Sen. Jon Corzine – New Jersey’s most powerful and popular Democrat – was behind closed doors yesterday with other party power brokers discussing what to do about the gay-sex scandal that brought Gov. Jim McGreevey’s downfall.
“He’s talking to a variety of grass-roots people, trying to get the lay of the land just to determine what the situation is,” said Corzine spokesman David Wald.
He denied Republican charges that Corzine is angling to broker a deal to get McGreevey to resign by Sept. 3 so New Jersey can hold a quickie special election that could make multimillionaire Corzine the new governor.
“He’s not working any deal,” said Wald, adding that as of yesterday afternoon, Corzine hadn’t spoken to McGreevey. But Wald said Corzine has met with state Senate President Richard Codey, who will become governor if McGreevey waits until Nov. 15 to resign.
But Corzine’s spokesman refused to pledge that he will remain a senator and stay in charge of Democratic efforts to retake control of the U.S. Senate. Wald said only: “That’s what the plan is, right now at this particular moment.”
Several other New Jersey Democratic leaders have demanded that McGreevey step down fast. New fuel was added to the explosive situation yesterday when the lawyer for Golan Cipel, the other man at the center of the scandal, spoke out.
“He assaulted my client sexually,” lawyer Allen Lowy told Fox News Channel, adding: “There was no intercourse. There was contact.”
McGreevey claims he had a consensual gay affair with Cipel, an Israeli he put on New Jersey’s state payroll for a $110,000 homeland-security job despite slim qualifications. Cipel says he is heterosexual and the advances were unwanted.
New Jersey political insiders say Corzine is hedging his bets so he’s available to run for governor right away in case McGreevey is forced to step down quickly.
Meanwhile, McGreevey’s closest ally, state Sen. Raymond Lesniak of Union County, adamantly insisted that the scandal-scarred governor won’t yield to pressure to resign before Nov. 15 to clear the way for a special election.
“This is Jim McGreevey’s decision. He’s not going to be run out of office,” Lesniak said.