Corzine trying to buy votes (again ) (Camden, Asbury Park: 2009, schools, university)

[njerzygrl]

Prominent minister gets nearly $1 million from Corzine
OCTOBER 25, 2009 • 7:00 AM
By Bob Ingle
Remember the reaction when it was learned that Gov. Corzine’s foundation had given the head of the Black Ministers Council, Reginald Jackson, $87,000 for his church? The council endorsed Corzine although Jackson had disagreements about the Corzine administration’s lack of enthusiasm for charter schools and vouchers in urban areas. But Jackson said the money had nothing to do with the endorsement. Turns out Corzine’s foundation gave nearly $1 million to a non-profit organization controlled by a black minister in Camden County in South Jersey, the Rev. Bishop David G. Evans, who also serves on the Turnpike Authority. The governor gave $25,000 to Evans’ church, which claims 28,000 members, as well. The Evans group did not say how the money was spent and Evans didn’t return calls to reporter Jason Method of the Asbury Park Press who broke the story. Corzine also gave $250,000 to the foundation of Cooper Hospital where he was treated after an accident in which he wasn’t wearing a seat belt.

The chairman of Cooper is Camden County Democratic Party Boss George Norcross.

According to its 2007 non-profit disclosure, David G. Evans Ministries collected $598,389 in revenue that year and more than half of that — $375,000 — came from Corzine.

Joseph Marbach, a political scientist at Seton Hall University, said “It’s been a theme that’s plagued the governor from time to time in how he distributes his fortune, whether it’s gifts to former girlfriends, a brother-in-law of former girlfriends, gifts to county organizations.” Marbach said it would be less controversial if the churches said what they did with the money.

It also would be less noticed if Corzine didn’t have the image of trying to buy every election with his own money