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Assemblyman Neil Cohen under child porn investigation
by Josh Margolin and Robert Schwaneberg/The Star-Ledger
Friday July 25, 2008, 11:15 AM
Assemblyman Neil Cohen, at the State House in Trenton, 2002. Deputy Assembly Speaker Neil Cohen is being investigated for alleged possession of child pornography, according to two of his Democratic colleagues who said they brought the matter to the attention of law enforcement.
Assemblyman Joseph Cryan and Sen. Raymond Lesniak.In a joint statement, Sen. Raymond Lesniak and Assemblyman Joseph Cryan (both D-Union) confirmed they alerted authorities to the possibility Cohen (D-Union) had child pornography on his computers.
"As the facts became apparent in our office, we notified the appropriate agency and will continue to assist in any way possible," Lesniak and Cryan said. "While it was our proactive steps that led to the investigation to this point, we are appalled at what has transpired."
At least one of Cohen's computers from the Union Township legislative office the three lawmakers share was confiscated by the Attorney General's Office, according to three sources who have been briefed on the investigation. Two of the sources said a legislative staffer initially discovered the images, then notified Lesniak and Cryan. The sources declined to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.
"Both of us have known Neil Cohen for more than two decades," Lesniak and Cryan said. "We know him as a compassionate, caring individual but if the allegations prove true, clearly there was a side to him neither of us knew. We have been instructed to not make any further comments regarding this very serious matter."
Sources said Cohen was under psychiatric care Thursday night. He could not be reached for comment.
A quick look at Assemblyman Neil Cohen.
Assembly Democratic spokesman Derek Roseman declined to comment. Attorney General Anne Milgram and spokesman David Wald did not return phone messages.
Cohen, 57, is in his 17th year in the Assembly, having served from 1990 to 1991 and continuously since 1994. He chairs the Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee and is one of seven deputy speakers. He also is a long-time member of the Legislature's Joint Committee on Ethical Standards.
Lesniak and Cryan reported the Cohen matter to authorities on Monday.
"We have been in constant touch with the appropriate authorities throughout the situation and will continue to follow the Office of Legislative Services guidelines and counsel in this matter," Lesniak and Cryan said.
A law enforcement source said material seized from the raid of Cohen's office has been turned over the State Police Official Corruption Unit. The source, who declined to be identified because he was not permitted to speak publicly about the case, said the State Police have not yet looked at any of the evidence.
Cohen practices law in Montclair with Sen. Nia Gill (D-Essex).
Among the more than 100 laws Cohen has sponsored is one that created a 24-hour hotline for members of the public to report computer crimes, including child pornography. He also co-sponsored a law that retroactively removed immunity from churches, schools and other charities that negligently hire employees who sexually abuse children.
He also supported measures to support stem cell research, provide health insurance for mammograms, restrict strip searches and expand eligibility for the Pharmaceutical Assistance for the Aged and Disabled program.
He was one of the leaders last year of the effort to save the life of Congo, a German Shepherd condemned as a vicious dog after mauling a landscaper. Congo was spared for that incident only to be destroyed by his owners last month after attacking a family member. Cohen's measure to provide greater protections to dogs accused of being vicious, dubbed "Congo's Law," is still pending.
Word of the development spread quickly through Cohen's district. Roselle Mayor Garrett Smith, a Democrat but longtime opponent of Cohen and his supporters in the Union County Democratic organization, said, "My phone started ringing off the hook. I hit the floor when I heard the news. I'm speechless. It's incredible -- if it's true. I don't know what to think."
"I know he's kind of like a loner...but I've had no indication of anything like that," Smith said.
Third Ward Councilwoman Cecilia Dallis Ricks, a former Board of Education member, local Girl Scout leader and longtime Cohen supporter, was "totally shocked."
Prior to his election to the Legislature, Cohen served as a Union County freeholder from 1988 to 1990. He was the Union County Democratic Chairman during 1991 and 1992.
Cohen, who is not married, graduated from Athens University in Alabama and Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C. After a clerkship with a Superior Court judge, he began his legal career as a trial lawyer in the Middlesex County Public Defender's Office.
