Robert Stears

US Attorney Turns Blind Eye To “La NJGOP Nostra”

Former political operative Robert Stears was sentenced to 27 months in prison today for his mail fraud and tax evasion conviction.

In 2006, Stears, a Republican, pleaded guilty to over billing the troubled Burlington County Bridge Commission by as much as $1 million for the work he did as a lobbyist and consultant between 1997 and 2003.

Fourteen months after pleading guilty to overbilling the Burlington County Bridge Commission for lobbying and public relations fees, former GOP strategist Robert Stears will be sentenced by a federal judge today.  Stears is a former partner of Republican State Chairman Tom Wilson.

The Democratic candidate for Burlington County Freeholder has blasted his GOP opponent for allowing his campaign to be "financed and managed" by GOP State Chairman Tom Wilson, whose former lobbying partner has pleaded guilty to bilking the Burlington County Bridge Commission of over $2 million.

Dr. Tom Bader says that Republican Joe Donnelly's recent campaign mailer was paid for by "Choice for Change," which shares an address with the Republican State Committee.  He wants The Strategy Group, where Wilson and Robert Stears once worked, to return what he calls "stolen money."

Republican State Chairman Tom Wilson asked for and received a vote of confidence Wednesday evening in a private meeting with Republican County Chairmen. The party leaders believed they need to show support of Wilson to slow down what has already become an open race for State Chairman, and perceived that Wilson needed to take on the Democrats for while without the encumbrance of backstabbing from his own party. The County Chairmen were assured that Wilson has no legal issues relating to the guilty plea of his former business partner, Robert Stears, and Wilson agreed to spend a little less time worrying about John McCain's presidential campaign. A majority of the County Chairmen support Rudy Giuliani.

Republican State Chairman Thomas Wilson could lose his job following the guilty plea of his former business partner, according to four different Republican County Chairmen who say party leaders are actively discussing Wilson's political future. Wilson's term expires in June.

Robert Stears, a former GOP operative who worked with Wilson at The Strategy Group, a Trenton lobbying firm, admitted on Friday that he overbilled the Burlington County Bridge Commission as much as $1 million. He faces up to 25 years in prison for fraud and tax evasion.

Wilson told PoliticsNJ.com that he knows of no move to oust him: "I'm not getting any of that from any of them. In fact, just the opposite."

DeCROCE: LATEST ETHICS SCANDAL UNDERSCORES
NEED FOR ACTION ON ANTI-CORRUPTION BILLS NOW

Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce today commended U.S. Attorney Chris Christie's continuing efforts to uproot political corruption wherever it grows and renewed his call for action on a series of anti-corruption bills proposed by Assembly Republicans in September.

DeCroce said Democrats and Republicans should have "zero tolerance" for unethical or criminal behavior committed by members of either political party. His remarks came after Robert Stears, a former Trenton lobbyist, pleaded guilty to mail fraud and income tax evasion as part of a federal probe of no-bid contracts in Burlington County.