Newark Councilman Should Resign If Bribery Charge Is True: Mayor – Newark, NJ Patch

NEWARK, NJ — Newark city councilman Joseph McCallum Jr. and his family deserve some empathy during a tough time, Mayor Ras Baraka says. But if the bribery charges he’s facing are true – and McCallum did take thousands of dollars of kickbacks, as prosecutors allege – there’s only one path forward, the mayor added: he should resign.

Earlier this week, federal prosecutors announced that McCallum, a councilman in Newark’s West Ward, has been accused of taking part in a “bribery and kickback” scheme involving local construction and development projects.

McCallum, 65, is also a member of the board of directors of Invest Newark, formerly known as the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation (NCEDC), the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated.

According to prosecutors, the alleged scheme was a familiar one. Acting with his co-conspirator, Malik Frederick – who pled guilty to fraud on Tuesday – McCallum used his position on the council and with the NCEDC to trade “access” to real estate projects for money. The councilman and Frederick planned to prevent anyone who refused to play ball from getting contracts with the city or work from the NCEDC.

The scheme took place from 2017 through February of this year, prosecutors said.

Patch reached out to McCallum’s office via email and phone seeking comment about the allegations. We’ll update this article with any reply we receive.

Mayor Baraka issued a statement about the charges on Wednesday. He wrote:

“On behalf of the City of Newark, we do not condone any of the actions within city government that have allegedly occurred and will cooperate with the investigation. With that being said, we also send prayers to council member Joseph McCallum and his family during what must be a difficult time.”

“We do hope that these allegations are not true,” Baraka continued. “However, if in fact they are, then he should consider the West Ward and the City of Newark by resigning and allowing us to heal and move on.”

“Understandably, these are mere accusations, yet it shines a light not only on the West Ward, but on the entire city of Newark – a city that has had its share of political corruptions over a course of decades,” Keyes said.

“I call for Councilman McCallum to step down immediately and to be relieved from his position on the board of directors of the NCEDC, which by all standards is a conflict of interest,” Keyes urged. “If he genuinely believes in Newark and moving the city forward, he will no longer take another hardworking, cash-strapped taxpayers’ cent or allow the city to handle his legal defense fund.”

McCallum’s current term ends on June 30, 2022.

Bernel Hall, president and CEO of Invest Newark, said the organization is “prepared to fully cooperate” with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“In their capacity, Invest Newark board members do not have direct roles in the day-to-day operations, and the allegations do not involve any present employee or board member of Invest Newark,” Hall added.

According to the municipal website, since becoming the West Ward councilman, McCallum has been selected to serve as the chairman of several municipal committees, including the Health, Veterans and Homeless Committees. He also serves on the Affirmative Action, Education, and Sister Cities Committees.

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