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In break for Corzine, court delays corruption trial
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AP Photo/Mike Derer
In a welcome break for the Corzine campaign, a federal judge in Newark agreed last week to prosecutors' request for a delay in the trial of two Jersey City officials ensnared in this summer's statewide federal corruption sting. Deputy Mayor Leona Baldini (D) and Housing Authority Commissioner Edward Cheatam were scheduled to go on trial October 26th, one week before the November election. The judge agreed to delay the start of the trial by 30 days to allow prosecutors more time to prepare.
The decision is good news for Corzine and New Jersey Democrats because it will prevent the corruption arrests from taking center stage again in the week before Corzine faces the voters for re-election. News from the trial in that critical time period, when many voters are making up their minds on a candidate, would have reminded many votes of New Jersey's seedy political history, and may have caused them to take out their frustrations on the incumbent governor. State Senator Ray Lesniak (D-Union) put it bluntly back in July when the scandal first broke. "If [the election] is about ethics, Corzine loses," he said.
Recent polling in the governor's race shows that the corruption issue has begun to fade into the background as voters are turning their attention to pocketbook issues like property taxes and state spending. Still, trailing in the polls, Corzine can ill afford any reminders for the voters of his inability to root out corruption in his own party, let alone state government. Last week's federal court decision is the best news the Corzine campaign has received in weeks.
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