What's Broken ; a Federal Case Reveals Cultural Rot

Summary

---

NOW THAT former state legislator and Orange Mayor Mims Hackett Jr. has admitted he took a bribe for a city contract, we have an opportunity to review what we learned from the federal sting that ensnared him and several others.

The U.S. Attorney's Office called it "Operation Broken Boards," presumably after the South Jersey school board that produced a quorum of the crooks at hand. Hackett was one of 11 public officials charged as a result, and the last high-profile holdout. His guilty plea last week made him the ninth to admit his crime or be convicted of it, leaving the cases of only two low-level officials unresolved.

See the full content of this document

Extract

---

What's Broken ; a Federal Case Reveals Cultural Rot

Initially, some of the state's political leaders expressed disbelief at the charges. Now they can only hope that we see these men and ultimately forge...

See the full content of this document

---