On May 19, 2008, I wrote a memorandum to Mr. David Ridolfino expressing my concerns about money being stolen from the VCCA. It appears as though Craig Difiore, James Casserly, and Ron Parke, abused their postions in the VCCA to steal money that was supposed to be used to help crime victims. Immediately below are copies of my memo and the response I received from Mr. Ridolfino.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/45176312/Werner-Attachment-1
http://www.scribd.com/doc/45213066/Werner-Attachment-2
Less than two months after submitting this memorandum I was fired. In the two years since was fired James Casserly and Craig Difiore are still employed at that agency (now the "VCCO")
and Ron Parke is retired and enjoying his pension and free health care for life. James Casserly is in charge of the VCCO's finances. All three are politically connected. James Casserly is a Jersey City Democrat (friend of Assemblyman Joe Cryan). Craig Difiore is a friend of former Senate President and Acting Govenor Donald Difrancesco. Ron Parke is a Union County Republican.
The VCCO is now part of the Department of Law and Public Safety. The corruption at the VCCO has been covered up - and continues to be covered up - by New Jersey State law enforcement, i.e. the Office of the Attorney General.
The public deserves to know what has been going on here. The Office of the Attorney General cannot invesigate itself. It is time for an audit by an independent accounting firm and for a special prosecutor be appointed to determine if charges need to be brought. Setting up the internal computer system to "fail to capture" information on catastrophic injury cases is an obvious attempt to hide something. This one act alone represents the potential to embezzle millions of dollars over ten years.
It is time for the Christie administration to put up or shut up on corruption. If they continue to cover up this scandel they will be sending a clear message to all state goverment employees: Be like David Ridolfino and keep your head low, eyes downcast, and cover your ears to corruption and you can keep your cushy job with its great pension and benefits. On the other hand, if you blow the whistle on corruption the Office of the Attorney General will use the tools of law enforcement to punish you.
There is no place like the Soprano State (except maybe the old Soviet Union).
Copyright 2010 Edward Werner all rights resrved
Monday, December 13, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Show Me The Money !
On December 22, 2009, the attached Complaint and Brief (Superior Court of New Jersey Mercer County Court of Equity L-23-10) were filed in Mercer County Superior Court. The State of New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety has diverted approximately FIVE AND ONE HALF MILLION DOLLARS ($5,500,000) that may only be spent to compensate crime victims through the Victims of Crime Compensation Office.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/24913322/Complaint-122209
www.scribd.com/doc/24930376/Brief-122209
The Crime Victims Compensation Office is a text book example of good intentions abused by government corruption. The agency is supposed to compensate innocent victims of violent crime for the resultant costs. Unfortunately, the VCCO has been corrupt for many years. In 2005, my predecessor was asked to resign because he was caught using state government employees for his private entity; one in-house lawyer -the sister-in-law of Senator Robert Singer (R) Ocean, Burlington, and Monmouth - had to be fired for falsifying time sheets; the other in-house lawyer was fired for running a house closing business out of the VCCO office; since 2000 the agency had a no-bid construction contract scheme for which their internal computer system has no records; and there were three politically appointed Board Members who received six figure salaries for doing very little work. The agency has been in existence since 1978 and it has never been audited to determine where they are spending the money.
Now it appears the Department of Law and Public Safety has diverted $5,500,000 while making up excuses to deny victims. Diverting that money is more cold hearted than many of the crimes from which the victims originally suffered because they are now being revictimized by law enforcement !
Some say, the government will always find a way to take the money, so why fight it? Why rock the boat? This corruption must be fought .
First and foremost, it must be fought because innocent victims of rapes, muggings, shootings, and murders are suffering without anywhere else to turn;
It must be fought because the government has no right to pilfer funds from crime victims;
It must be fought becuase law enforcement can never be permitted to do the dirty work for political hacks - when the police break the law there is no law;
It must be fought because crime victims - like many other people dependant on government assistance - need and deserve this help, but they do not have the finances to make campaign contributions or hire lobbyists in the halls of power to influence politicians;
It must be fought to challenge to public officials who see public funds as a source of cash for themselves;
It must be fought because this sort of corruption allows others to ridicule New Jersey as "The Soprano State";
It must be fought as an example to the many State Government employees who would come forward to report corruption if they thought it would do any good; and
It must be fought because it is wrong.
If you believe the government should be held accountable then please do something to help. Please contact public officials and tell them the government must account for these funds. The new administartion seems to be sincerely concerned with changing the way things are done in Trenton.
Their response to this lawsuit will provide them with an excellent opportunity to prove it.
Copyright Edward G. Werner, 2010, all rights reserved
http://www.scribd.com/doc/24913322/Complaint-122209
www.scribd.com/doc/24930376/Brief-122209
The Crime Victims Compensation Office is a text book example of good intentions abused by government corruption. The agency is supposed to compensate innocent victims of violent crime for the resultant costs. Unfortunately, the VCCO has been corrupt for many years. In 2005, my predecessor was asked to resign because he was caught using state government employees for his private entity; one in-house lawyer -the sister-in-law of Senator Robert Singer (R) Ocean, Burlington, and Monmouth - had to be fired for falsifying time sheets; the other in-house lawyer was fired for running a house closing business out of the VCCO office; since 2000 the agency had a no-bid construction contract scheme for which their internal computer system has no records; and there were three politically appointed Board Members who received six figure salaries for doing very little work. The agency has been in existence since 1978 and it has never been audited to determine where they are spending the money.
Now it appears the Department of Law and Public Safety has diverted $5,500,000 while making up excuses to deny victims. Diverting that money is more cold hearted than many of the crimes from which the victims originally suffered because they are now being revictimized by law enforcement !
Some say, the government will always find a way to take the money, so why fight it? Why rock the boat? This corruption must be fought .
First and foremost, it must be fought because innocent victims of rapes, muggings, shootings, and murders are suffering without anywhere else to turn;
It must be fought because the government has no right to pilfer funds from crime victims;
It must be fought becuase law enforcement can never be permitted to do the dirty work for political hacks - when the police break the law there is no law;
It must be fought because crime victims - like many other people dependant on government assistance - need and deserve this help, but they do not have the finances to make campaign contributions or hire lobbyists in the halls of power to influence politicians;
It must be fought to challenge to public officials who see public funds as a source of cash for themselves;
It must be fought because this sort of corruption allows others to ridicule New Jersey as "The Soprano State";
It must be fought as an example to the many State Government employees who would come forward to report corruption if they thought it would do any good; and
It must be fought because it is wrong.
If you believe the government should be held accountable then please do something to help. Please contact public officials and tell them the government must account for these funds. The new administartion seems to be sincerely concerned with changing the way things are done in Trenton.
Their response to this lawsuit will provide them with an excellent opportunity to prove it.
Copyright Edward G. Werner, 2010, all rights reserved
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