DeFusco calls for full disclosure of Bhalla law firm’s business relationship with Suez Water amid another apparent conflict of interest
DeFusco calls for full disclosure of Bhalla law firm’s business relationship with Suez Water amid another apparent conflict of interest
Hoboken, NJ – Councilman and Mayoral candidate Mike DeFusco is calling for a full public disclosure of Councilman and fellow candidate Ravi Bhalla’s business dealings with Suez Water, the city’s water provider, with whom the Zimmer Administration has negotiated a new contract proposal that will have a major impact on residents for decades to come. Bhalla is a partner at the law firm of Florio, Perrucci, Steinhardt & Fader, which has received payments of at least $130,000 in lobbying fees from Suez as recently as 2015 according to publicly available records (Source: NJ Law Journal). Despite this publicly documented information, Bhalla denied at an August 2nd, 2017 City Council meeting that the firm has continued business dealings with Suez, and further claimed that the firm only negotiated the original agreement between the City and Suez in the 1990s. Suez is listed as a client on the FPSF website as of the time of this release (screenshot attached). This raises serious questions as to whether Bhalla is attempting to conceal his law firm’s dealings with Suez at a time when the City of Hoboken is actively negotiating with the company.
Mike DeFusco is calling on Ravi Bhalla to disclose the full nature of his law firm’s relationship with Suez, including how much the company paid Bhalla’s firm in legal fees and lobbying fees since he has been a partner. Additionally, DeFusco is calling for Bhalla to recuse himself from all negotiations and any votes related to Suez as long as this conflict exists, and for an investigation into whether Bhalla was present or involved in the city’s previous negotiations with Suez.
“Ravi Bhalla’s failure to disclose that Suez is a client of his law firm at this moment when the City Council must decide on a decades-long agreement worth tens of millions of taxpayer dollars is the antithesis of transparent government,” said Councilman DeFusco. “Last night Councilman Bhalla was asked directly whether or not his firm still represents Suez and he said no, but the facts say otherwise. We need to know the full extent of Ravi Bhalla’s business relationship with Suez and we also must determine whether or not he was involved in the city’s negotiations given this apparent conflict of interest. It’s about time he decides if he wants to represent the taxpayers or his own private business interests.”
Bhalla’s law firm is one of the most prolific public contractors in the state, with $3.8 million in government contracts in 2016. Bhalla has faced numerous ethics complaints during his time on the Hoboken City Council, including failing to disclose mandatory public information on government contracts, and a case under active review by the Local Finance Board regarding his vote for a city contract for an attorney with whom he personally held shared business interests.
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