Cohen & Gennaro Unlock Queens Pandora's Box

There were a lot of charges levied in da now infamous "Da Township of Manalapan vs Da Mosked Man" lawsuit, outside of da "it's da Mosked Man's fault." One of da well-hidden - hope nobody finds this out little nuggets from this lawsuit is how information is shared - or not shared - between members of da Manalapan Township Committee "ruling elite" and those left to apparently fend for themselves.

DaTruthSquad has discussed this situation at length. Da local Snoozepaper, not surprisingly, avoided this issue. However, they can't hide behind da pen of Back Page Barratta anymore.

It what is obviously a major affront to da "transparency" of da Queen's administration, and adds kerosene to da fire in da belief that this is nothing more than a political vendetta for a few politicians financed by taxpayers, Manalapan Deputy Mayor Susan Cohen and Committeeman Anthony Gennaro were forced to file their own briefs in court in da case that has garnered worldwide attention -- because -- they're being "kept in da dark" by da attorneys being paid-for with taxpayer dollars -- and da Township Committee Elite who won't apparently give them straight answers!

In addition, their briefs also opened up da Pandora's box about da crux of this case -- is it really legal malpractice, or a few political elitists trying to toss dirt on their political opponent at taxpayer expense?

ISSUE 1 - DA DEFENDANT GETS TO VOTE.

No, it's not da Mosked Man we're talking about. Committeeman and former mayor and alleged Manalapan and/or Freehold resident Andy Boy was named a 3rd party defendant in da lawsuit. Even though he's a defendant, he still gets to vote on this lawsuit and all taxpayer-funding issues. Cohen, meanwhile, who is da Deputy Mayor, was forced out of executive sessions because she a "friend" of da Mosked Man.

"In one of the first legal briefs he filed with the court regarding Manalapan's litigation against him, Moskovitz asserted that Cohen had been "ordered" out of a Township Committee executive (closed) session when the remaining members of the governing body and other municipal representatives were going to be discussing the township's litigation against him. At the time, when asked for comment on the claims contained in Moskovitz's legal brief, Cohen confirmed his assertions and said she left the room when the Moskovitz litigation was being discussed. She said it had been the consensus of the others present at the meeting that she was compromised because her relationship with Moskovitz was personal, in that they are friends, as well as clients of Moskovitz because Cohen's husband has and will continue to retain Moskovitz for certain business affairs. Speaking at that time, Cohen said, "was told I had to leave the room because there was a conflict of interest. I was told that by everybody. I wasn't arguing the point, so I left."

http://newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2008/1022/front_page/003.html

ISSUE 2 - CONNECTING DA LEGAL DOTS.

Da crux of this issue actually goes back to 2001, when da Mosked Man, as a member of da Township Committee accused then-township attorney Norman Kauff of wrongdoing. Kauff would later leave his office before his term expired. Kauff - and you have to follow da bouncing counselor here -- is listed as "being "of counsel" to the firm of Daniel McCarthy, one of the attorneys involved in the Manalapan v. Moskovitz case." "Cohen states in her certification that when Kauff served as Manalapan's township attorney, Moskovitz "disclosed that Mr. Kauff was over billing the township and in 2001, Mr. Moskovitz exposed that Mr. Kauff was increasing his pension by being salaried as the township attorney. … Mr. Kauff is of counsel to the law firm of Rogut, McCarthy, Troy, whose partner, Daniel McCarthy, a major contributor to various campaigns in Manalapan, is the driving force for this lawsuit."

Note da words "major contributor to various campaigns in Manalapan."

Then you have McCarthy helping bring in David Weeks and his law firm. It only adds more questions to a lawsuit that seems to have "politics" written all over it.

ISSUE 3 - WHY ARE GENNARO & COHEN PURPOSELY BEING KEPT AWAY FROM INFORMATION?

Anyone who's hired anyone from a lawyer, to Joe da Plumber, to an accountant, or contractor knows if they don't return your phone calls, won't talk to you, or refuse to discuss things with you, you fire da bums. If, however, you're a town committeeperson, or even a Deputy Mayor, and people you pay with taxpayer money won't give you da time of day, that borders on criminal. That's exactly what Gennaro & Cohen are alleging. "Both Cohen and Gennaro state in their certifications that they took it upon themselves to submit the documents because they are both of the opinion that the attorneys who are litigating the malpractice action for Manalapan against Moskovitz are not keeping them (Cohen and Gennaro) informed of developments in the matter. They allege that they are deliberately being left out of the loop."

