Dave Gray praises Oroho's consultant

Poor candidate for freeholder Dave Gray.  He and his running mate need to work on their inter-candidate communication skills.  First, Gray reached out to Bill Winkler, long time consultant to the Littell family and to Bob Littell's successor, Senator Steve Oroho.  Gray asked Winkler to run his campaign. While Gray and Winkler were discussing it, Gray's running mate -- the bodacious and ever flavorful Mz. Kathleen Gorman -- started doing a very public dump on Winkler.  Gray was too late in restraining his teammate (she had already started).  End of discussion. 

But it didn't end there.  Gorman recruited the ridiculous Annie Sprinkle and together they made war on old Wee Willy Winkler.  This prompted Wee Willy to write a letter to the New Jersey Herald, causing further attacks.  Here's that letter:

Mate not heeding the warning

Posted: Apr. 5, 2016 12:01 am Updated: Apr. 6, 2016 6:19 pm

Editor:

In a comment posted under Sunday's column by Rob Jennings, candidate for freeholder Kathleen Gorman warned readers against "well paid political advisors" (the emphasis is hers). I wonder if she realizes that her own running mate, David Gray, personally contacted me on several occasions by telephone (I still have a voice mail he left me, if anyone cares to listen) with a view to hiring me to manage their campaign for freeholder.

We spoke, and I found David to be a pleasant and interesting young man. David told me that in the event that I could not accept his offer, he had planned to meet with the Philadelphia political consulting firm of Jamestown & Associates. Having worked with Jamestown's owner, Larry Weitzner, for more than 20 years, I highly recommended Jamestown to David.

The fact is I simply don't have the time to devote to the Sussex County freeholder race this year. Since 1993, I have fought a number of successful campaigns in Sussex County, but have learned to minimalize my local involvement during a presidential year, when there is so much to do that I cannot give Sussex County the full attention it deserves.

I wish all the candidates well and I am sure that Ms. Gorman will find, in Jamestown, the well-paid political adviser that she and her running mate require.

Bill Winkler

New Hope, Pa.

It also prompted candidate Dave Gray to send his own message of support and praise to Winkler:

From: David Gray <dgray@foremangray.com>

To: "baseline@sprynet.com" <baseline@sprynet.com>

Subject: herald comments

Date: Apr 5, 2016 4:48 PM

Bill,

I just wanted to send you a quick note to say that I have never met, nor have I ever spoken with Ms. Smulewicz – who commented in the Herald on your well-written letter.

Frankly, I have a lot of respect for you and thought we had a good conversation.  You are known in Sussex County to be one of the best political consultants around.  That  is why I called you and I thank you for your time discussing issues concerning Sussex County with me.  I hope to meet you in person in the future.

Best,

-Dave

David E. Gray, Esq.

--

Foreman & Gray, LLC

Attorneys at Law

760 Rt. 10 West 

Suite 204 

Whippany, NJ  07981 

Ph (973) 240-7313 

Fax: (973) 240-7316

ForemanGray.com

We got our hands on this directly from Winkler, who emailed Watchdog, and who doesn't seem to be too happy about being attacked and not being paid for it.  "I don't even have a candidate in the race," he wrote, adding, "Do you think they have a fetish concerning me?  It's like I'm being stalked! Could I be the focus of their bizarre fantasy?"   

Winkler's email referenced a further attack on him by a website some say is run by Freeholder Rich Vohden and energy lobbyist Wendy Molner.  The website uses various aliases when it blasts out its messages and has attempted to masquerade as Sussex Watchdog, Freeholder George Graham, and Mr. Winkler.

Things were going to be so boring without old Wee Willy.  Now, thanks to the desert dry team, and to the delight of everyone who follows the Watchdog, it looks like we're in for a real shatstorm. 

Another attempt to mislead Sussex residents

On Monday, January 25th, Sussex County residents got a prerecorded "robo-call" asking people to attend Wednesday's meeting of the Sussex County Freeholder Board and oppose an investigation of the Sussex solar bailout that has cost county taxpayers millions.  The recorded message repeated the argument advanced by Freeholder Richard Vohden -- that the Freeholders should hold off commissioning an independent county investigation until after the status of possible state and federal criminal investigations is determined.  Vohden is joined in his opposition to the independent investigation by the corporate vendors, legal counsel, consultants, and political players who made millions off the solar scam. 

