The Jersey City Independent "

He was the government’s deep-sewer diver — the Jacques Cousteau of corruption, plunging into the dark and airless caverns that New Jerseyans know exist, but never see.

And after his three years of training and service, Solomon Dwek returned to the surface having captured some pretty big fish, in business but most notably in politics. He held his breath for months, navigated some of the most treacherous waters known to man and never made a blip on enemy radar. And he did it all without ever having learned to swim.

Let’s get this straight: Shlo knows real estate. Shlo knows sting operations.

But does Shlo know politics?

Oh, no, no.

One of the most stunning revelations from the five days of testimony by Solomon Dwek is his ignorance of the system in which he has wreaked so much havoc. Few professional politicians have ended as many promising careers as Mr. Dwek has, and yet a tenth-grade civics class probably has a better handle on government than he does.

There are several minor mistakes in his travels as a bribe-happy developer. One is his assumption that Leona Beldini’s position of deputy mayor is like that of a vice president, when it is really more like a key aide. Then Dwek is unaware that she doesn’t have a vote on the city council or the zoning board. He also believes that Beldini was a candidate for reelection that spring. On one tape with Shaw and Cheatam, Dwek questions his political fixers’ advice that he should only give $10 grand to Healy/Beldini, saying it’s not a lot for two political campaigns, and “I don’t wanna be a chintz.” (Oh, Shlo knows Yiddish.)

At one point, Shaw says they ought to hedge their bets by giving $10,000 to Healy and $10,000 to opposing mayoral candidate Lou Manzo, unless Healy “pulls away significantly.” Now, anyone who has watched 15 minutes of cable news in his life could tell you that this is a clear reference to Healy’s standing in the polls, but on the witness stand, Dwek says he interprets that as insurance for Healy ‘pulling away’ from a bribe. Even to a political kindergartener, there’s not enough Crayola there to connect the dots.

Dwek repeatedly insists he does not make campaign contributions, but “cash bribes,” but Beldini’s lawyer presses him about whether he’s ever made legit campaign donations in his life. Yes, Dwek says, but very few and he didn’t expect anything in return.

In truth, Dwek doled out tens of thousands of dollars to state and federal candidates in the decade prior to his arrest for bank fraud. The names range from Robert Torricelli to George W. Bush, and like many incompetent politicians before him, it seems Dwek doesn’t realize his past has a paper trail.

At one point during the cross-examination, Beldini’s Bow Tie is talking about how Dwek’s Hudson County go-betweens would get matching bribes for every “contribution” to a public official. Dwek corrects him. “No. Corrupt payments.” They quibble over this repeatedly, until The Bow Tie starts saying “corrupt payments” as well, “because this’ll go faster if I say it.”

The political overreaching can’t all be blamed on the witness, though. In the opening arguments and direct questioning of Dwek, the government prosecutors insinuated that the money Dwek funneled into the Healy ’09 campaign coffers would eventually line the pockets of the Mayor and his deputy. They didn’t outright say it, but what they were getting at was something much more nefarious than inflating a campaign account. “Corrupt payments.”

While that might not be true, it is against the law, let alone highly unethical, to let an individual contribute amounts over the legal limit by having numerous others make smaller donations. It is even more nefarious when considering that Dwek’s name—the alias David Esenbach—had never contributed the max to begin with.

Though the defense dug up an event invitation where “Garfield Development LLC” shows up as a sponsor. It appears Jack Shaw invented a name for David’s front business, which didn’t even have a real fake name like Dwek did.

For there were a lot of names on that invitation, a lot of people giving to the Healy for Mayor ’09 campaign account. Does this make it believable that Leona was being hoodwinked?

Hardly.

Because though the defense makes a lot of bones about how Beldini had no vote, no influence in Jersey City politics, it fails to acknowledge the importance of Beldini’s role as campaign treasurer for Mayor Healy’s “million dollah campaign.”

Beldini is caught on tapes mixing her private financial interests as a realtor with her dual official duties as deputy mayor and campaign treasurer. At one point, she hands Dwek two business cards: one as Leona Beldini, Deputy Mayor and the other as Leona Beldini, Real Estate Agent. There may be a lot that Shlo don’t know, but double-fisting duties is a surefire no-no.

Then there’s the time when she replies, “Absolutely,” after developer David tells her he’s given “the ten thousand” and requests help with approvals. Or the video of the campaign treasurer/deputy mayor saying that approvals should be fine with Mayor Healy now that the money’s flowing. “He” — she lifts her chin — “remembers his friends.”

Now, would a developer who wasn’t forking over the dough get to shake pepper-shakers with the Mayor? After seeing these conversations, it might take several million dollah campaigns to convince a jury otherwise.

Because for once, Beldini has filed her proverbial petition signatures. She’s no longer treasurer, but the candidate in the campaign of her life: Keep Leona Outta The Federal Pen, 2010.

Politicians are famous — infamous, rather — for controlling their images. They shield the public from their true feelings, their naked thoughts on the clowns they have to kiss up to. Of course they talk a lot, but when do they tell us what they’re really thinking? Not often.

It’s what comes to mind when looking at Leona Beldini in the courtroom. Her lips are pursed, her body language muted. From time to time, we’ll get a glimpse of what Beldini thinks. She’ll shake her head from side to side with incredulity. She might shoot an objecting prosecutor her ‘buzz off‘ look. But mostly, she sits there with a stone veneer. Gavel to gavel. Day in, day out.

Right now, she’s running as an outsider. According to her defense attorney, Leona isn’t a political mastermind. Hell, she doesn’t even have that much power. Trust The Bow Tie, and you might believe that the beginning and end of Leona Beldini in Jersey City government could be found in a civil marriage, a ribbon-cutting or a parking ticket. She’s small-time!… Not like those godless government fat cats….

No, Leona wasn’t raking in $12,000 a month like Dwek. She wasn’t driving around a Lexus SUV. (Or maybe she was? It never comes up.) She collected a small yeoman’s “fee” of $66,000. She wears the same few outfits to court everyday because she doesn’t have the means that some people have. (She’s looking at you, Shlomo.)

And while Solomon swindled his family out of millions, without a soul who’d stand next to him at the podium with an endorsement, Leona is shaking hands and kissing babies.

In fact, an adorable little one decked out in pink entered the courtroom on Wednesday. She sat in the front row behind the defense table while the jurors tried to help themselves from going all goo-goo-ga-ga. At one point, Beldini turned, looked at the baby and winked her right eye — the one furthest from the jury — with the microsecond precision only seen in cartoons. You damn well expected a glint of sparkle and a harmonic ting from the triangle after that one. It was breathtaking.

To be clear, this is not to say that Beldini doesn’t like babies, but it’s only the politicians of the world who must broadcast to you and everyone else, ‘HOW MUCH I LIKE BABIES!‘

Politicians also go to great lengths to hide their personal flaws. These aren’t the failings of the smelly gym-sneakers, has-to-be-reminded-to-take-out-the-trash variety, but rather the deep emotional pain they’ve caused to others. The names and faces of those they knocked down and stepped on on their way to the top.

This is not an advantage Solomon Dwek’s campaign has. He is a ruined man who will probably go to prison for many years when he is through testifying.

And so in the courtroom, as in politics, careers are spoiled and public images lay in ruin. They are almost always the victims of their own design. Dwek is no different.

Like what you've read here? Please consider making a donation or becoming a sustaining member. As a grassroots news organization, we rely on community support -- as well as paid advertising -- to survive.