Joseph Ferriero
Ex-Bergen County Democratic Party leader Joseph Ferrier
Bergen County Democratic Party leader Joseph Ferriero – See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/Money_power_and_3_bad_loans_for_top_Bergen_County_Democrats.html#sthash.jBgzV9TD.dpuf
Bergen County Democratic Party leader Joseph Ferriero – See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/Money_power_and_3_bad_loans_for_top_Bergen_County_Democrats.html#sthash.jBgzV9TD.dpuf
The Pot Calling the Kettle Black : Bergen Democrats, Donovan spar over unpaid adviser’s role
Monday July 22, 2013, 10:13 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER
The Record
Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan and the four Democratic freeholders traded barbs Monday over the extent to which she allowed her former campaign manager to play a role as an unpaid adviser, a relationship a Donovan spokeswoman described as “severed.”
The four Democrats were responding to an article in the Sunday issue of The Record in which Donovan distanced herself from Alan C. Marcus, a public relations executive who also served as her transition chairman after she was elected county executive in November 2010.
Donovan, a Republican, said last week that Marcus would no longer serve as an adviser because of his involvement in two recent controversies, which the article detailed through emails and other public documents obtained through requests made under the Open Public Records Act.
One controversy centered on a brief attempt by Bergen Community College officials in April to award Marcus’ firm a $7,500-a-month public relations contract. Marcus turned down the contract and did some work for free after it came under fire from the Democratic freeholders shortly after. Federal prosecutors have subpoenaed documents in the case.
The other involves allegations by a Paramus insurance broker who claims an extramarital affair his wife had with Marcus in 2011 drove the administration’s decision to switch insurance brokers in January.
“I am troubled by what seems to be a violation of the public’s trust by Ms. Donovan and Mr. Marcus,” Freeholder Chairman David Ganz said in a prepared statement. “Alan Marcus was empowered by the County Executive to have an active role within her administration and I’m afraid these allegations may only be the tip of the iceberg.”
Marcus declined to comment on the Democrats’ charges. He has maintained that he has no interest in influencing county contracts and he has denied having anything to do with the insurance contract.
Donovan, however, countered that the Democrats are playing politics and forgetting their own history of scandals that occurred during their previous eight-year rule.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/Bergen_Democrats_Donovan_spar_over_unpaid_advisers_role.html#sthash.w7bsLcem.dpuf