"Let me just give you one statement. This is how I feel. I have nothing but respect for Neil. I have no comment on any of the accusations," said Gleshia Givens, his chief of staff.
Staff writers Susan K. Livio, Carly Rothman and Rick Hepp contributed to this report.
Wow this is big. Was it a little boy or a little girl.
Now he is in the hospital to try to make us feel sorry for him.
Hilarious!!! Love to see this politican try and weasel his way out of this one. If true, I hope he gets a very long jail sentence.
Just what do you expect Blue movie values from a Blue state. The sad thing is that even when the jails are full of Liberal ex politicians the dumb NJ voters will still vote in more
he looks like Larry David (seinfeld creator, curb your enthusiasm);
nedbroy what was the name of the Assembly speaker during whitman's administration who the taxpayers had to bale out with the sexual harassment charge, was Chuck something (maybe Haitian)?
If I remember right he said he would fight it in court, then right before it went to court the whitman administration said it did not want to waste money at a trial and paid the lady off.
So much for republican ethics
Hey Doctorphil, very true and now we have our law makers this yr alone wow weazeling and feds still working on the ex mayor of newark & former senator and few others in trenton and this yr we had the ny gov with cg#9 whats next? i say VERY SAD TO SAY WE VOTED THEM IN OFFICE. Hey lets call on mr christie for this one ya think drphill?
Sexual harassment is a major issue but child porn is worse because it involves children. Children cannot fight back, adults have a shot at protecting themselves.
I'd like to see whats on the computers of Lesniak and Cryan. Lesniak is the most crooked politician in the state. He makes Jim McGreevey look like Little Lord Fauntleroy.
So Cohen got the heads up somehow on the discovery of the child porn on his computer and checks himself into a psych hospital? How does that work? Is the fact that he's a psychiatric patient give him some sort of sanctuary from being taken into custody by law enforcement?
I don't know whether Cohen's guilty or not. The investigation will bear that out. But these days, any perverted fool can send you an e-mail with an image of child porn embedded in it and it shows up on your computer. How many of us can be 100% sure there's nothing like that on our own hard drives?
Don't get me wrong child abuse in any way is wrong, and I have no qualms with anyone who is connected with the manufacturer of, distribution of or purchaser and user of child pornography being put in the middle of the worse prison of NJ with a sign on him or her say have fun during recreation time for Ambrose Harris.
I think crime has nothing to do what political party you belong to.
Go ahead Jerszzy526 Make that call and let him know we want to see whats on Sweetney, Codey
Papi Chulo Corruptzine and Roberto "el Salsero"
Lesinak & Cryan share the same office with Cohen.
I would be looking into those two. Both are "close" friends with Jimbo McGreevey. Just in time for election.
Lesniak has photos of his pal McGreevey on his pc probably dressed in outfits. Waiting for Lesniak to be carried away next.
Agree with Lohfuss , That could very well be one of the cases If that were true and the case who knows maybe one of his " Legislative Friends was the one who send him that Picture .
But back to the Play sand Box lol
I want to see whats on Frankie hard drive
I guess he is a democrat, because the article is full of quotes by democratic members of the state legislature, but never once does the article call Mr. Cohen a democrat Assemblyman - I doubt that would be the case if he was a republican... interesting
Holy Cow i can picture all the parents from his Home town Locking away all the small kids
indoors ..Bye Bye swimming Pool Bye Bye
Play yard times for the Kids .
Is that one of the reasons when they try to pass a Bill there is just full of it ?
Yes, beachrat25, he's a Democrat, and it says so in the second sentence.
This is the same guy who stud up for a vicious dog and criticized the victim because he was an illegal resident. I hope he rots in jail!!!
Isn't Newark looking for a new Superintendent of Schools? Go Democrats!
Ahh lucky for him he is a Democrat - so obviously the NJ Supreme Court will now declare child porn not only legal but noble.
Maybe Sharpe and Cohen can bunk together. Of course, it's not their fault. Let's see who Cohen blames.
Thats what happens when you think you're teflon. Every dog has its day! He's sick because he got caught.
thats not even something to joke about mayday u sick freak.
