In a letter sent to Gov. Jon Corzine on Aug. 7, Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone asked for a review of the governor’s recent executive order so that contracts for development at the former Military Ocean Terminal of Bayonne can be investigated.
“I am formerly asking for the review and investigation to include the contracts of projects and developments that were orchestrated and implemented by Joe Doria as mayor of Bayonne from 1998 to October, 2007,” Chiappone said in his letter. “I would ask that three projects in particular involving MOTBY … be reviewed and investigated.”
“I have always had serious concerns regarding these contracts and others, none of which were competitively bid.” – Anthony Chiappone
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Contracts that may be reviewed include the 2005 contract with Fidelco, the conditional contract for “The Loft” District awarded to former state Sen. James Dugan, and the recent Port Authority deal involving the Maritime District.
Chiappone, a former member of the Bayonne Local Redevelopment Authority, which oversees development at MOTBY, said these three contracts and perhaps others were not subject to any competitive bidding, and in some cases, may have been given to entities with questionable development experience and involved financing that required the city of Bayonne to co-sign for the loans.
“In light of the governor’s executive order to review development contracts in towns where sitting mayors have been accused of taking a developer’s bribes, and in light of the DCE and former Bayonne mayor’s involvement in this FBI investigation, I believe it is appropriate to extend the governor’s requested investigation to include Bayonne developments and projects made during Joe Doria’s term as mayor and DCA chairman,” Chiappone said in a statement issued on Aug. 7.
Unresolved questions
Prior to his eventual appointment to the BLRA in 2008, Chiappone had questioned some of the activities on the MOTBY, questions still unresolved when he was forced out of the BLRA and off the city council in April 2009.
In some cases, principals in some of these contracts may have had a close relationship to the administration before and after he left office as mayor, Chiappone said.
“I have always had serious concerns regarding these contracts and others, none of which were competitively bid,” he said, “all of which were selected and approved by Joe Doria and the directors and commissioners he controlled and appointed. With millions of taxpayers’ dollars at stake, and with developments of those investigated by the FBI now being examined by the state, I have to question the legality of these transactions.”
Corzine’s executive order 148 issued earlier this month in response to a massive federal sting operation called for an investigation of projects in towns where mayors have been charged with taking bribes.
Although Doria resigned his office as commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs at Corzine’s request, and his home, state office and college office have been searched by federal agents, he has not been charged with a crime.
Current and prior city officials who worked with Doria said he would not be engaged in illegal activities.
“Joe just doesn’t do that,” said one of these officials.
Doria had not responded for comment by press time.