Corzine Pays $360K to Ex's Brother-in-Law

Gov. Jon S. Corzine has paid $362,500 to the brother-in-law of his ex-girlfriend to settle a dispute over whether the governor reneged on a promise to find him a private-sector job.

Corzine told The Star-Ledger of Newark that he completed the confidential deal with Rocco Riccio, a former state employee, in late September after Riccio threatened to sue him. The governor said his lawyers recommended that he reach a settlement so he could avoid a costly court battle.

"A person I once considered a friend made meritless claims regarding what he believed to be a promise to help him secure private sector employment," Corzine told the newspaper for a story posted on its Web site Saturday night.

"He hired a lawyer and threatened to file a lawsuit against me personally to force an accommodation," Corzine added. "To avoid a prolonged and costly court battle, and on the advice of my lawyers, a financial settlement of his legal claims was negotiated and agreed to."

Corzine declined further comment, referring all other questions to his lawyer, Angelo Genova.

Riccio is the brother-in-law of state worker union leader Carla Katz, who dated Corzine from 2002 to 2004 when Corzine was a U.S. senator. Riccio has said he was promised a private-sector job by Corzine's staff that never materialized.

Besides the settlement, Riccio plans to apply for reinstatement to a job at the state Treasury, where he worked before taking a job with the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

Riccio has said Corzine staffers asked him to resign the latter post after he was accused of improperly reviewing tax records of the governor's political enemies. Riccio has said looking at tax records was part of his job and denied any wrongdoing.