PERTH AMBOY — Cesar Jovine was a $35,000-a-year clerk in Perth Amboy city hall in June 2006 when he was handed $4,200 in cash from then-Mayor Joseph Vas’ top aide and told to write personal checks totaling that amount to Vas’ congressional campaign, he said in court today. When the clerk said his checkbook was at home, Vas’ aide,...
Former assemblyman and Perth Amboy mayor, Joseph Vas, leaves the M.L.K. Courthouse in Newark on Sept. 16.PERTH AMBOY — Cesar Jovine was a $35,000-a-year clerk in Perth Amboy city hall in June 2006 when he was handed $4,200 in cash from then-Mayor Joseph Vas’ top aide and told to write personal checks totaling that amount to Vas’ congressional campaign, he said in court today.
When the clerk said his checkbook was at home, Vas’ aide, Melvin Ramos, instructed him to call his wife, who was about to give birth to their third child, and have her bring the checkbook to city hall. Jovine made the phone call, he testified today in the federal corruption trial of the former mayor and assemblyman.
"My wife was nine months pregnant and with our two children at home," Jovine said.
He was the fourth current or former Perth Amboy employee to testify in U.S. District Court in Newark about receiving cash from Ramos, and subsequently writing checks to the "Vas For Congress" campaign.
Vas is on trial accused of purchasing a 12-unit apartment building in the city for $660,000, and then quickly selling it for $950,000, sweetening the deal with assurances that the buyer would receive $360,000 in city affordable housing funds.
Vas is also accused of using his office to allocate the redevelopment funds. He and codefendant Ramos are charged with funneling the nearly $300,000 in profits into the ultimately unsuccessful congressional campaign.
Shakira Johnson, former public information officer for the city, Donald Perlee, Vas’ former city business administrator and David Benyola, assistant personnel officer for Perth Amboy, have all testified to receiving funds from Ramos to donate to Vas’ congressional campaign.
In court today, Johnson briefly broke down while testifying that she received $2,000 in cash from Ramos to make a donation.
Perlee, who was Vas’ city business administrator from 1994 through August 2007, testified that Ramos gave him money to make a donation and to find other so-called "straw donors."
The city administrator said he agreed because he wanted to protect his job and please Vas, who was upset that Perlee had missed work for medical reasons.
"I was concerned for my position. I felt compelled to make a donation," Perlee said.
Perlee recruited his former mother- and father-in-law to make donations, a fact he withheld in a interview with the FBI and in testimony to a federal grand jury.
"I lied before the grand jury. My intention was not to further embarrass or involve my former in-laws," he said under cross examination from Ramos’ attorney, Jerome Ballarotto. Perlee said he subsequently informed investigators about the additional donations.
Benyola previously testified to receiving $4,200 from Ramos for him and his wife to each donate $2,100, maximum one person can give to a campaign.
Jovine and his wife each wrote checks for the same amount, as did Perlee and each of his former in-laws, according to testimony.
Federal prosecutors will continue to present their case Monday.