Dem mayoral nominee calls for Yaede’s resignation
HAMILTON >> Council president Jeff Martin on Wednesday called on Mayor Kelly Yaede to take a leave of absence after she was criminally charged Tuesday with having a role in releasing expunged records of her GOP rival David Henderson.
Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri brought disorderly persons charges against Yaede and her campaign manager Dan Scharfenberger for the release of Henderson’s expunged criminal records.
Scharfenberger and Yaede repeatedly denied having any ties to the Hamilton Spotlight blog that posted the records.
In a statement, Martin called the charges against the mayor and her campaign manager “shocking abuses of power” and “another sad chapter” for Hamilton “in a long book of sad chapters.”
“It’s time for Mayor Yaede to take her own advice that she gave to Mayor [John] Bencivengo when he was criminally charged,” Martin said referring to the former mayor’s federal corruption conviction for accepting bribes. “At the very least, [she should] take a leave of absence pending the result of the criminal charge filed against her. If she cannot accept responsibility, Hamilton residents must come together this November and use their power to close the book on this mayor.”
Yaede squares off against Martin, a Democrat, in the November general election with a second four-year term up for grabs.
Even before she was charged, Yaede had been under fire for the last year and her administration hounded by criticism over the failings at the animal shelter and her personnel decisions to keep a member of her administration who was also criminally charged.
Yaede has not publicly stated whether she will continue to seek public office in light of the charge. It is a disorderly persons offense in New Jersey to knowingly publish expunged criminal records, punishable by up to six months in jail and, in this case, a maximum $200 fine.
Yaede’s attorney, Robin Lord, has denied her client had done anything wrong. She said she planned to file for an immediate dismissal of the charges.
Lord said the mayor wouldn’t “dignify” Martin’s request, adding the charges are “fabricated and will be swiftly dismissed.”
Democratic council vice president Rick Tighe and council members Anthony Carabelli and Ileana Schirmer joined Martin in calling for the mayor to step aside.
“Despite the mayor’s denials, the cloud of corruption, intimidation and paranoia that the Mayor has created are hindering the ability of government to function as it should” Tighe said in a statement.
Schirmer said the mayor was “demonstrating every day that she is unfit for office.”
Added Carabelli: “Hamiltonians want a government that is both ethical and transparent. The mayor has failed to provide those two qualities ... Our community expects more.”
Genesis of Charges
Onofri’s office began investigating and interviewed Henderson after his expunged records appeared in March on a pro-Yaede blog operated and controlled by Scharfenberger and Yaede, prosecutors said.
Henderson was rung up on charges sexual assault and contempt in 2001 after his then-wife lodged a complaint against him. He provided proof to The Trentonian after the Hamilton Spotlight published the records on the Scharfenberger-run blog that the criminal charges were dismissed and expunged.
As part of the expungement probe, investigators visited the office of Henderson’s expungement attorney and collected evidence that included certified mail receipts showing the township officials received a letter in July 2008, accompanied by an expungement order issued by Superior Court Judge Darlene Pereksta, requiring them to take action to remove criminal records related to his 2001 arrest from police files.
The certified mail receipt, a copy of which was shared with The Trentonian, showed that “J. Wilson” of the township police department signed July 2, 2008 acknowledging he received the certified letter containing the expungement order.
State pension records showed that a Joseph Wilson retired in April 2009 from the Hamilton Township Police department.
The documents undercut Yaede’s claim that the township police department never received a final expungement order.
Investigators learned that Hamilton Township Police Deputy Chief George Zimmer was in charge of handling expungement orders in 2008.
The prosecutor’s office said township police received Henderson’s expungement order but it wasn’t “appropriately delivered to the records clerk” due to Zimmer’s sudden suicide death July 1, 2008.
Onofri’s investigative team might not be done with the filing of the expungement charges.
It is believed investigators still be looking into other possible wrongdoing by Yaede and company. The Trentonian previously reported she was also being investigated over allegations brought by multiple township residents of bullying and intimidation.
A police source, in a recent interview, alleged Yaede ordered Hamilton Police Chief James Stevens to have serious crimes “downgraded to something smaller so that the town seemed safer than it really is.”
Base Rallies
Despite the charges and allegations, Yaede’s supporters instantly came to her defense after Onofri, a fellow Republican appointed by former Gov. Chris Christie, announced the charges.
Her trusted lieutenant and business administrator Dave Kenny said he lost respect for Onofri and accused him of taking “marching orders from other people.”
Running mate Vinnie Capodanno said Onofri was attempting to “make it hard” for Yaede to get reelected.
Hamilton Township Republican chairman Dennis Pone took to Facebook, calling the charges a “political hit job for what would amount to a traffic ticket even if it were true.”
“Go get ‘em Robin. This stinks all the way to Murphy’s office,” he wrote, referring to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.
Murphy has been one of Team Yaede’s constant political punching bags. She
also has alleged the offices of Onofri and state AG Gurbir Grewal, a Murphy appointee, were biased against her administration in the Onofri-led animal shelter probe.
A state investigation found numerous problems, and two of members of Team Yaede, ex-health director and health officer Jeff Plunkett and former animal shelter supervisor Todd Bencivengo, were charged in May with animal cruelty and official misconduct following a separate investigation by Onofri’s office.
Prosecutors said the two
public officials were responsible for euthanizing hundreds of dogs and cats before waiting the state-mandated seven day holding period.
Bencivengo retired with a nice little going-away package, Plunkett has remained on the job, even as the state Department of Health has moved to revoke his health officer license.
Yaede has steadfastly remained in Plunkett’s corner, alleging that Democrats in high places are involved in some sort of political conspiracy to embarrass her and members of
her administration ahead of the November election.
She went so far as to write to U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito demanding he review Onofri’s investigation, which was initially referred over by Grewal’s office following a pair of complaints, hinting at collusion from the Murphy administration.
Yaede has even attacked her opponent Martin, insinuating he is another Murphy puppet.
“She and her associates consistently use bullying tactics against people who speak out against her administration,”
the council president said. “The Trentonian has previously reported that four people have accused Yaede and her administration of harassment.
“When the town’s CFO questioned Yaede’s travel expenses, she suspended him and asked her brotherin-law to approve the reimbursement instead . ... Enough is enough. Enough of the drama. Enough of the corruption. Enough of the abuses of power. It’s time for Mayor Yaede to finally accept responsibility for her actions.”