JERSEY CITY AND BEYOND – A federal appeals judge has tossed out influence peddling charges against former state Assemblyman Lou Manzo and his brother, Ronald Manzo.
Although the brothers still face other charges, this was the most serious one against them and the ruling could have a far-reaching impact on their upcoming trials, scheduled to begin later this year.
The Manzos were among 46 political and religious leaders who were arrested in the summer of 2009 in a massive corruption sting operation.
After being arrested in 2006 on bank fraud charges totaling about $50 million, a Monmouth County real estate developer named Solomon Dwek cut a deal with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and became a government informant. In 2009, acting on behalf of the FBI and the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, Dwek posed as a developer interested in Hudson County real estate and offered cash donations to public officials who were running for office, including Lou Manzo, who ran for Jersey City mayor in 2009.
When he offered the cash, Dwek told the officials that he wanted future help with approvals for his development projects.
The Manzos were ultimately were charged with taking $27,500 in illegal campaign contributions to Lou Manzo’s failed mayoral campaign. Ronald Manzo worked for his brother as his campaign manager.
Lou Manzo did not hold office at the time the brothers allegedly met with the government informant, so there was a question as to whether a charge related to corruption in public office should stand. The prosecutors argued that Manzo tried to sell an office he hoped to have in the future.
According to today’s news report, however, Judge Jose Linares ruled the pair could not sell influence to an office neither of the Manzos actually held.
Lou Manzo was one of the few people to publicly point a finger at the investigation itself. He has complained that the sting operation helped Gov. Chris Christie, who was the local U.S. attorney when the investigation began, get elected governor. Christie’s Republican colleagues helped investigate the Democratic politicians that ultimately were snared in the probe.