To the Editor:
I am writing this letter in reply to Mr. Hugh Roarty’s letter (BCN 2-10-10) stating “Hey isn’t that extortion” regarding the arrest of 44 people indicted for corruption. I disagree with Mr. Roarty!
The true fact pertaining to this case is that elected officials and appointed people to office accepted bribes. They might have not accepted money directly, but there were bag men who accepted and delivered it! The informant for the federal authorities was a convicted felon with charges pending. He accepted to perform for them to receive a lighter sentence.
The main issue to the corruption of these people was not the bribe or the money, but the criminal intent to receive it. Honest politicians do not meet in clandestine places to commit illegal city transactions. They should have told him to take his problem to City Hall. Why didn’t they inform the Hudson County prosecutor of the bribery attempt?
Mr. Roarty can state other facts of past happenings, but cannot ignore the content of their conduct. Their actions speak for themselves.
LEONARD R. KANTOR