Corruption Bust Offers Lens on Development in New Jersey

In Jersey City especially, a recent building boom had transformed the city. The corruption bust sheds light on how that boom happened and what problems remain in the system.

"The criminal complaints paint a picture of building and zoning departments where influence, connections and payoffs determine who gets a prompt hearing and a smooth approval process on their applications and who is left at the mercy of a process so seemingly dysfunctional that developers sometimes budget for bribes."