Dennis Oury

The Record is reporting that FBI investigators raided the home of Bergen County Utilities Authority Executive Director Leonard Kaiser, a partner in a grants consulting firm owned by Joseph Ferriero and Dennis Oury.  Federal agents executive a search warrant at 7AM this morning at Kaiser's North Arlington home, where he was the longtime Mayor.  Kaiser, a former Republican Freeholder, allegedly owns a 23% share in Governmental Grants Consulting, which was founded by Ferriero, the Bergen County Democratic Chairman, and Oury, the BCDO Counsel.  Both were indicted in September.

CLICK HERE TO READ CHARLES STILE'S OCT. 15 COLUMN ON KAISER

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Receiving huge plaudits this week in Bergen County is Lynne Hurwitz, who ran the Democratic campaign for Bergen County Freeholder. Three incumbents thought to be in trouble were re-elected despite the indictments of Democratic County Chairman Joseph Ferriero and Democratic party lawyer Dennis Oury. With Ferriero out of the picture for now, Hurwitz took a leave from her post as Deputy Chief of Staff to County Executive Dennis McNerney to run the day to day campaign. While Democrats lost the County Clerk race, they held their 7-0 majority on the Board of Freeholders.

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Embattled Paramus Council President Frank Ciambrone lost his bid for re-election by more than 1,000 votes, with Republicans picking up two seats in this Bergen County swing town.  Ciambrone  is being sued by the state Attorney General for allegedly scamming homeowners using “bogus foreclosure rescue schemes” won’t help the already embattled Democrat win re-election in November. He was already in trouble for his close ties to Dennis Oury, the former Paramus Borough Attorney who was indicted on federal corruption charges. Oury has billed Paramus nearly $800,000 in legal fees since Democrats took control, and has been one of the top donors to the local Democratic organization.Republicans have criticized him for taking nearly $300,000 in legal fees from the Bergen County Utility Authority over the last four years. And Paramus is one of the towns the received subpoenas as part of the federal probe of Oury and Democratic County Chairman Joseph Ferriero, who is also facing federal corruption charges. Ciambrone and his running mate, Councilman Michael Blitzstein, lost to Republicans Maureen O'Brien and Catherine Bentz.

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There's no question that 5th District congressional candidate Dennis Shulman is benefiting from a national environment that favors Democrats.  But in his native Bergen County, which holds about 65% of the district's voters, he's faced with what could be a less hospitable environment for his party.

Last month, Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero was indicted on eight corruption counts.  So was the less-known but extremely influential general counsel of the party, Dennis Oury.  The investigation continues, with subpoenas continuing to land in towns and agencies across the county, and Republicans think they actually have a shot at picking up at least one freeholder seat on the all-Democratic board.

Ferriero did endorse Shulman in the primary against attorney Camille Abate, which led to him getting the coveted organization line.  But while the Democratic brand in Bergen may be tarnished, Shulman may be lucky to not be tied too closely with it.  In fact, he said it's never been raised once to him by a constituent on the campaign trail.

"Not a single person I've spoken to throughout the district, when I go to the fairs or football games... have ever referred to it. My race is a national race with national issues," he said. Read More >

Published reports that Paramus Council President Frank Ciambrone is being sued by the state Attorney General for allegedly scamming homeowners using “bogus foreclosure rescue schemes” won’t help the already embattled Democrat win re-election in November.  Ciambrone is already in trouble for his close ties to Dennis Oury, the former Paramus Borough Attorney who was indicted on federal corruption charges.  Oury has billed Paramus nearly $800,000 in legal fees since Democrats took control, and has been one of the top donors to the local Democratic organization.Republicans have criticized him for taking nearly $300,000 in legal fees from the Bergen County Utility Authority over the last four years. And Paramus is one of the towns the received subpoenas as part of the federal probe of Oury and Democratic County Chairman Joseph Ferriero, who is also facing federal corruption charges.

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Dennis Oury stepped down yesterday as general counsel of the Bergen County Democratic Organization, according to party spokesman Bill Maer. 

Oury who was indicted Tuesday on an eight-count corruption charge along with BCDO Chairman Joe Ferriero. 

Party Vice Chair Kay Nest has appointed Paul Kaufman, a former mayor of Leonia, to take over the position.  Kaufman’s name was initially floated as a potential replacement for Ferriero, who has not resigned.

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In October, 2007, Dennis Oury gave the Bergen County Democratic Organization a $25,000 interest-free loan. 

At the time, Oury was the BCDO’s general counsel.  Yesterday, he stepped down after Tuesday’s indictment charging him and Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joe Ferriero with eight corruption counts. But the loan remains on the books.

Kay Nest, the party’s vice-chair who’s acting as chairwoman while Ferriero takes a leave of absence, said that she didn’t know about the loan, but it’s something that the party will be sure to address in the coming weeks, when top officials will pour over its finances.

When asked whether the BCDO should return the loan, Nest said “you just gave me a good idea. I didn’t even know about that.  I’ll definitely look into it.” 

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With potential candidates already angling for the job of Bergen County Democratic Chairman, U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman (D-Englewood) said that there’s no need to elect a new chairman until after the November election.

“Many of us feel that there’s no need to rush to choose a new chairman. We are in the process of finding out the true condition of the party and its finances,” said Rothman, who emphasized that indicted Chairman Joe Ferriero hasn’t even resigned yet.  “And then examining what legal requirements exist with regard to new elections for chairman.” 

Indeed, Democratic Bergenites acknowledge that the party is facing significant debt – a feeling that in recent years has been much more familiar to their Republican counterparts. 

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NEWARK - Charged with eight counts of corruption, Bergen County Democratic chairman Joseph Ferriero and Bergenfield attorney Dennis Oury made bail today on a $200,000 property bond ordered by federal Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo.

Indicted yesterday for their role in a grants scheme, Ferriero and Oury turned themselves over to the FBI today and appeared in Cox's courtroom around 2:30 p.m.

They stood with their attorneys in a pretrial appearance that laasted all of five minutes.

Gerald Krovatin of Newark is representing Oury, and Joseh Hayden of Roseland is representing Ferriero.

Each defendant said three words when Cox asked them if they understood the bail package agreement.

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Some Democratic insiders suggest that one casualty of yesterday's indictments of Joseph Ferriero and Dennis Oury will be Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney, who has always been more popular with Ferriero than with local Democratic party leaders.  McNerney has two years left in his second term, and there's a good chance, sources say, that the post-Ferriero Bergen County Democratic Organization will seek a new candidate for County Executive in 2010.

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