WEST NEW YORK — Several sources claim that federal authorities have taken records from the medical offices of Dr. Felix Roque, the mayor of West New York.
The feds may be following up on information gathered by campaign workers during the 2011 West New York election, in which former Mayor Sal Vega was defeated by Dr. Roque.
Sources close to Vega’s campaign confirmed that they turned over information to federal authorities which Vega’s campaign had gathered in an effort to discredit Dr. Roque. But the Vega campaign did not feel they had enough information to put the accusations in print at the time.
Other sources said the alleged release of the information to the feds was politically prompted in retaliation for Dr. Roque’s endorsement of Republican State Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-13th)who will likely be the Republican challenge for the U.S. Senate seat occupied by incumbent Senator Robert Menendez.
Menendez endorsed Vega during the mayoral campaign.
The information, which hints of alleged insurance fraud, might have been enough to warrant federal authorities into taking a closer look at what the campaign found.
Dr. Roque operates the Pain Relief Center at 211 60th Street in West New York.
Although reports said that feds had also sought records at Roque’s city offices, officials in the city said they were unaware of this.
The Vega campaign worker said none of the information turned over to the feds, however, dealt with governmental activities, and added that the campaign did not use the information because they felt they could not prove alleged insurance fraud at the time. – Al Sullivan