O’Dea Slams McGreevey as “Disgraced and Corrupt” in Escalating Jersey City Mayoral Race

JERSEY CITY — Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea has launched his most aggressive attack yet against former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey, releasing a new television and digital ad branding McGreevey a “corrupt” and “disgraced” politician whose past controversies, O’Dea argues, make him unfit to lead Jersey City.

The 30-second spot, titled “The Real Jim McGreevey,” began airing this week across multiple platforms. It highlights some of the most controversial moments in McGreevey’s political and post-political career — including his 2004 resignation as governor, his handling of public funds as head of the Jersey City Employment & Training Program (JCETP), and questions surrounding his county employment benefits.

Resignation that Shook Trenton

McGreevey’s downfall as governor remains one of the most dramatic in New Jersey’s political history. In 2004, he abruptly announced his resignation after admitting an extramarital affair with a man he had appointed to a state homeland security advisory post — a move that drew widespread criticism and raised concerns about cronyism and misuse of public office.

(Source: New York Times, Aug. 2004)

That scandal ended McGreevey’s governorship and left a long-lasting shadow over his political legacy. O’Dea’s ad calls the episode “a betrayal of public trust that embarrassed New Jersey on a national stage.”

Employment Program Fallout

The ad also revisits McGreevey’s tenure as executive director of the now-defunct Jersey City Employment & Training Program. According to local reporting at the time, McGreevey was removed from his position amid allegations of mismanagement and misuse of program funds — though no formal criminal charges were ever filed.

(Sources: Hudson County View, Jersey Journal archives)

O’Dea’s campaign says the episode exemplifies “a pattern of failed leadership and questionable ethics.”

Controversy Over County Benefits

The O’Dea campaign further accuses McGreevey of exploiting his brief county employment to secure lifetime taxpayer-funded health benefits. County records confirm McGreevey briefly worked at Hudson County’s jail system several years ago; however, public documentation confirming lifetime benefits remains unclear.

O’Dea has called on McGreevey to “reimburse taxpayers and forfeit those benefits immediately,” characterizing them as “an insult to every working-class family paying property taxes in Jersey City.”

Tax Record Under Fire

The ad also faults McGreevey for supporting steep tax hikes during his time as governor, alleging he presided over “the highest income and sales taxes in New Jersey history.” While McGreevey’s administration did propose and enact several tax increases between 2002 and 2004, independent analysts note that subsequent administrations have approved comparable or higher rates in certain brackets.

(Sources: NJ Treasury archives, state budget records)

Campaign Silence from McGreevey Camp

As of press time, McGreevey’s campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment regarding the O’Dea ad or the accusations contained in it.

Political observers say the ad marks a sharp escalation in what is expected to be one of Hudson County’s most heated municipal races in decades. O’Dea has sought to frame the contest as a referendum on ethics and accountability, while McGreevey’s campaign has largely focused on rehabilitation, re-entry programs, and city workforce initiatives.

Background: A Polarizing Figure’s Comeback

McGreevey has spent much of the past decade working on criminal re-entry and social service initiatives, seeking to rebrand himself as a public servant dedicated to second chances. Yet for many voters, his gubernatorial resignation and subsequent controversies remain defining.

“McGreevey’s comeback attempt may face headwinds from his own past,” said a Hudson County political analyst who spoke on background. “O’Dea’s ad doesn’t introduce new information — it reminds voters of what’s already public record, and that alone could be politically damaging.”

With election season intensifying, the question now facing Jersey City voters is whether they are ready to forgive a former governor long associated with one of New Jersey’s most notorious political scandals — or whether O’Dea’s portrayal of a “disgraced” career will resonate more strongly.