS representative who contacts you via an unsolicited telephone call. Instead record the caller’s name, badge number and a call back number. Hang up and then contact the IRS at 1-800-366-4484 to determine if the caller is an IRS employee with a legitimate need to contact you. Also, remember that the IRS will never call demanding immediate payment of taxes owed or a specific method of payment, such as a prepaid debit card, gift card, or wire transfer.
Ridgewood NJ, FDU’s Public Mind released a poll showing Governor Phil Murphy garnering a 35% approval rating in his first two weeks in office, with 21% disapproving and 40% who don’t know yet. His predecessors fared better in their first weeks in office: Governor Christie had a 48-31%, while Governor Corzine had 47-16%.
One bright spot for Murphy, is according to the poll, there is optimism among the respondents in the direction of the state: 39% believe the state is on solid footing with Murphy at the helm, compared to 18% in October when Christie was still in office. President Trump has a 31-60% favorable/unfavorable rating, according to the same poll.
Trenton NJ, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced that two men have been sentenced to prison in connection with a record-setting seizure last year by the New Jersey State Police of the super-potent synthetic opioid fentanyl. The seizure of 45 kilos of fentanyl – 40 kilos seized in North Bergen, together with five kilos seized in a related search in Willingboro – was the largest seizure ever in New Jersey.
Fentanyl is one of the deadliest opioids, with a potency that is 50 times greater than heroin. The 45 kilos – or nearly 100 pounds – of fentanyl seized by the New Jersey State Police in this investigation could have yielded over 18 million lethal doses, since a dose as small as 2 to 3 milligrams can be fatal.
The following two men pleaded guilty on Dec. 18 and were sentenced today and Wednesday, respectively, in Hudson County by Superior Court Judge Nesle A. Rodriguez:
Jesus Carrillo-Pineda, 31, of Philadelphia, Pa., was sentenced today to 10 years in state prison, including four years of parole ineligibility, on a charge of possession of heroin with intent to distribute (1st degree), and a concurrent sentence of seven years in prison on a charge of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute (2nd degree).
Daniel Vasquez, 28, of Somerton, Ariz., was sentenced on Wednesday, Jan. 24, to six years in state prison on a charge of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute (2nd degree).
“Many lives were undoubtedly saved as a result of this record-setting fentanyl seizure by the New Jersey State Police,” said Attorney General Grewal. “The 100 pounds of fentanyl trafficked into our state by these drug dealers could have generated enough lethal doses to kill the entire populations of New Jersey and New York City combined. Because dealers use this super-potent opioid to boost heroin and create counterfeit oxy pills, drug users are left to play a deadly game of Russian roulette each time they give way to their addiction.”
Attorney General Grewal added, “We’ll continue to fight the opioid epidemic on every front, by locking up major drug traffickers like these men, prosecuting crooked doctors who indiscriminately prescribe pain pills for profit, going after drug manufacturers who promote addiction through their illegal and mercenary marketing of opioids, deploying Narcan, and supporting drug treatment programs.”
“The 45 kilograms of fentanyl seized last year in this investigation brought home the scope of the problem we face in New Jersey with this highly lethal opioid,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “Three years ago, fentanyl was found in only about 2 percent of the heroin tested by the State Police; by late last year, it was found in nearly one-third of the heroin tested.”
“A seizure of this magnitude, which had enough lethal doses to wipe out the entire population of New Jersey twice over, in all likelihood prevented someone from ever taking their first dose, saving them from a life of misery and addiction,” said Colonel Patrick Callahan, Acting Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “I am proud of the outstanding work of the State Police Trafficking North and South Units and our law enforcement partners who are deeply committed to fighting the opioid epidemic both on the streets and off.”