Psychiatric ward you say? Well the saying is true "LIBERALISM IS A MENTAL DISORDER"!!!!!
The article reports it was a shared computer, so let's not jump to conclusions just yet.
the pedophile holds a law degree he's not stupid - he knows damn well that if your "sick" (psycho) you can't be criminal - lets hope he at least flaps his gums and brings down Lesniak & Cryan too, he's got to have some sort of dirt on them. elliot spitzer did what ?
Yes, he's a Democrat, and his Democratic leadership turned him.
Very unlike the Republican Congressman Foley from Florida, whose Republican leadership, including Speaker Dennis Hastert, shamelessly covered up his interest in the House pages also so they wouldn't lose his seat. Well, they lost it. And they deservedly lost the House, too.
And this doesn't even include the Republican mayor of Spokane who used his city computer for gay sex encounters nor the Republican Washington state legislator who was caught with a male prostitute nor the Republican Florida state legislator caught propositioning an undercover male cop for oral sex.
What is the saying about one who lives in a glass house?
You finally broke a real news story, Josh! Congratulations! Now you know a real story from completely fabricated spin.
This couldn't have happened to a better person! He's also a sleeze divorce attorney. He and Nia Gill's firm represent mostly women and coach them to lie. They criminalize good hard working black fathers and present them in court as incapable individuals. Destroy the man and the family and leave it where the father has no rights to his own children. Imagine that! In a world where many men do not want anything to do with their children, the few that do - Cohen and Gill destroy them. In many cases, the children want to see their fathers and to have them in their lives. But for the sake of winning - Cohen and Gill will present anything to the court - and sadly no one questions it. This has been done enough where many in the industry know that he is a snake but no one stopped him nor said anything. I knew something was wrong with him. Who could do this and not be damaged in his spirit in some way. Someone needs to investigate those divorce and custody cases....and note the trend of making the father a criminal. Then, we'll see another demented side of him.
The Cohen, Cryan, Lesniak legislative office is like dorm rooms isn't it? Can't anyone access all computers? It must have been like the scene in "Goodfellas" when Ray Liotta, "Henry Hill" realizes that "Jimmy" (Robert DeNiro) was going to whack someone.
Keep it clean, children! You don't want to tarnish the reputation of our elected officials, do you? We went from the TGIF threesomes to kiddie porn in less than six months. I can't take much more of this.
How long did they look at the pictures before reporting this creep? If this computer can be accessed by others then his lawyers will have a field day and the nation will be laughing at NJ again. This state is slinking so low even the devil is scared. He thinks we are trying to take over his turf.
bmxbiker87 - are you angry about hime sticking up for the dog or the illegal?
Probably a set up from those 2 other crook. He didn't vote on what they wanted and set him up.
bmxbiker87 on 07/24/08 at 10:13PM
This is the same guy who stud up for a vicious dog and criticized the victim because he was an illegal resident. I hope he rots in jail!!!
nextmedia,
He's a divorce attorney?! Then let him suffer big time.
Remember people, the second amendment was written because political power corrupts. It has little to do with gun control. People like this creep are running around out of control in our government. Guys like Cohen and McGreevey feel they know what best for society. Give us all a break. Run these scumbags out of town.
BEACHRAT25 HAD IT RIGHT, there is no mention of his being a Democrat until the 3rd from last paragraph. And even then it just says he was "Union County Democratic Chairman during 1991 and 1992." NOWHERE in the column do we see the (D) after his name. What happened Josh you forgot that? If he was a Republican, I'm betting you would have had that in the headline or very 1st sentence. You aren't biased, are you?? Likevikes and Aurora21 are 2 of those 'brain dead' NJ voters I am always railing about.
He will say that he was researching and things just got out of hand. :)
If he gets away with this their is diffinitely something wrong with this state. All the politicians are pedophiles.
Child pornography is heinous and if he is guilty, he should be punished to the full extent of the law.
HOWEVER, a friend of mine is both an attorney and a police officer. Happily married with two children. He started getting child porn on his computer everyday! He had to have his computer person block it. He suspected that someone he had arrested was doing it.
