Ridgefield Mayor Under Pressure to Resign

Suarez has refused to step down

The Borough Council in Ridgefield, New Jersey have voted 4-to-2 for a resolution to have Ridgefield Mayor Anthony Suarez resign following his arrest last week on corruption charges.

But Suarez has refused to step down, and in a statement he said he was not involved in the scandal and will "ultimately be exonerated."

Of the seven elected officials arrested in the New Jersey corruption sting last week, none have resigned their positions.

Meanwhile Monday, embattled Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy has taken action against elected and appointed officials arrested in last Thursday's corruption sweep.
    
Healy has issued a statement saying he has suspended without pay those city employees who were charged in the investigation.
    
Arrested last week were Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini and nearly a dozen other city employees in Jersey City. Most are charged with accepting bribes from a federal cooperating witness posing as a developer looking to gain approvals for a building project.

Healy also said Monday that he has done nothing wrong and plans to continue running New Jersey's second-largest city.

The development came as federal authorities said they are closely watching five other people in connection with the corruption sting.  The names of those under watch is not known and it is unclear if any charges will materialize.

The FBI rounded up 44 people in the corruption sweep.
    

Copyright The Associated Press
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