While it has been spotlighted for killing Prince and other celebrities, fentanyl also is responsible for a growing death toll in New Jersey, where there were 417 overdose deaths from fentanyl in 2015, and over 800 deaths from fentanyl in 2016. Dealers commonly mix fentanyl with heroin or cocaine, or sell it in powder compounds or counterfeit pills disguised as heroin, oxycodone or Xanax. Given the tiny size of a lethal dose, drug users are dying because dealers are careless about how much fentanyl they put in such mixes and pills. Fentanyl is so potent that medics and police have been sickened by contact with it while responding to overdoses or making arrests. In addition to fentanyl, seven fentanyl analogs have been sold on the street in New Jersey. The Attorney General’s Office issued an emergency order last year adding those fentanyl knockoffs to the list of drugs subject to the strictest level of state control.
In the investigation involving Carillo-Pineda and Vasquez, detectives of the New Jersey State Police Trafficking North Unit developed information that a shipment of drugs was being delivered to a location in North Bergen. On June 28, 2017, State Police detectives, assisted by members of the North Bergen Police Department, located and arrested Carrillo-Pineda and Vasquez in the parking lot of a business in North Bergen after observing a drug transaction in which the 40 kilograms of fentanyl were transferred from a tractor-trailer occupied by Vasquez and a second man to the trunk of a Mercedes Benz driven by Carrillo-Pineda. The man with Vasquez, Jesus Yanez-Martinez, also was arrested, but the charges against him were dismissed on Wednesday, Jan. 24. The State Police searched the trunk of the Mercedes and seized the 40 kilos of fentanyl, which were individually wrapped inside two black duffel bags. They also found a handbag containing $1,050 in cash and a small quantity of heroin in the car.
Carrillo-Pineda also was charged – along with Omar Zeus Rodriguez, 38, of Willingboro – in connection with the seizure the next day in Willingboro of five kilos of fentanyl, nearly 40 kilos of heroin, and a smaller quantity of methamphetamine. The drugs were seized by the State Police Trafficking South Unit at Rodriguez’s residence, where Carrillo-Pineda had been staying. Rodriguez was loading suitcases into a Range Rover outside his residence when he was approached by detectives. The drugs were found in the suitcases and an open Fed Ex box in the vehicle’s trunk. Rodriguez, who currently is a fugitive, faces charges that include possession of heroin with intent to distribute (1st degree), possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute (1st degree), and possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute (2nd degree).
Deputy Attorney General Norma Garcia is prosecuting the case for the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Annmarie Taggart and Bureau Chief Lauren Scarpa Yfantis. Detective Sgt. Jeovanny Rodriguez was the lead detective for the investigation for the State Police Intelligence Section, Violent & Organized Crime Control Bureau North, Trafficking North Unit. Detective Garrett Cullen was the lead detective for the investigation for the State Police Intelligence Section, Violent & Organized Crime Control Bureau South, Trafficking South Unit. Attorney General Grewal commended the attorneys and all of the detectives and troopers who participated in the investigation for the State Police. He also thanked the North Bergen Police Department and Willingboro Police Department for their assistance.
(Wayne, NJ) New Jersey Organization for Economic Growth Chairman Joseph Caruso said the Republican Party should choose someone with private business experience to fill the seat of Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11) who announced today that he is retiring from the House of Representatives “We commend Rep. Frelinghuysen for his service to our state and our nation,” said Caruso, a Wayne resident who started the NJOEG PAC in December.
“In choosing a successor to Rep Frelinghuysen we think it is very important that the GOP be creative. We urge the Republican leaders select someone with a solid background in the private sector – someone who has run a business and knows what businesses need to thrive both in New Jersey and in the country.”
Caruso said, “to beat a Democratic challenger in CD-11 in November, the GOP has to back a candidate who has bona fide business credentials and who is committed to backing an economic growth strategy while appealing to Millennials and other young voters who want good jobs and the ability to afford a house.”
“The Republican candidate needs to be someone who understands and will support the new Trump Tax reform plan and can articulate how that tax plan, along with other measures, will create a more prosperous nation -and hope for young people,” said Caruso.
The OEG chairman added that political experience is not necessarily an asset for a candidate to succeed Frelinghuysen.
“There are many fine people the GOP can choose for CD-11, but if the party is going to end up selecting a career politician, someone who has been in county or state government voting for bad budgets, a burdensome public pension system and tax hikes — while doing nothing to really work for economic growth — then I don’t see how that helps the Republicans win in November, ” added the chairman.
