When Steven Fulop shocked the Jersey City political machine with a 2005 City Council win over incumbent Junior Maldonado, many hailed the Iraq War veteran and Goldman Sachs banker as a fresh face in Hudson County politics.

But newly surfaced documents obtained by the Jersey City Times via public records requests suggest that Fulop’s political origin story may be far more complicated—and tainted.

According to a sworn statement made in 2008 by informant William Cortez, as many as three vanloads of people were driven to polling stations on Election Day 2005 and instructed to vote using false identities—allegedly with Fulop’s knowledge and approval.

The man Cortez said orchestrated the fraud? “Tommy”—widely believed to be Thomas Bertoli, Fulop’s longtime political ally, fixer, and former campaign manager.

Key Allegations from the Statement:

• Cortez and others were allegedly given names to use at the polls at Fulop’s campaign office.
• Each individual was reportedly paid $1,000 for casting fraudulent votes.
• Fulop allegedly met Cortez in person and was aware of the scheme.
• Fulop won the election by 346 votes, meaning illegal ballots could have swung the race.

Though the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office (HCPO) produced two draft subpoenas related to the allegations, it did not confirm whether a grand jury was ever impaneled or why the case did not result in charges. The results of the investigation remain undisclosed.

Meanwhile, Fulop—now running for governor—has repeatedly emphasized transparency and open government as pillars of his campaign. Yet, his office refused to comment when asked whether he would call for the HCPO to release the case’s findings.

Political Gamesmanship in 2005

The 2005 campaign was already rife with controversial tactics:

• Flyers encouraged Puerto Rican voters to “keep the seat Puerto Rican,” allegedly as a tactic to provoke racial voting lines.
• A forged flyer implied Fulop was endorsed by then-Mayor Jerramiah Healy—Bertoli later admitted to distributing it.
• Cortez also claimed the campaign paid him to remove Maldonado’s posters.

Bertoli’s Legacy

Bertoli, known in Hudson County as “The Janitor” for his ability to fix political problems, later became embroiled in his own scandal. He was indicted in 2020 for failing to pay taxes on his expediting business and pleaded guilty in 2022.

Despite these scandals, Bertoli defended the Fulop campaign, calling the voter fraud accusation “politically motivated” and “patently false.”

“We beat the machine fair and square,” Bertoli said via his attorney. “This was 20 years ago, and nothing ever came of it because it was never true.”

The informant, Cortez, ultimately pleaded guilty to credit card fraud and received a three-year sentence.

As the gubernatorial race heats up, questions around Fulop’s past—and whether his rise was truly clean—could prove pivotal.

Sources:

• Jersey City Times: https://jcitytimes.com — Original investigative reporting and public records
• New York Post: “Hudson County voter fraud exposed by longtime campaign insider”
• Bloomberg: Profile of Thomas Bertoli’s influence in Hudson County politics
• Jersey Journal Archives: 2005 campaign coverage and police report on flyer incident
• Public Records via OPRA: HCPO subpoena drafts and sworn transcript of William Cortez (2008)
• Court Records: U.S. v. Thomas Bertoli (2020–2022)