Fallout: the Swibinski-Finboy Double-Play

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left: Frank Raia's 10/25/2013 ELEC shows $10K payment to Skyline Media  right: LinkedIn profile shows Skyline Media owner has worked for Swibinsky's Vision Media for 23 years.  Raia's campaign work was brought to Skyline Media by James Barracato.  Barracato was working on the Raia campaign.

Frankly, GA's taken aback by the response to Thursday's post Smoking Gun: Finboy Hired Swibinski Director for the Raia Campaign.

This blog has documented years of non-kosher, occasionally "illegal" activities going on in the Mile Square with hardly a ripple.  Other than Hoboken's tight-knit community of reform bloggers (most of whom are Defendants in SLAPP litigation initiated by political operatives Lane Bajardi and Kim Cardinal Bajardi) it seemed like everyone else was sleeping through a very long movie.

Including Hoboken's Fourth Estate, which has been corrupted by the very elements GA and MSV write about.  Why bite the hand that feeds you Page 3 ads and otherwise keeps you afloat?  Hence, Hoboken's Fourth Estate has worked cooperatively with political operatives against the blogs,  with one in particular James 'Finboy' Barracato, a key player in the effort to silence the blogs and it seems, co-opt local media for his boss, Beth Mason.  

Well, Friday's story has woken folks up like never before.  Why?

I am told because GA caught Barracato, dead-to-rights on his own ELEC report, showing he hired  Ruben Ramos' political team to do the Raia campaign's TV ad!

And GA thinks it's because it is the tip of iceberg, of a much larger operation (scam) that's been going on in Hoboken for some time, to control Hoboken's print and online media on behalf of Beth Mason while double-crossing Mason and skimming money from her, and now- Frank Raia!

Frank appears to have been the unwitting victim of a conspiracy to tap his wealth at the same time, destroy him politically.  Holy MOLEy.

Who was a key player in the scam?  Finboy. 

Because you don't hire the opposition to 'help' your own candidate unless you want to (1) destroy the campaign you allegedly work for and (2) destroy the candidate.  

And at the same time, the sneaky salmon was presumably being paid by Beth Mason to work for Tim and Raia.

In fact, GA believes it gets even worse, and involves others and their manipulation via sex, but you know, I'm a G-rated blog, so not going there.  Sorry.

Oh, witnesses at this weeks League of Municipalities in Atlantic City spotted the traitorous trout in the company of Tim Occhipinti and his former Communications Director, Amanda Palascciano.  

So, here is what Earwitnesses told GA about the fall-out, which is only beginning.

Raia is livid. He's completely humiliated. Raia and his people are having a big meeting tonight about this. You can't say he wasn't warned but he wouldn't listen to nobody.

Sacco's people read your post and brought it to him. Sacco is furious at Swibinski. Bernie Kenny is furious because he elicited a promise from Sacoo to keep Swibinski out. Then you  have Phil Swibinski writing on your  blog that he worked exclusively for Ruben. I guess nobody told Sacco. Now he looks like he broke a promise to Zimmer.  Now Sacco and Zimmer have to talk.  Kenny's been calling.  This makes Sacco look bad.

Barracato is a longtime friend of Stephen Israel, the Swibinski guy.  Barracato brought him the Raia campaign then skimmed $5Gs off the top of the $10Gs he charged Raia. Barracato took a 50% cut for himself.

Wow! GA has opened a Pandora's box of sorts, so it will be curious to see what else flies out.

I did notice a large payment, $5G, to a "Field consultant" on a campaign that literally had no ground game.  And the address points to a residence-- GA hasn't found a business listing to that address, or for the listed company name.

So GA asks, was this a legitimate campaign expense, or another run on Frank Raia's wallet?

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Curious payment:  $5G to a 'Field Consultant' at 76 Seaview Ave. in Jersey City, The campaign seemed to have no field operation.

Never mind Snooky, we in Hoboken ARE a reality show.