“Middle class voters are tired of the same old faces saying the same old thing. They want someone new, a fighter who will appeal to young voters as well as older residents. We hope the Republicans give them such a candidate,” said Caruso.
Trenton NJ, This week Governor Phil Murphy was involved with a series of announcements demonstrating he will be taking sides against residents and citizens and favoring illegals and criminals.
The Governor “Sanctuary Phil” Murphy campaigned on massive tax raises and turning New Jersey into a sanctuary state . This week he moved that agenda forward .
First on January 24th NJ Attorney General Grewal announced alongside Governor Phil Murphy that the NJ Office of the Attorney General will use all the tools it has to protect the rights of Dreamers so they can enjoy the American Dream and to ensure the safety and well-being of all New Jerseyans, regardless of their immigration status.
Then on the 26th ,NJ Attorney General Grewal spoke on his focus of restricting legal gun owners rights and New Jersey’s intention to tighten restrictions on handgun-carry permits to combat gun violence for a safer state, despite the fact that criminals don’t get gun permits.
“Thursday’s arrest by federal agents of two Indonesian nationals as they dropped off their children may have violated a longstanding prohibition on immigration enforcement actions at “sensitive locations,” and calling for the official to personally review the incident.”
. How about the “longstanding tradition” of enforcing the law? Maybe if the states cooperated with the Federal government and had respect for the immigration laws, then the federal government wouldn’t have to “violate” any longstanding behavior norms.
Trenton NJ, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal has sent a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security suggesting Thursday’s arrest by federal agents of two Indonesian nationals as they dropped off their children may have violated a longstanding prohibition on immigration enforcement actions at “sensitive locations,” and calling for the official to personally review the incident.
The letter, addressed to U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen and sent Thursday afternoon, expresses “serious concern” about the arrest of Indonesian nationals Gunawan Liem of Franklin Park and Roby Sanger of Metuchen by agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Middlesex County. Liem reportedly was arrested after dropping his daughter off at her school bus stop. Sanger was arrested after dropping off his daughter at school.
In his letter, Attorney General Grewal notes that ICE has a “longstanding policy that prohibits immigration enforcement actions ‘at or focused on sensitive locations,’” and that schools are deemed to be sensitive locations under that policy. Grewal characterized ICE’s action as “deeply upsetting.”
“I am not aware of any exigent or unique circumstances here that would justify such a departure from ICE’s settled policy on sensitive locations,” Grewal’s letter states. “Undoubtedly, this creates a chilling environment for parents, who were simply ensuring that their children arrived to school safely. I trust that you will personally evaluate the circumstances surrounding this enforcement action and take any and all appropriate measures to remedy any violation of ICE policy.”
The letter goes on to express broader concern about ensuring there are no ICE enforcement actions at courthouses and at State facilities throughout New Jersey.
Enforcement actions at state courthouses would compromise the integrity of New Jersey’s justice system, the Attorney General notes, and such actions at State facilities would be an “undue intrusion” on the function of state government services to New Jersey residents, including children, families and military veterans.
“As a former federal prosecutor, county prosecutor, and now the chief law enforcement officer for New Jersey, I fully understand the need to enforce our nation’s laws,” Grewal writes, “but I am equally committed to ensuring that all of the residents of New Jersey have a safe environment to attend to their lives, whether it be to attend school, participate in our judicial system, or access state government services.”
Wayne, NJ, The New Jersey Organization For Economic Growth rejects the proposal by Gov. Phil Murphy to create a program to use taxpayer money to provide legal help to illegal immigrants and says it will mount a citizens petition campaign to oppose the governor’s plan.
The new governor wants to create yet another agency — the Office of Immigrant Protection. It would fall within the Department of Law and Public Safety and it would provide legal representation to illegals.
“It is a slap in the face of law abiding, hard working men and women in New Jersey – many of whom cannot afford legal services for themselves — to be forced to fund a government agency that gives free legal aid to non citizens,” said Joseph Caruso, the NJOEG chairman.