The point is, before we find him guilty, we have to wait for the facts. We need to know whether the congressman was set up or whether he is guilty of the offense.
AH! Love it when supposed powerful white folks get caught.:D
Here's a novel thought. If indeed the child porn was being sent to him without him knowing, why wouldn't the attorney general's office investigate this privately to make sure that it wasn't him retrieving the material before they announced it to the media. Even if he's not guilty of these accusations, the guys image is tarnished for life. Unless the AG's office has concrete proof but they're not saying that in the news clip.
Looks like Neil Cohen has been framed by the slimey democrats
he knows something and Ray Lesniak and Joe Cryan are scared
because he can alert the feds. Just another snowjob. The walls
are tumbling down in Union County NJ...
and normal people wonder why kiddie porn scumbags get away with thier crimes...its because they have freinds in high places! What a great country child molester allowed to make the laws. That would be like having drug dealers make up the drug laws!
While dining at San Vito's restaurant in Bayonne about four weeks ago at another table was disgraced former Assemblyman Anthony Impreveduto who resigned from Secaucus, Neil Cohen soon to be former and former Mayor and current Commissioner of Community Affairs Joe Doria.
I hope they were not trading tapes?
They were talking about getting a piece of the BLRA property in Bayonne for their partners(hip).
How low can Doria go?
just another liberal telling us how to live..
but living quite differently.
Sen John Edwards outed in California with the
love of his life and daughter. No not his wife
who has cancer but his lady on the left coast.
The democrat party and as Nancy Pelosi calls
it the culture of corruption.
Hopefully they need higher union dues to fund
their games.
ANOTHER REASON why I DON'T VOTE and am proud of that fact.......They USE the sheeplike populace to enhance themselves, and the stupid sheeplike populaces continue to regret it.....how dumb can the "patriotic" voter (sheep) get ???......the prostitute politician may better themselves, but NOT with my help
Maybe Cohn and Sharpe James can get adjoining cells? Awful that he is on suicide watch now and they just don't let him save taxpayers money.
Citykid50,
Doria ruined Bayonne. You'd figure, with all his poltical clout, he'd help that town. All he did was put it a good 30 million in the hole then he slithered away like a snake to the job he has now in the state. The taxes on homeowners are insane in Bayonne and he had a lot to do with that which is why I'm no longer a resident. Then again, most of NJ is overtaxed but in Bayonne, it's out of control.
is it that bad in other states? we're getting bad news about our public leaders almost daily
Lesniak and Cryan are up to somthing.
Lesniak is all over the news lately,for years he kept out of the spot light.
Lesniak never married,was McGreevey's best friend.
Now they turn in Cohen?
This is Great Union county politics.
I'm not a great Fan of Cohen but something is not right here.
Lesniak and Cryan know they are being investigated along with Linda Stender.
The whole Union county bunch may be sharing jail time.
i thought I read a post about them replacing all the computers in the office. Who knows what the others we up to on those computers. Mayday where did u go. Was it Cryan and his addiction to porn? hookers? sex? Or Ray and who know what???? The scary lives of 3 single white men and the net.
Wait a second - what does this have to do with Greg Schiano's contract? I don't see the connection...
I can hear it now:
It was research so I could get a better understanding of the dangers to our young citizens........
When an adult is sexually fixated at a jevenile state, it will eventually manifest itself because the obsessive thoughts result in compulsions.. It is very difficult for them not to engage in some form of illegal acts.
Luckiliy they caught him now and hopefully there aren't any victims....
Like a poster above, we do have to wait for all the facts..
So why is NJ is one of the few states that have Jessica's Law?
uidiot- That seems to be the direction the U.S. is heading.
1. Stop guessing the end of the story while the plot is still unfolding.
2. This sort of thing has nothing to with Democrat or Republican, married or unmarried.
Is like Pete Townshend? Was Cohen collecting these images for "research"?
Let us hope they don't print the pictures of Lesniak and Cryan . Two bigger immoral rats would be hard to find even in Trenton.
