True scandal

Creating a local traffic jam to irk a major? Pfft. Is this the best the Garden State can come up with in the way of scandal? If so, the state that’s produced a rogues’ gallery of political crooks should relinquish its boastful claims to a colorful legacy.

The goings-on just across the other river, in the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, put the Garden State’s “Bridgegate” shenanigans to shame -- in terms of both malfeasance and entertainment. “The Harrisburg Hustle,” some are calling it.

Unlike the similarly named current hit movie, the Harrisburg version has spotlighted no hustler hot babes.

The drama does have the Keystone State’s elected Attorney General Kathleen Kane, though, who turns a head or two among those of the male persuasion.

When Kane took office with her prepossessing looks and outsized political ambition, she quietly shut down a sting operation that showered petty cash on several state legislators and jewelry on one traffic court judge, all from Philly, all her fellow Democrats.

A previously ensnared fraudster named Tyron Ali had been given a skip-jail card and tasked by investigators to distribute the gratuities. Kane shut the sting down, saying it was ineptly run and not prosecution-worthy.

Also, it was “racist,” she charged. All of the stung are blacks, see. They were specifically targeted as such, she charges.

However -- and it’s a mighty big however-- the chief investigator behind the sting is black as well. He reportedly dismisses Kane’s racism beef as all hooey.

Moreover, the chief investigator’s current boss, Philly D.A. Seth Williams -also black -- backs the sting’s chief investigator. And the D.A. is challenging Kane to put up or shut up on her racism charge.

If all else fails, will the Attorney General resort to a war-on-women defense? Some of the sting targets, like Kane herself, are females. In other political contexts, the war-on-women gambit has served Kane’s party well.

The Philadelphia Inquirer gets full credit for the Harrisburg Hustler screenplay, revealing the sting and sting shutdown in all its sleazy detail.

Kane likely suddenly sees her shooting-star trajectory starting a downward arc. She perhaps is fearful of emerging from the fray looking like merely another political hack who tends to her fellow Democrats first and the public interest last, if ever.

In any event, she’s gone into full defensive mobilization. She’s hired famed and feared libel lawyer Dick Sprague, whose very name causes publishers to hyperventilate and start eyeballing the story spike.

What may prompt either outrage or sniggering among the Harrisburg Hustler audience is how hungrily Philly pols gobbled up modest feedings of cash. And how grateful they were for the pecuniary crumbs.

From the newspaper’s account of taped sting transactions come snappy bits of dialogue such as these:

-- “That’s a great help. That’s a biggie,” Rep. Louise Bishop reportedly exclaims upon being handed an envelope containing $500.

-- “You the man,” Rep. Ron Waters reportedly says when handed an envelope filled with $1,000. “Ahhhh,” he reportedly sighs, “you know how to make a birthday special.”

-- “Yo, good looking,” Rep. Vanessa Brown reportedly declares when presented an envelope with $2,000. “Ooo-wee.”

-- “Oh my goodness,” then Traffic Court president judge Thomasine Tines reportedly gasps over dinner one night when presented with a $2,000-plus bracelet from the sting conman.

The two then reportedly clink wine glasses in a toast: “To making money together.” “To making money.” Clink. Now that’s how you do scandal worthy of the name.