“The governor is pandering to the extreme element in his party that want to not only to make New Jersey a sanctuary state, but to give illegals driver’s licenses and free legal aid so they can fight federal immigration laws. This is beyond absurd,” added Alex Cucciniello the Executive Director of OEG.
According to the Federation for American Immigration reform, 372,000 people live in New Jersey illegally and they cost state taxpayers in excess of $2.1 billion dollars annually for health, schooling and incarceration services.
“Spending taxpayer money to help people who entered our country illegally to further evade the law is the wrong priority for New Jersey,” added Caruso. “The state is beset with many problems: high taxes, unmanageable public sector pension and benefits costs, the overregulation of businesses and the flight of talented Millennials. The administration should be focusing on those core issues.”
Caruso noted that the Murphy administration’s free legal aid proposal for people who entered the country illegally is a slap in the face for the state’s struggling legal residents.
More than 10.4 percent of the state’s residents, over 915,000 people currently live below the poverty line, according to talkpoverty.org and the U.S. Census Bureau. Over 5 percent of our citizens are unemployed and more startling, 11.1 percent of the state’s population suffered from hunger and food insecurity at some point during the year.
“The governor should be focusing on addressing the problems that already exist in New Jersey – he shouldn’t be creating new ones,” added Cucciniello.
“The governor wants to make New Jersey a sanctuary state, give illegal immigrants driver’s licenses and free legal counseling. The consequences of those initiatives will be to make New Jersey a magnet for many more illegal immigrants.
“And who will bear the cost of the governor’s absurd plans? The hardworking legal residents of this state, that’s who,” added Cucciniello.
Chairman Caruso announced that since the Murphy Administration intends to proceed with this insane agenda on tax payer funded programs for illegal aliens, the OEG will immediately begin a petition drive show Gov. Murphy and his administration that they are out of step with the rest of the state.
“We cannot allow the governor to fundamentally change the character and quality of life in our state without a response. We will seek the signatures of 915,000 New Jerseyans — the same number of people that live below the poverty line — to make it clear where the people of this state stand on this issue, I will fight for all of our citizens, especially those less fortunate, those living below the poverty line” said Caruso.
Those who wish to assist NJOEG in volunteering for the petition drive can email the organization at [email protected]. Those who can make a financial contribution to the effort please visit the NJOEG website at www.njoeg.com.
Chatham NJ, The Thomas More Law Center (“TMLC”), a national nonprofit public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, filed a federal lawsuit yesterday evening in the New Jersey District Court against several officials and teachers of the Chatham Middle School and the School District of the Chathams, located in New Jersey.
The lawsuit, claiming several violations of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, was filed on behalf of Libby Hilsenrath and her minor son. Seventh-grade students at Chatham Middle School were forced to endure Islamic propaganda and an explicit call to convert to Islam through a disturbing set of videos in their World Cultures and Geography class.
TMLC’s affiliated New Jersey attorney, Michael Hrycak, filed the lawsuit. TMLC staff attorney, Kate Oliveri, the principle drafter of the federal complaint, observed: “The Board of Education and other Defendants are waging a war against the religious protections afforded by the First Amendment. They attack religious liberty by enticing young school children with a direct call to convert to Islam and providing a step-by-step guide on how to effect that conversion.”
One of the videos, linked in this press release, seeks to convert students to Islam and is filled with the Islamic religious beliefs presented as facts, as well as pure Islamic propaganda. This five-minute video ends with the prayer “May God help us all find the true faith, Islam. Ameen.”
This video includes the following phrases as facts:
“Allah is the one God who created the heavens and the earth, who has no equal and is all powerful.”
“Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is the last & final Messenger of God. God gave him the Noble Quran.”
“Lo, We have sent thee (O Muhammad) with the truth, a bringer of glad tidings and a warner.”
“What is the Noble Quran? Divine Revelation sent to Muhammad (S) last Prophet of Allah. A Perfect guide for Humanity.”
“The Noble Quran: Guidance, Mercy and Blessing for all Mankind.”
“The Noble Quran: Without any doubt and an eloquent guide from Allah.”
“The Beautiful Quran: Guidance for the wise & sensible.”