ISSUE 4 - IF YOU THINK IT COST TAXPAYERS A LOT NOW...

This is bombshell evidence --- If you think Manalapan's political elite didn't know taxpayers would be on da hook for $200,000 -- YES $200,000 -- you can thank former mayor Drew Shapiro for that. "In his certification, Gennaro, too, refers to Shapiro, citing an e-mail sent by Shapiro in which Gennaro says Shapiro claimed the cleanup of the contaminated soil could end up costing Manalapan $200,000, and that is why special counsel was asked to "review the file." The allusion is to the file regarding the township's purchase of the property under the terms of the contract drawn up by Moskovitz. Gennaro states in his certification that McCarthy had not notified the Township Committee of "the possible impact of the state tort claims act or Manalapan's local ordinance regarding Mr. Moskovitz's right of indemnification."

THIS MEANS THEY KNEW BACK IN EARLY 2007 - BEFORE THEY FILED DA LAWSUIT AGAINST THEIR POLITICAL RIVAL - THAT THEY COULD POTENTIALLY BE CHARGING TAXPAYERS $200,000 TO FIX WHAT WAS A $10,500 SOIL PROBLEM!!!!!

So, in effect, you have lawyers running amok, and according to da briefs filed by Gennaro & Cohen they're being paid taxpayer money but not informing da people guarding da taxpayer money. If this doesn't scream out for an investigation by ca county DA, Anne Milgram, or Chris Christie, nothing does.

DaTruth is, when you have sitting township committeepeople who admit they have to get their information from blogs, a California legal website, or a newspaper -- and not from their own lawyers & fellow members of their own Township Committee, then you can call that a number of things, collusion, unethical, and a number of other unflattering things, but in da end, since taxpayer money is funding this fiasco, it can also be called "FRAUD."

Here's what daTruthsquad would like to see:

1. DA NEW JERSEY BAR ASSOCIATION GET INVOLVED. If da lawyers under Manalapan employ aren't doing right by their clients, then these lawyers need to be sanctioned for their behavior.

2. DA MONMOUTH COUNTY PROSECUTOR GET INVOLVED. If it is discovered that taxpayer money is fueling a political vendetta, then that is fraud and Manalapan taxpayers should & must be reimbursed.

3. DA STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL OPEN AN INVESTIGATION. Using taxpayer money for political vendettas is fraud and could be treated as a crime. Much like Wayne Bryant, Sharpe James, and John Lynch - POLITICIANS MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS! Those who perpetrated this act should be prosecuted to da fullest extent of da law. Da only way to truly find this out is to open up a state investigation.

4. DA FEDS SHOULD GET INVOLVED. Da Feds already know how to get to Manalapan. They were here for Frank Abate and his WMUA-gate. It's time they make a call on Town Hall and check records there.

5. IF ANY OF DA OTHER 4 SCENARIOS HAPPEN, THEN DA QUEEN & ANDY BOY SHOULD BE ASKED TO RESIGN, AND IF NOT, THEIR VOTING POWER ON ANY TAXPAYER-FUNDING MATTERS SHOULD BE TAKEN AWAY.

DaTruth is, what Gennaro & Cohen did may be unprecedented, it may prove there's something unethical going on in da Kingdom, and it definitely proves there's about as much transparancy in da Queen's administration as you'll find in a 500-foot thick cinderblock wall lined with 1,000 feet of steel. If this isn't resolved soon, and unless da Mosked Man isn't found guilty, then when he replies with his own lawsuits as anyone would expect, what taxpayers have spent thus far on Da Township of Manalapan vs Da Mosked Man will be pocket change compared with da settlement he will get.

And, daTruthSquad urges you to read da facts for yourself. Da Electionic Frontier Foundation has legal correspondence, A SLEW OF COURT RECORDS & DOCUMENTS, actual legal briefs filed by Manalapan's Legal Dream Team, and da first judge's outcome all available online for anyone to see -- AND YOU CAN'T SEE THAT ANYWHERE ELSE!

You need to see exactly what your elite politicians demand you pay for. Anf that's daTruth.