The former girlfriend of New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine is under federal investigation for her union activities at the same time she’s fighting to keep her job as the Garden State’s top labor boss, The Post has learned.
Armed with a subpoena, investigators from the Newark US Attorney’s Strike Force unit hit the Washington, DC head quarters of the Communications Workers of America, seeking the financial and management records of embat tled labor boss Carla Katz, according to sources. The Strike Force investigates union corruption and organized crime.
Katz was unceremoniously ousted last week as head of CWA’s Local 1034 – New Jersey’s biggest state workers union – after an internal CWA probe accused her of misappropriating money.
Word of the subpoena came today, just as Katz’s bid to be immediately reinstated as president of the 16,000-strong local was shot down by a federal judge.
She and 13 members of her executive board who also were given the boot had filed a lawsuit, which is pending.
Katz, who dated Corzine from 2002 to 2004, has denied the CWA’s claims, calling her lockout a “travesty.”
Meanwhile, sources said the federal inquiry into Katz’s activities was spurred by the findings of the internal CWA report, which found a “clear and ongoing pattern” of fiscal wrongdoing by Katz.
The report claimed Katz improperly handed out $700,000 in political contributions without approval, and worked part time while attending law school despite drawing a full-time salary. The Katz probe could spur another round of headaches for the politically ambitious Corzine, whose association with her has cast a cloud over his administration.
Last year, the governor endured a hailstorm of criticism when it was revealed he gave Katz $6 million after their 2004 breakup, and paid for her kids’ private schooling.
The two then became embroiled in another scandal when news broke that they’d exchanged private e-mails during sensitive state worker contract talks last year.
Last month, a New Jersey judge ordered that hundreds of those e-mails be turned over to the public. But Katz and Corzine appealed and the e-mails remain in limbo.
Meanwhile, citing federal policy, a spokesman for US Attorney Christopher Christie – viewed as a Republican rival to Corzine in next year’s gubernatorial race – said he couldn’t confirm or deny any investigation is underway.
A CWA spokeswoman couldn’t be reached.
Katz was not available for comment.