I'm a bit suspicious that Lesniak and Cryan are the whistleblowers. Both are masters of spin and diversion. I wonder on what Cohen was not cooperating with those two and/or what bad press was coming to Lesniak or Cryan. I'm sure they knew about it for a while and don't doubt the info was released at a time beneficial to them.
Remember, Lesniak masterminded the outing of McGreavey at a time when Chris Christie was indicting politicians on a daily basis, and McGreavey was on a short list of corrupt officials (Machiavelli) effectively taking the wind out of his sail.
It isn't always a "liberal" that breaks laws. There are plenty of "conservatives" that do also. For example, look at the White House.
Hmmmmmm......Lesniak and Cryan turning in a political teammate on the WORST possible accusations. I hope they are not that devious to set up Mr. Cohen for their own benefit. Maybe they did. I know one thing for sure. NOTHING that goes on in NJ Politics can surprise me anymore. I hope WE ALL join together and say THATS ENOUGH. OUT WITH ALL OF YOU. This is an embarrassment to everyone who lives, raises a family, pays taxes and YES loves NJ.
Lesniak and Cryan, along with Codey, Roberts and Corzine, are leaders who will say or do anything even if they contradict themselves. Why not, most NJ voters are too stupid to realize what is good for them.
New Jersey, you get what you deserve.
Regarding Cohen...if he is found guilty he should simply be executed. This is not curable, once a child pornographer always a child pornograhper. Execute the low lives so they will never be a threat to children.
Judging from all of the articles, there are those who appear to have known about this for some time. That is a disgrace.They should all be investigated.
OK, it looks like we need a law against looking at kiddie porn for "research purposes" since that's what some of the comments seem to indicate will be the defense;
Well, Well, Well,
Yet another Morally Depraved Degenerate communist. What else can we expect from these scum. The problem here as the Communists (Democrats) would say is that the child that was abused should have been terminated in the womb. In short it's the childs fault...
Dump the Communists -
MORE SLIM IN NJ
IF HE GOES TO JAIL AND GETS RAPED IT WILL BE ENJOYMENT FOR HIM ON OUR TAX DOLLAR.
LETS START SAVING SOME TAX MONEY AND SPEND 32 CENTS FOR BULLET. I AM SURE THERE WOULD BE A LONG LINE OF PEOPLE WILLING TO FIRE THE GUN. TAKE A NUMBER. BECAUSE THERE IS A LONG LIST OF SCUMS IN JAIL WE CAN USE 32 CENT BULLET ON .
THINK OF THE MONEY WE WOULD SAVE
THERE'S THAT OLD SAYING WHAT YOU DO IN THE DARK SHALL COME TO THE LIGHT....ALL OF THE SUDDEN HE NEEDS THE HOSPITAL....IS THAT SO ONE OF THOSE INMATES PARENTS DON'T GET AHOLD OF HIM....AND DO THE SAME RIGHT BACK..HUMMMM????
I hope throw the book at him. But of course he conveniently admitted himself into a psychiatric treatment facility just to help his legal defense. He is going to be labeled a sick man that is truly sorry for what he did and forgiven. While some of us a few days a go posted horrible comments about a man that had outstanding warrants for stealing candy and ended up dying in police custody. So far I have not seen a single comment from those that called the dead guy names and singled him out because he "stole candy". WHERE THE HECK ARE THE COMMENTS FROM THEM, THIS GUYS HERE HAS KIDDIE PORN!!!!!! HE IS A FREAKING PERV!!! THE LOWEST OF THE LOW!!!!!! I agree with all of you that think he's lower than DIRT!!!!
Keep voting in the same losers....I'm sure Mr. Lesniak will say it was "misfortune" to have child porn on the computer....When are people going to start voting on the person and the persons character instead of whether they are a Dem or Republican????
What's the problem with you Democrats?From Sharpie James to McGreevey.You can't just behave.Just like children.It's time to take all you dems behind the woodshed for a good spankin!
