Associates' Scandals Taint N.J. Governor's Reputation

The first of this month's scandals broke July 6, when the federal prosecutor indicted D'Amiano, the trash hauler, for trying to extort $40,000 in campaign donations from a dairy farmer. In exchange, D'Amiano promised to persuade state and county officials to double an offer -- to $7.4 million -- to buy the farmer's land.

To prove his political bona fides, D'Amiano promised to bring the farmer to meet with McGreevey, who is identified throughout the indictment as "Public Official 1." If the farmer brought along "mulch" and "topsoil" (in other words, the money) to that meeting, the indictment said, D'Amiano promised the governor would use a code word, Machiavelli, a reference to the Italian political philosopher.

As it happens, the governor agreed to a meeting and said jokingly that the farmer must be reading from " 'The Prince' by Machiavelli" to learn how to negotiate with state officials, the indictment said.

The governor does not deny uttering the word -- the farmer wore a wire -- but his aides describe it as an innocent exchange. The governor, they say, is a good retail politician. "If you and I are in a room, and you tell me that this person happens to be reading a certain book, there's a very high likelihood that I'll mention that book," Rasmussen said. "It was a literary reference. The other day at the convention he mentioned Lord Tennyson."

Rasmussen added that this dispute centers on a county land deal. "The state didn't offer any additional money," he said.

That explanation fails to convince students of state politics. "You're a governor," said Rebovich of the Rider Institute. "Under what circumstances, unless you are with the CIA, would you speak in code to a constituent?"

The Kushner indictment came seven days after D'Amiano's. Kushner, 50, was McGreevey's biggest campaign contributor and once was his nominee to head the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He was charged with conspiracy and obstruction.

The federal government had been investigating the finances of Kushner's company. To thwart this investigation, Kushner is accused of persuading a prostitute to have sex with a cooperating witness at the Red Bull Inn, and secretly videotaping the seduction. Kushner, prosecutors say, tried to use that tape to silence the witness, who is Kushner's brother-in-law.

Kushner's brother-in-law and Kushner's sister took the tape to federal prosecutor. The federal prosecutor's office has emphasized that the governor has no involvement with this case. But the impression left is not great.

"He hasn't been caught with any money, and he can reasonably argue that he was just duped or didn't realize how bad these guys were," said Joseph Marbach, a political scientist at Seton Hall University. "But that's not great public relations."