“Islam: A shining beacon against the darkness of repression, segregation, intolerance and racism . . .”
This propaganda video also contains excerpts from the Quran stating that Islam is “perfected” religion and the only religion for mankind. And it ends with a call to conversion: “May God help us all find the true faith, Islam.”
However, just as shocking is the background music which includes the poem “Qaseedah Burdah” in Arabic, describing Christians and Jews as “infidels” and praising Muhammad in gruesome detail for slaughtering them:
“He [Muhammad] kept on encountering with them (infidels) in every battle until they looked like meat put on butcher’s bench (they were the lesson for those who were willing to encounter with the Muslims)” (parenthetical in original).
“It is as though the religion of Islam was a guest that visited every house of those (infidels and was) extremely desirous for the flesh of enemy. . .” (parenthetical in original).
“(The Muslims made their) white shining swords red (with the blood of infidels) after they were plunged; (and the majority of) enemies were having black hair (i.e., most of them were young).” (parenthetical in original).
See 5-minute video here https://vimeo.com/252231316/45e5c86977
Seventh-grade students were also instructed to view a subtle propaganda cartoon video, 5 Pillars, which included bright, multi-colored words quoting the Islamic conversion creed: “There is no god except Allah and Prophet Muhammad is His messenger.” The video concludes with text containing contact information for the students of Chatham Middle School to set up their own mosque tour.
Clearly, seventh graders were given a sugarcoated, false depiction of Islam. They were not informed of the kidnappings, beheadings, slave-trading, massacres, and persecution of non-Muslims, nor of the repression of women — all done in the name of Islam.
Richard Thompson, TMLC President and Chief Counsel remarked, “What would people say if our public schools taught Christianity as the true faith? After watching this video, I can’t imagine any reasonable person saying this is not Islamic indoctrination. Chatham Middle School made a mockery of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause.”
Continued Thompson, “When Libby Hilsenrath brought her concerns to the school board’s attention, on February 6, 2017, they were disregarded. And when she appeared on the Tucker Carlson Show on February 20, 2017 to express her concerns to the Nation, the school community pilloried her. Clueless school administrators across our Nation are allowing this type of indoctrination to take place, and it’s up to vigilant and courageous parents like Libby Hilsenrath to stop it.”
Because of Libby Hilsenrath’s attempts to get the Board of Education to remove the videos and end the Islamic indoctrination of her son and the other seventh-grade students, she was subjected to a barrage of personal attacks from her own community: “hateful,” “ignorant,” “intolerant,” “racist,” “closed minded,” and the list goes on. These attacks significantly intensified after she appeared on the Tucker Carlson Show.
Unfortunately the state pension fund operates like a Ponzi scheme – it requires new hire contributions to fund current liabilities. Putting new hires into 401K’s would bankrupt the funds almost immediately.
Ridgewood NJ, according to the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research New Jersey is running out of time projections show that the pension system, already the worst-funded in the nation, will continue taking on debt for at least five more years.
The Rockefeller Institute of Government at the State University of New York defines a government pension system that’s below 40% funded as in crisis. New Jersey’s pension system is well below that line, and the cost to fix the system, even under optimistic economic and financial-market projections, is already enormous. After a nine-year expansion, if America’s economy turns down in the coming months, the price of fixing New Jersey’s pension system will surge higher still. Yet even when the costs were considerably less, the state’s political leaders balked at fixing the system. We’ve now reached the point where neglecting to construct an adequate and lasting fix pushes the pension system on a path toward failure, a catastrophic scenario for New Jersey’s public employees and taxpayers.
Key takeaways from the report :
As this report demonstrates, to stay on pace to reach the new plan’s required yearly contributions into the pension system by 2023, state government must increase the revenue that it dedicates to its pension system by more than threefold. At that point, pension payments could equal 12%–15% of New Jersey’s budget.
Based on the historical growth of New Jersey’s revenues, rising pension payments alone will likely consume virtually all the state’s additional tax collections over the next five years, even under an optimistic scenario where tax collections accelerate. That would leave little money for increasing funding of local schools, higher education, municipal services, or property-tax relief.