Now an email has gone out that purports to be from Sussex County Watchdog.  It is not from us, although it has gone to some trouble to appear so.  The email attacks Freeholder Director George Graham. 

From: infosussexcountywatchdog@gmail.com
To: "Kankles" <Mz.wideload@embarqmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2016 2:41:38 PM
Subject: George Graham Alert

According to what we read in the New Jersey Herald, Freeholder Vohden has been feuding with Freeholder Graham, although we are not making assumptions about this particular email.  That said, it does appear to have come from the same Florida political consulting firm that was employed by Marie Bilik in her Assembly campaign against Gail Phoebus.  Phoebus easily won that race and is now serving as an Assemblywoman and shares a district office with Senator Steve Oroho and Assemblyman Parker Space. 

The email sent today closes with this information:

Update My Profile - Unsubscribe

It will be remembered that Freeholder Vohden also feuded with Mrs. Phoebus when she was a member of the Freeholder Board.  Vohden demanded that Phoebus vote with him for a bailout of the Sussex solar deal (using up the county's "rainy day" money put away from the sale of the Homestead nursing home).  When Phoebus refused to spend more money on top of what had already been wasted, Vohden lashed out at her at Board meetings and endorsed her opponent, Marie Bilik.  Vohden even made a commercial for Bilik and appeared in it with her.

Bilik paid Gravis Marketing nearly $20,000 for its services, according to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.

Regarding the robocall that went out on Monday, January 25th.  Unfortunately for whoever paid for that call, they appear to have not followed the law under which robo-calls are permitted.

First, "the prerecorded message must truthfully disclose who is responsible for the call and the telemarketing-related purpose of the call."

Second, "the prerecorded message must disclose a call-back telephone number which would allow the recipient to call back within normal business hours and make an opt-out request."

The prerecorded message sent into the homes of Sussex County residents did not abide by these legal rules.  In fact, it could be argued that the call was deliberately misleading and made it appear to come from the County Clerk's office.  A prosecutor would have to determine if the robo-call was an attempt by those who paid for the call to hide their identity and to impersonate an innocent party.  In 2009, the State Attorney General brought a successful prosecution against a similar incident in Bergen County. 

In any case, there is enough to warrant action by the Federal Communication Commission under the expanded Telephone Consumer Protection Act regulations that came into force in June of last year.  So look for this issue to figure in the Freeholder races in both Sussex and Morris counties.

If you would like to add your name to those reporting this robo-call to state and federal authorities, please contact Watchdog at: info@sussexcountywatchdog.com

Calls for probe of energy agency

It seems that at every Freeholder Board meeting we are treated to the incontinent rages of Freeholder Richard Vohden about how he now no longer wants to do the independent county investigation that last year he insisted he wanted to do.  Guess he lied to us then.

There's been a lot of energy-related corruption lately come to light.  Similar investigations are going on around the country, all with the idea of finding a legal basis with which to claw back some of the taxpayers' wasted money.

Some groups are even trying to investigate the way regulators are said to favor one aspect of the energy industry over another.  The story below was reported in today's New Jersey Spotlight. 

NJ and Neighboring States Call for Probe of Agency's Natural-Gas Stance

Tom Johnson | January 15, 2016

Coalition of 165 groups accuse Federal Energy Regulatory Commission of rubberstamping projects and playing favorites with natural-gas industry

An independent investigation of the federal agency that oversees construction of natural- gas pipelines is being sought by 165 organizations in New Jersey and neighboring states.

Saying the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is biased in favor of the energy industry, the groups are asking two U.S. senators to formally request a probe of the agency by the Government Accountability Office.

In the past few years, the energy industry proposed a widespread expansion of natural-gas pipelines, taking advantage of plentiful supplies of the fuel found in Pennsylvania and surrounding states. In New Jersey alone, there are about 15 pipeline projects in various stages of planning and construction, not all of which have come before FERC.

The projects have lowered heating costs for hundreds of thousands of customers, but they also have aroused fierce opposition from residents, conservationists, and others, partly because they frequently cross public lands preserved with taxpayer money as open space and farmland.

