In an unfolding plot of intrigue to rival those of William Shakespeare, Jersey City Mayor Glenn Cunningham took his war for control of the Hudson County Democratic Party public Thursday afternoon by asking, in a press conference, for the resignation of the current party chairman.
“I’m calling on Congressman Robert Menendez (D-13th Dist.) to resign immediately from his position of Hudson County Democratic Chairman,” Cunningham said. “He has used that position to grab power for himself like a modern day Boss Hague. He has created havoc in Hudson County. He is interfering with the operation of government for the sake of his political benefactor, [Secaucus-based attorney and Menendez fundraiser] Donald Scarinci.”
Menendez was not available by press time for a comment. Scarinci responded, but said he would not get involved in the political fray.
“This is a political matter among the mayors of Hudson County and I make no comment on it,” Scarinci said. The public announcement brought into the open a political battle reported largely in the rumor mill for months, and adds evidence to the apparent effort by county Democratic leaders to fill the void left after the sudden and mysterious departure of former County Executive Robert Janiszewski in September.
Cunningham said the conflict started with Menendez over who should replace Janiszewski.
“I recommended Bernie Hartnett to the mayors of Hudson County, and there was unanimous approval – only Congressman Menendez suggested someone else,” said Cunningham.
Menendez opposes current county executive and Jersey City-based attorney Bernard Hartnett’s continuing in the post.
In September, Janiszewski left two voids. He had been serving as county executive, and also as county Democratic chairman. Hartnett got the former position and Menendez got the latter. Now, Menendez wants to choose Hartnett’s replacement in the June Democratic primary.
“I agreed to support Bob Menendez for county chairman several months ago, when he convinced me that he wanted to be chairman in order to set himself up to be the candidate for U.S. Senator, if Bob Torricelli did not run for reelection,” Cunningham said Thursday. “While several mayors warned me that Menendez could not be trusted, and that he would use the chairmanship to hurt other people, I took him at his word. I was wrong. They were right.”
Cunningham accused Menendez of being divisive.
“Instead of supporting Bernie Hartnett for the unexpired term of former County Executive Robert Janiszewski, he is attempting to recruit [Jersey City Councilman] Tom DeGise, who was rejected by the residents of Jersey City in the mayoral election last year,” Cunningham said. “He [Menendez] deplored DeGise’s negative literature and tactics, and he believed he [DeGise] was unqualified to be our mayor. Now he wants to hand the reins of county government to DeGise. This is divisiveness, not the unity that a Democratic chairman is supposed to bring about.”
While Cunningham may claim that Menendez has too strong an influence in various towns, some officials say Cunningham’s followers and some people around the current county executive have been “strong-arming” workers on the county staff, pressing for appointments, jobs, and other benefits to satisfy Cunningham’s political supporters.
In turn, Cunningham has accused Menendez of meeting with Jersey City councilpeople for the purpose of undermining Cunningham’s administration, and he publicly announced that such plots would not work.
People who have been dealing with Menendez and Scarinci for many years said Cunningham is not entirely wrong. The congressman and his closest friend have influenced local politics more than most federal legislators.
“Very few leaders in this county can say they’ve never had a blow-out over Donald Scarinci,” said one official. “But are we going to risk stability for the sake of one man?”
Several mayors claim there is more at stake than who runs the show. If they end up on the losing side of the conflict, whichever side that turns out to be, each mayor runs the risk of having his town’s residents who are employed by the county lose their jobs as result of political retribution.
“This is going to get ugly,” said one mayor.
Politicians also have a lot to fear if they anger Menendez.
“As Democratic leader, he gets to pick who runs on what line,” said Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell. “And to tell you the truth, I disagree with Glenn’s calling for his resignation. The Democratic committeepeople voted Menendez in as chairman. It would be the Democratic committee that votes him out – not one mayor.”
Mayor David Roberts of Hoboken also disagreed with Cunningham, although he said Cunningham had the right to express his option.
“Mayor Cunningham and I were elected mayor the same day,” Roberts said. “We both received the same amount of support from Congressman Menendez. While I think Mayor Cunningham has a right to raise these issues, he should do it in the proper context and proper forum.”
Like other mayors around the county, Roberts questioned the quality of advice Cunningham has been getting, and disagreed with the aggressive position the Jersey City mayor has taken.
“This is non-productive and doesn’t serve the public interest,” Roberts said. “But every man must be true to himself and if he believes he has to do it, who am I to stop him? Menendez had done a good job for us, and if reports are correct, he will soon move up to become the third most powerful Democrat in Congress. That can only mean good things for the mayors in Hudson County and our communities.”
A press release supporting Menendez was signed by mayors David Delle Donna, Joseph Doria, Dennis Elwell, Raymond McDonough, Roberts, Nicholas Sacco, Alberto Santos, Albio Sires, Brian Stack and Richard Turner. The release said, “The candidate for county executive should not and will not be chosen by a single individual, but by a mayoral consensus in agreement with our party leaders.”
Latino groups are angling for Menendez to become the caucus chairman for the House Democrats, the third highest position among those Democrats. Currently, he’s the vice-chair. Menendez is competing with Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut for that slot, but the race won’t be decided until the fall.
Hudson County mayors were slated to meet in Harrison to discuss DeGise’s nomination, and according to Mayor Dennis Elwell of Secaucus, nearly every mayor except for Cunningham is lined up behind the Menendez candidate.
“What are am I going to do?” one mayor asked. “If all the mayors are lined up behind DeGise, am I going to risk everything to support Cunningham? No way.”