AWW NOW NOW WHY IS { NEIL COHEN} IN THE SICKWARD TODAY FOR EVALUATION WOW THE DEMOCRATS ARE GOING DEEPER WITH BAD POLITICIANS GOOD FOR THEM HEY JON MAYBE YOU CAN BAIL HIM OUT OR MAYBE OABMA WONT GET THE DEMO's vote after all FROM NJ HAHAH ROFL nj laughing stock in america today ya all.. NOW DONT TELL ME SOME ARE SHELL SCHOCKED ABOUT THIS ON HIS TAXPAYERS LAPTOP LETS HEAR MORE HERE ASAP..NJ PEOPLE HAVE A SAY HERE! WOW I HAVE A HEADACHE ABOUT NOW.
i also purposely spelled{obama's name in my posting! so be it.....anything more? ahuh ahuh thats the way we like it..
For one thing innocent till proven guilty in the USA ! ZACTLY CALVINO I AGREE AND MANY MORE TO GO DOWN IN NJ POLITICS ..I REST MY CASE SAD DAY IN NJ HUH .....ANOTHER DEMOCRATIC REGIME GOES DOWN THIS MONTH....WAKE UP NJ...
Many of you sound a lot like people watching the aristos being murdered at the guillotine.
The most important fact in this article, is that Assemblyman Cohen shared the computer that was seized for evidence with the men who are his accusers.
I have very little interest in NJ politics, but that leads me to ask, could he possibly be that stupid, to have illegal files on a computer he shares, and is he being set up?
Lot’s of comments about political affiliation, but everyone missed the obvious.
Cohen huh? Hmmmm. Now what nation state in the Middle East is the worlds largest trafficker in the illegal sexual slave trade, including lot’s of under age minors?
Birds of a feather.
More proof positive that LIBERALISM IS A DANGEROUS MENTAL DISORDER. The only thing required for membership in so called,
"Progressive Politics" is that you check your God given conscience at the door. May the boys of cell block 69 teach Mr. Cohen a lesson on perversion that he will never forget. Look up the word ugly in the dictionary, 2 pictures are there. Mr. Cohen inside and out.
Yeah, conservatism certainly provides better representation:
Republican Congressman Mark Foley abruptly resigned from Congress after "sexually explicit" emails surfaced showing him flirting with a 16-year old boy.
Republican Party Chairman Donald Fleischman was charged with two counts of child enticement, two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a child and a single charge of exposing himself to a child.
Republican prosecutor John David Roy Atchison was arrested for soliciting sex from a 5-year old girl, then killed himself three weeks later. At the time of his arrest, Atchison was an "assistant U.S. attorney" appointed by President Bush's attorney general.
Republican chairman of the Oregon Christian Coalition Lou Beres confessed to molesting a 13-year old girl.
Republican County Constable Larry Dale Floyd pleaded guilty to charges of soliciting sex from an 8-year old girl. Floyd has repeatedly won elections for Denton County, Texas, constable.
Republican Mayor Philip Giordano is serving a 37-year sentence in federal prison for sexually abusing 8- and 10-year old girls.
Republican Mayor Tom Adams was arrested for distributing child pornography over the internet.
Republican Mayor John Gosek was arrested on charges of soliciting sex from two 15-year old girls.
Republican County Commissioner David Swartz pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 11 and was sentenced to 8 years in prison.
Republican pastor Mike Hintz, whom George W. Bush commended during the 2004 presidential campaign, surrendered to police after admitting to a sexual affair with a female juvenile.
Republican activist and Christian Coalition leader Beverly Russell admitted to an incestuous relationship with his step daughter.
Republican Judge Ronald C. Kline pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on his home computer.
Republican congressman and anti-gay activist Robert Bauman was charged with having sex with a 16-year-old boy he picked up at a gay bar.
And too many others to list here.
I am not for this stuff in the slightest, bu tanybod ycould have downloaded or hacked that stuff into his computer.
The other poster may have a point, he may be guilty of being a suspected JjjjjJjjjj, can't say it, lol. Have to remain politically correct.
MAY HE NOT GET ANY KIND OF DEAL FROM PROSECUTORS. LET HIM SWEAT IT OUT AND GO AWAY. I CAN'T BELIEVE HIS BUDDY AND MENTOR, RAY LESNIAK TURNED HIM IN. I BET RAY GOES DOWN WITH NEIL.