Opponents also question the savings generated by the newfound gas, saying it is more than offset by environmental problems caused by the way the fuel is extracted using a practice called “fracking.’’ The technology involves injecting huge quantities of water, and a smaller amount of toxic chemicals, deep into the ground, a process critics say can contaminate drinking water.

In seeking a probe by the GAO, the organizations accused the federal commission of abuse of power, noting that it has approved 100 percent of the gas-pipeline projects that have come before it, the highest approval rate of any independent federal agency.

The request for the investigation was made in a letter to Senators Bernie Sanders (D-VT), who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). Both sit on the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

“FERC has time and again prioritized the advancement of gas infrastructure projects over the wellbeing of the communities it should be protecting -- misusing legal loopholes and ignoring court orders while ordinary citizens play by the rules,’’ said Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper, the organization that initiated the campaign for a GAO probe.

Beyond the rubberstamp nature of the projects before it, there is, the groups argued, a revolving door between the federal agency and the industry it regulate. They also said the commission approves the seizure of land through the use of eminent domain for projects that benefit private companies rather than the public.

Industry officials counter that the pipelines and natural gas have led to significant savings for consumers by making available cheap fuel to heat homes and run power plants, where costs also have gone down. The Christie administration, which strongly supports the rapid expansion of gas infrastructure and the building of new natural-gas-fired power plants, also credits it with lowering energy bills.

But a recent poll found that most of those surveyed would rather the state increase its reliance on cleaner forms of energy, such as solar and wind, instead of natural gas. The benefits of lowering greenhouse-gas emissions contributing to global climate change should be more of a driving force in setting state policy, according to clean-energy advocates.

Van Rossum said she hoped a federal investigation leads to reforms in the way the agency achieves its mission and convinces Congress and the president to check it when it goes awry.

“An independent investigation into FERC will pull back the curtain on the abuses taking place at the agency and help identify needed reforms,’’ she said. “It’s time to transform FERC into an agency that protects and serves the public -- not the natural-gas pipeline industry.’’

http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/16/01/14/neighboring-states-join-nj-in-call-for-independent-probe-of-federal-agency-on-natural-gas/

Vohden feeling the heat on solar investigation

Freeholder Richard Vohden loves to tell stories about his days in construction as a union operator.  If Vohden's colorful stories are to be believed, then he should know full well that law enforcement NEVER comments on active investigations.

At last evening's meeting of the Freeholder Board, Vohden suggested that the Freeholders hold off commissioning any independent county investigation into the Sussex solar scam that ripped-off county taxpayers for millions, until after the status of possible state and federal criminal investigations is determined.  That means holding off on a county investigation indefinitely.

Vohden is being dishonest and he knows it.  He told the Freeholder Board that he made a round of telephone calls to the state and federal law enforcement agencies and understands from those calls that some kind of action is underway.  What he is trying to prevent is an independent county investigation.

The reason Sussex County needs a county investigation is simple.  The solar scam cost $88 million.  Sussex taxpayers are on the hook for $24 million and they just borrowed another $7 million and the bill for that is coming due shortly.  It will likely cause a sharp increase in property taxes. 

It is not the job of these law enforcement agencies to protect the interests of Sussex County.  They could even cite Sussex County officials for malfeasance and who would pay for that? The federal authorities will try to claw back the federal money involved in the scam.  Who is looking out for Sussex County taxpayers? 

That's where an independent county investigation comes in.  It is a fact-finding mission to build a case to get some of those millions back through civil action. 

The FBI and State Attorney General's office are looking for criminal indictments.  That may punish those responsible, but it won't get our money back.  That is why the investment in an independent county investigation is money well spent.

Freeholder Vohden appears to be arguing that we simply accept the screwing, pay the money, don't ask questions, keep paying the money, and do nothing to get our money back.  That is a weak, panty-waist approach in our opinion. 

Freeholders Richard Vohden and Phil Crabb voted for the solar bail out with taxpayers' money with no intention of ever trying to find out if the Wall Street manipulators, lawyers, and consultants did something wrong.  No attempt to recover a dime of the millions wasted.  They are part of the mess and bear some responsibility for where we are today.  Freeholders George Graham, Jonathan Rose, and Carl Lazzaro opposed the bailout and campaigned with the PROMISE that there would be an independent county investigation.

