Sayreville hiring special counsel to investigate former Democratic leader's dealings
SAYREVILLE – The borough, prompted by corruption charges filed against former Sayreville Democratic Chairman Thomas Pollando, will be hiring a forensic accountant and special counsel for an investigation of the Sayreville Economic and Redevelopment Agency (SERA) and other municipal boards where Pollando may have been involved.
"When Pollando was arrested, I immediately called for an investigation, including a financial audit of not just the redevelopment agency where Pollando was a commissioner for a number of years," Mayor Victoria Kilpatrick said. "For the protection of our borough, our residents and the projects that are going on, we need to have somebody come in to look at anything he handled or touched or was involved in to make sure it was done on the up and up and appropriately."
The mayor said the investigation may also extend to other municipal boards where Pollando had dealings, including recreation, where he served as president of the Sayreville Athletic Association.
"Because it deals with kids and it's an important part of the borough, those records need to be looked at appropriately and carefully also," she said. "It's incumbent upon the council and myself as the mayor to look out for the interest of the residents and ensure that we are not going to incur a ridiculous amount of legal fees or something else."
The Borough Council has authorized the probe into the SERA, including procedures, practices and all communications between the borough and the agency.
The borough is seeking a forensic audit of the agency and the special counsel will investigate the agency's practices and procedures.
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The special counsel and forensic auditor will conduct a comprehensive 10-year review of the SERA and any other borough department from 2012 to 2022. Proposals to perform the services must be submitted to the borough clerk's office no later than noon Aug. 16.
Pollando, 73, was indicted earlier this year on three counts of bribery, acceptance of an unlawful benefit by a public official, official misconduct and pattern of official misconduct, all second-degree offenses, as well as hindering his own apprehension, theft by deception and falsifying public records, third-degree offenses.
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The charges stem from an investigation last year in which Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office detectives were conducting electronic surveillance of a business in Sayreville and allegedly observed Pollando accept several thousands of dollars in cash and allegedly heard him claiming that he would attempt to use his political clout to influence an ongoing criminal case.
Shortly after Pollando was charged last year, he resigned as chairman of the Sayreville Democratic Party, vice chairman of the Middlesex County Planning Board, a member of the Sayreville Economic and Redevelopment Authority and an employee of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
Pollando is accused of accepting money in exchange for recommending that zoning or municipal codes not be enforced at Club 35, though he knew the strip club was in violation.
He is also accused of giving police false information and theft by deception counts for allegedly using a check drawn on the election fund of former Sayreville Democratic Councilman Damon Enriquez for Pollando's personal use, and falsifying public records by directing an election finance record be falsified.
Pollando's son David, 42, and David's wife, Lizmarie, 29, are both facing conspiracy and witness tampering charges.
David Pollando has been indicted on charges of conspiracy, witness tampering and retaliation against a witness, all second-degree offenses, and third-degree terroristic threats. Lizmarie Pollando has been indicted on charges of second-degree conspiracy and third-degree hindering the apprehension of another.
The counts against David and Lizmarie Pollando stem from an encounter in November 2022 in Old Bridge, when David Pollando allegedly threatened a witness.
An investigation also determined Lizmarie Pollando allegedly alerted her husband to the witness' location and lied to police when questioned about the incident.
Email: sloyer@gannettnj.com
Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Sayreville NJ hiring special counsel after Democratic chair indicted