HEY NEIL, WHEN YOU GO DOWN, I'LL BE LAUGHING AT YOU. IF YOU KNEW WHO I WAS, YOU WOULD KNOW WHY.
I'm a Board Member of GONJ, and for 20 years have known, and on occasion, worked with Assy. Neil Cohen.
Mr. Cohen has caused grave injury to the Firearm Ownership Rights of NJ Firearm Owners, but he also worked with us to aid us.
It is not often discussed, but at the time of doing his greatest damage to our Rights, Mr. Cohen was working HAND IN GLOVE, and with the ACQUIESENCE of, the leadership of NJ's own Gun Rights Nincompoops, "The Coalition of NJ Sportsmen", who in turn, were working closely with the then current NJ NRA Representative!
That's correct sports fans-YOUR NJ "Gun Rights Leaders" okayed the deal that gave you the worst state level "Gun Control" law in the entire country!
How do you like those apples?
I haven't often agreed with Mr. Cohen, nor with what he has done FOR "GUN CONTROL", but, when, by "NJ Gun Rights Leaders", being ADVISED AND ASSISTED in his work, does Neil Cohen deserve all the blame?
I think not!
Assy. Neil Cohen is a committed, die hard Liberal, but someone who honestly believes that he is working for the, as he sees it, common good of the people. I disagree with almost all of Assy. Cohen's political positions, but deeply respect him for the process, when he forms them, that he forces himself to endure.
Assy. Cohen has rarely been a Firearms Owners Friend, but he has ALWAYS been willing to listen when we had a case to make, and has, on occasion after listening to our side of an issue, assisted us with that issue.
Assy. Cohen has evidently been conquered by his personal demons, which only goes to show how human we all are. If he has broken the law, he should be punished, and punished to the full measure of that law. Undoubtedly his political, and possibly, his legal career are finished, but his departure will not leave the State of NJ the richer for it.
We will have lost a dedicated public servant, who, from my perspective was very misguided in most of the political positions he took, but nevertheless, a dedicated public servant who, as he saw it, courageously did his duty.
I think it unseemly to gloat over the (possibly criminal) personal and public tragedy and disgrace that have befallen him. Who of us is so perfect that we have the right to judge another conquered by regrettable, but all too common personal weakness? There, but for the Grace of God, could be some of US imperfect creatures of The Lord.
I urge upon all of you who read this to reflect on your own personal weaknesses, and to pray that Assy. Cohen finds the strength to overcome his demons, and in some manner other than public office continue in his life long quest to assist those in need. His personal faults to the contrary, Neil Cohen is a superb lawyer, and was, a dedicated, though much too Liberal for me, representative of his constituents.
I wish him all the best; I shall miss him.
Larry Farrell
Board Member
GONJ
Seeing that it was a shared computer, we MUST await a full investigation before making assumptions.
However, if Cohen immediately checked himself into a psychiatric hospital upon learning of the investigation, it suggests that he is planning an insanity defense, which does not assert innocence, but rather means: "I did it, but I did not know it was wrong due to mental defect OR that "I knew it was wrong, but a mental disorder has left me without the ability to control myself". Good luck with that one.
Had he come out and said "I was framed" AND "I AM INNOCENT" I think he would be in much better shape. The evidence against him must be pretty strong.
Congratulations New Jersey Democrats showing your true bright colors. This is your best and brightest. At least a typical New Jersey scum bag politician and you wonder why everyone is leaving this state in droves.
This is who you feel everyone should look up to, trust with your money, and your children’s future. Nice little police state, I am sure your other corrupt sleaze bags democrats will go in to cover up mode sweep it under the rug, but that lump is getting kind of large is it not?
District 20(D) *NEIL COHEN D- He is no friend of the Bill of Rights or the Second Amendment.
what if the image were a girl's head photoshopped onto an adult body? what if it were a digitally created image of a nude child? what if he possessed drawings of a nude girl? what if he drew those pictures himself? what if it was "art" and exhibited at a gallery? what if he thought about nude girls? what if he was a member of a nudist club and looked at actual nude children? what if he vacationed at Sandy Hook? What if he never, ever, inappropriately touched a child? What if....