Back before the June 2015 primary, even Vohden claimed to support an independent investigation because back then he was trying to deny the existence of state and federal criminal investigations.  Why the flip-flop Richie? 

It is important for the Freeholders who campaigned on the PROMISE of an independent county investigation to keep that PROMISE.  Voters are already skeptical of elected officials.  Don't give them a reason to believe the worst of politicians.

Update on Thursday, January 14, 2016 at 12:15PM by Sussex County Watchdog

Simple proof as to why Freeholder Vohden is either stone cold stupid or trying to obstruct an investigation.  Go to the FBI website (www.FBI.gov) and you will find this list of elementary-school level basic information from the FBI for dealing with the FBI:

Search Tips

The FBI does not investigate all kinds of criminal activity. To see the categories of federal laws that the FBI does investigate, see our What We Investigate webpage.

• If you are looking for information about yourself or a case you are involved in, you must submit a Privacy Act request.

• The FBI does not comment on all current, ongoing cases. See our field press releases for public information on our investigations.

• The FBI is limited in the amount of information and photos it can provide on wanted fugitives and missing persons. We also do not investigate all fugitives or missing persons in the United States; many cases are handled by local authorities or other federal agenices.

• To find crime statistics in your area, please see our Crime Statistics webpage.

• The FBI does not have a national e-mail address for public questions or comments. Some of our local FBI offices, however, do have their own e-mail addresses. See our Contact Us page for more contact information.

• To find high resolution photos, go to our Photo Gallery.

• If you are looking for an FBI job application or open vacancies, go to the FBI Jobs website.

• If you wish to talk directly to an FBI representative, please call (202) 324-3000.

Sussex solar scam and presidential politics

Some of you have been emailing Watchdog for more on how the Sussex solar scam is relevant to this year's campaign for President of the United States.  Here, listen to it for yourself, here is the moment when presidential candidate Chris Christie focused national media attention on the public-private solar energy scam hatched by people close to him for many years, from his home county:

Ever since Christie mentioned these words in a nationally televised debate hosted by CNBC in October, the Watchdog website has been getting visits and emails from the national media.  He brought it up, so they checked it out, and guess what?  They found this scam, run by some of his closest associates from the old days, centered in his home county, where he was Freeholder.

Of course, the history of solar in New Jersey (and in America, for that matter) is one of a series of private-public "partnerships" in which professional scam artists get very rich and the taxpayer is left with the bill.  Solar doesn't appear to get built without a whole lot of corruption and a whole lot of insiders striking it rich.  It has an unusual economic model to say the least.

And we got to warn Freeholders Vohden and Crabb.  You make perfect "central-casting" old white guys for the national media's purposes.  Add a conservative talk-show host from the Philadelphia media market to that mix and you'll be making MSNBC very happy.  It has all the elements to make this Christie's own Solyndra.

Of course, the national media will lose interest if Christie fails in New Hampshire.  If he does well there, or even better than expected in Iowa, if his political stock continues to rise, look for some intense unwanted scrutiny. 

 The Christie people are not happy with the timing.  An investigation would not be done in time to affect the outcome of the presidential contest, but Freeholders Vohden and Crabb (with an assist from former Freeholder Zeoli) have delayed the investigation.  The Herald's Rob Jennings reports that it might not even happen.

NOTE to the Herald:  This could be a chance to land a journalism award or two.

That's good for the national media, because they will be free to write that "Republicans" (last time we checked Sussex, Morris et al have ALL Republican Freeholder Boards) are covering up what could be illegal activity.  It is certain that, whether legal or not, this activity hasn't benefitted taxpayers.

And guess what?  Republican primary voters HATE solar anyway.  Even when it works right and nobody gets ripped-off.  We will leave you with these two facts from a polling memo floating around Sussex County:

In Sussex County, 48 percent of all voters OPPOSE "using taxpayer money to build solar energy projects on public buildings."  Just 42 percent  off all voters -- Democrats, Independents, Undeclared, and Republicans -- support the idea.

Among Republicans in Sussex County, 68 percent oppose solar even when it works right.  Only 23 percent support it.

Somebody is gonna get pregnant!