Sweeney bombshell: Investigate NJEA, cops union for extortion over pension threat

[Omaha Steve]

Source: NJ.com

By Samantha Marcus

TRENTON — Senate President Stephen Sweeney said Wednesday that threats by public worker unions to withhold campaign contributions unless the Senate puts a proposed constitutional amendment guaranteeing pension payments on the fall ballot amounts to "bribery" and "extortion" and should be investigated by state and federal officials.

At a Statehouse news conference, Sweeney (D-Gloucester) responded to reports the state's largest teachers union, the New Jersey Education Association, told county Democratic Party chairmen it wouldn't release campaign cash until next spring as a cudgel to force action on the vote.

Sweeney said his office received a direct threat from the Fraternal Order of Police. He said he intends to request the U.S. attorney and state attorney general investigate the threats as violations of both state and federal laws on bribery.

"I think a crime was committed," Sweeney said. He added that unions can do what they want with their money, but when they hold it hostage to specific legislative action, that "crosses the line."

FULL story at link


Senate President Stephen Sweeney is calling for an investigation of public union threats tying campaign cash to a pension vote.

Read more: http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/08/sweeney_calls_for_investigation_of_njea_pension_vo.html

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Put an amendment on the ballot for the voters to decide OR they won't donate......

[Else You Are Mad]

1. My mom is in the NJEA...

And what she tells me what the state did to their pensions -- a contracted agreement -- was criminal. The NJEA is correct in withholding their legal bribes until they pass an amendment so the public workers receive what the state promised them when both parties agreed to the pension contract.

Look at what Christie did to the pensions after he came into power.

ETA: here is a good outline of what Christie has done to the NJ state pension system:

[groundloop]

2. Fuck over state employees and expect them to hand over campaign cash....

Yeah, right. That's sure the hell arrogance if I've ever seen it. And HOW, exactly, is this any different from what lobbyists for huge corporations have been doing for decades? Sweeney should be ashamed of himself, he's certainly not living up to that 'D' after his name.

[yurbud]

11. a union can't give you a high paying job after you leave office

[gd770226]

3. Sweeney is Vice-President of the Internal Iron Workers union

Sweeney is very pro union. In his press releases and interviews when he is asked about issues relating to unions he always points out his day job as the union leader.

He also is very possibly going to be the next governor of NJ as he is very popular in South Jersey where he comes from, and he has ( at least up until this comment ) had the support of things like the NJEA. Of the leading Democrat contenders to run, I think he has the most name recognition within the state.

For this to come from Sweeney really suprises me.

[JustAnotherGen]

7. I hope to god he is not

We can do better than this asshat.

[riversedge]

4. Whow--Sweeney is a Democrat and is threatening the unions. whow! And, no, I have not

much followed what is happening in NJ.

[no_hypocrisy]

5. "Extortion"?

Really??!!

Supreme Court said that political donations are political speech, not "bribery" or "extortion", that is, until we overturn "Citizens United".

File a RICO action asswipe!


BTW, give the teachers their old age pensions that the State stole.

[JustAnotherGen]

6. Typical Sweeney bullshit

They fucked over the state employees so Good for the unions! What they have done to teachers' pensions is bullshit.

[saidsimplesimon]

8. Thank you Steve

The only crime in my book would be that the union failed to follow proper procedure (lose lips sink ships). If politicians are putting the 1% above the interests of their members, the NJEA should spend their money electing better Democrats of the Senator Sanders' flavor.

[TheBlackAdder]

9. Pension double-dipper who worked with Christie in the past, says what?

[not fooled]

10. Sounds like someone's building his Koch bros. street cred

Eh, Stevie??