If the economy were to experience even a mild recession, the resulting slowdown in tax collections would likely mean that New Jersey would fall short by at least an additional $3.5 billion in meeting its pension obligations, sparking a more substantial rise in new pension debt.
After years of relying on unrealistic investment assumptions, New Jersey recently cut its projected rate of investment returns to a more realistic 7%. Even so, this is higher than forecasts made by independent experts for pension fund performance over the next five to 10 years. If the outside experts are correct, the investment returns on the state’s pension portfolio will fall significantly short, requiring New Jersey to dedicate further tax revenues to its pension system or allow additional new debt to pile up—a dangerous situation because the system’s funding levels are already so low that some pension experts fear that fixing a system this poorly funded is nearly impossible.
Absent some unexpectedly robust acceleration of the economy, it is highly unlikely that New Jersey will generate enough new revenues to meet its pension commitments without severely hobbling the rest of the state’s budget. At the same time, allowing its pension system to continue to accumulate debt by not contributing adequately to it will push New Jersey toward a potentially catastrophic failure of its government pensions.
Newark NJ, Reality television personality Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino and his brother, Marc Sorrentino, pleaded guilty today to violating federal tax laws, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito for the District of New Jersey and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS CI) Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen.
According to documents and information provided to the court, Michael Sorrentino, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion and Marc Sorrentino, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding in the preparation of a fraudulent tax return.
“Today’s pleas are a reminder to all individuals to comply with the tax laws, file honest and accurate returns and pay their fair share,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman. “The Tax Division is committed to continuing to work with the IRS to prosecute those who seek to cheat the system, while honest hardworking taxpayers play by the rules.”
“What the defendants admitted to today, quite simply, is tantamount to stealing money from their fellow taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Carpenito. “All of us are required by law to pay our fair share of taxes. Celebrity status does not provide a free pass from this obligation.”
“As we approach this year’s filing season, today’s guilty pleas should serve as a stark reminder to those who would attempt to defraud our nation’s tax system,” stated Jonathan D. Larsen, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office. “No matter what your stature is in our society, everyone is expected to play by the rules, and those who do not will be held accountable and brought to justice.”
Michael Sorrentino was a reality television personality who gained fame on “The Jersey Shore,” which first appeared on the MTV network. According to documents and information provided to the court, he and his brother, Marc, created businesses, such as MPS Entertainment LLC and Situation Nation Inc., to take advantage of Michael’s celebrity status.
Michael Sorrentino admitted that in tax year 2011, he earned taxable income, including some that was paid in cash, and that he concealed a portion of his income to evade paying the full amount of taxes he owed. He also made cash deposits into bank accounts in amounts less than $10,000, in an effort to ensure that these deposits would not come to the attention of the IRS.
Marc Sorrentino admitted that for tax year 2010, he earned taxable income and that he assisted his accountants in preparing his personal tax return by willfully providing them with false information and fraudulently underreporting his income.
U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton scheduled sentencing for April 25. Michael Sorrentino faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for tax evasion. Marc Sorrentino faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison for aiding in the preparation of a fraudulent tax return. Both also face a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. Gregg Mark, the accountant for the Sorrentino brothers, previously pleaded guilty in 2015 to conspiring to defraud the United States with respect to their tax liabilities.
Trenton NJ, Democrat Phil Murphy ,New Jersey’s new governor says he’ll be accepting the job’s $175,000-a-year salary. Murphy a multimillionaire and former Wall Street executive who earned his fortune working at Goldman Sachs , will not match what even the failed Democrat Jon Corzine did . Corzine also a wealthy alumni of Goldman Sachs took only a $1-per-year salary.
When asked the new Governor declined Wednesday to take further questions about his salary from the media . His 2016 taxes showed he earned a mere $4.6 million, mostly from interest and dividends.
![mike-sorrentino-gty-mem-180117_12x5_992[1]](https://theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/mike-sorrentino-gty-mem-180117_12x5_9921.jpg "The Jersey Shore's Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino and His Brother, Marc Sorrentino, Plead Guilty to Tax Evasion")
