Below is the OPRA request. It is specific and fair. It was submitted because Nancy Cardone has not recused herself in matters in which she has clear conflicts of interest (every Cardone family member is employed by the Lodi Board of Education and she took $4,000 from the NJEA).
This is what Matthew Giacobbe’s firm turned over today:
Many relevant public records were redacted in violation
of the Open Public Records Act. A lot of
garbage was included not relevant to the request (so Matthew Giacobbe can submit more
unnecessary bills and pretend he is handing over something that isn't blacked out).
I have worked with advocates for transparency and open government from other communities. I have seen board member emails that have been provided to the public via OPRA by school attorneys (that don’t have to pay for their public contracts or have to make State Senators partners in their firms to peddle influence). The OPRA responses from other communities are night and day compared to Matthew Giacobbe’s.
Matthew Giacobbe covers things up. That’s what he does. Matthew Giacobbe did it with Lisa Cody’s separation agreement. He does it with his monthly bills. He did it with Nancy Cardone’s emails. He violates OPRA and then makes money in the process. Newspaper editorial pages recently criticized the same wording that Matthew Giacobbe used to conceal Nancy Cardone’s emails (public records).
Some problems that do stand out among the blacked out records:
Natalie Delgado is leading negotiations on behalf of the Lodi board of education with the LEA (Lodi teacher union). Natalie Delgado took $4,000 from the NJEA in her most recent campaign for BOE and was formally endorsed by the LEA. What type of board attorney would be taking emails from her about LEA negotiations? What type of board attorney would advise that someone with her conflicts should participate in any matters involving the LEA?
Every discussion involving the Lincoln School Building was completely redacted. Lodi taxpayers should be outraged. People don’t hide things when they don’t have anything to hide.
Nancy Cardone (President of the Lodi Baord of Education) was taking direct emails from Michael Cardone (her son and TJMS Principal) on district email regarding district matters. Michael Cardone even scheduled a zoom meeting with his mother. Nancy Cardone was receiving copies of all LEA contract negotiation emails. Nancy Cardone was receiving emails from her sister-in-law Francine Santos (the president of the LEA).
Marc Wenczel was billing the Lodi taxpayers to represent Sharon Salvacion against an ethics complaint. Marc Wenczel was only emailing Sharon Salvacion and Nancy Cardone about the matter and not the other board members. Nancy Cardone was driving up the legal bills. Matthew Giacobbe was blacking them out.
