Word on the "internet street" has it that all the "King Street Men" supposedly are busy gathering cash for Union County Democratic Committee Chairwoman Charlotte DeFilippo's legal defense fund. Served with subpoenas in October 2007 to produce documents pertaining to both her personal business dealings and those of the Union County Improvement Authority; Charlotte the Director, crowed that in no time flat everyone would be apologizing to her for the inconvenience of the investigation.. "I've been involved in politics for 35 years, and I do it in the most aboveboard and transparent manner," she was quoted in the Star Ledger as having said. "I just want to know who's going to say, 'Sorry, Charlotte' when this is all over."
Well, so far we haven't heard of anyone stepping up and saying anything but it does stand to reason that if there was nothing for her to be concerned about or if this was going to be over soon her minions, State Senator Ray Lesniak and Assemblyman/Democratic State Chairman Joe Cryan would not be out "shaking-a-can" with her name on it. The King Street Men, which until recently also included former Assemblyman Neil Cohen, who was indicted on child pornography charges, have all been in the news of late with stories that certainly are not the average garden variety. Think about it for a moment or two even the best fiction writer couldn't make all of this stuff up.
First off the dynamic duo of Lesniak and Cryan are supposedly confronted with the dilemma of what to do when staff tell them that questionable pictures of children are on an office computer and it appears that Cohen, their office space roomy and third musketeer, is responsible. Rather than go to law enforcement immediately, which Cryan should have known to do as he is one of the highest ranking law officers in the county, they go to the Office of Legislative Services. By all appearances this maneuver allowed Cohen the time to skaddle and to get signed up for the rest cure at an inpatient facility. Many are still scratching their heads over that one, in light of the fact that Cryan knew where to go for all sorts of law enforcement when he believed he was being stalked by a woman who had been a past love interest.
Recently State Senator Ray Lesniak reported to police that two guys with a firearm entered his home in the dead of night. After a brief discussion they decide not to shoot the senator and end up taking off with almost nothing except his car keys, but without his Lexus, some cash and his cell phone, they also leave behind his Rolex watch, which he graciously offered. Lesniak than walks down the street to the local fire house, where they call the police to report the break-in as he does not have a house phone only the Blackberry which the intruders have taken. Isn't it a puzzlement that he didn't just go to the house next door or across the street? But nothing these guys do is cause for surprise, because realize that all Lesniak actually lost was his Blackberry, which hasn't turned up yet and according to him does not have anything of importance on it. Odd isn't it that a person of his importance, a State Senator and prominent attorney, has a Blackberry with nothing of importance on it. Admittedly most of us would be in a panic over losing our contacts list alone, go figure.
It is not a secret that Charlotte does the county's business from her dining room table on King Street in Hillside, the Democratic County Committee also operates from this same address, at least, that is the one on their ELEC filings. Although she has denied it, it appears that she controls every nuance of the UC Democratic Committee from her home as well, to include being the final word on who will run for which elective offices in which municipality and so on up the line. Until recently she held the position of legislative aid on Cohen's payroll, which some believed to be a "no show" job supplementing her county pension, making her a double-dipper. DeFilippo is a business partner with her pal Cryan in the Camelot Title Company; and isn't it a bit curious that her top "King Street Man" and Cryan's "bud" Lesniak was busy penning legislation that pertained only to title insurance companies and the perks that they could give away to their customers. Now, this same legislation seems to have been allowed to quietly die a very slow death while the investigations have been going on.
"When you wear several hats, you acquire enemies over the years," she said in the Star Ledger article about the subpoenas. One would have to surmise that wearing as many hats as she has that there are many people who would want bad fortune to befall her. At this time we don't know what infractions of the law she is actually guilty of committing if any or who she has crossed, however, where there is a legal defense fund complete with a treasurer it is a pretty good bet that there is something causing her grave concern and that all the "King Street Men."
