North Jersey Mayor Admits Accepting $110K In Pay-To-Play Payments

Passaic Mayor Richard D. Blanco admitted in federal court Thursday to taking $110,000 in pay-to-play payments from developers over a three year period.

Blanco, 44, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini to one count of soliciting and accepting corrupt payments in connection with city business, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Blanco admitted accepting $110,000 from two developers who, from 2010 to 2012, sought to build eight low-income residential units in Passaic. After the City Council and the Board of Adjustment approved the development, Blanco had an intermediary approach the developers in July 2011, Fishman said. The developers were told they could expect to provide "a sizeable payment" to Blanco to ensure the project would proceed.

Blanco met with the developers in September 2011 in Clifton and agreed to accept $75,000. He received $65,000 in checks from one of the developers and eight days later accepted another $40,000 in cash, authorities said. He accepted another $5,000 check in March 2012.

Much of the $110,000 was taken from $216,400 that had been earmarked for the project from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Passaic City Council released the funds to the developers, Fishman said.

"The conduct admitted by Mayor Blanco demonstrates an aggressive and appalling greed," Fishman said in a statement. "By soliciting these payments from developers, he took for himself federal money that was intended to help provide housing for the city's poorest residents."

Several federal agencies, the FBI, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, investigated Blanco.

Blanco has been mayor since November 2008. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 23.

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