Public Safety Director Steps Down; Met With FBI Informant Twice

UPDATED with Mayor Dawn Zimmer's response: 8:23 p.m.

Public Safety Director Angel Alicea is stepping down from his post because he met twice with FBI Informant Solomon Dwek without ever disclosing the information to the mayor, according to a statement from City Hall on Friday night.

Dwek is the FBI informant whose testimony helped convict former Mayor Peter Cammarano on charges of accepting illegal campaign contributions. He also met;

The mayor said in a phone interview that she was "surprised" to hear that Alicea had met with Dwek twice. "I truly wish he had disclosed this," Zimmer said.

Zimmer also expressed that she was very surprised to hear about the meeting, especially since it was not the first time "we've had this discussion." In 2009 there were rumblings about Alicea's possible involvement with the informant.

She added that Alicea is resigning because he had never told the mayor about his meetings. Zimmer said she didn't know what was disussed in the two meetings between Dwek and Alicea.

In those meetings, Dwek posed as a developer interested in making campaign contributions in return for favorable treatment by city officials.

The meetings occured when Alicea was running for council on Cammarano's council ticket.

Alicea did not immediately return three phone calls. 

"(Alicea) and I mutually agreed today that in light of Hoboken’s recent history and the fact that he had failed to disclose this information either publicly or to me, he could no longer serve effectively in his position as Public Safety Director," the mayor said in Friday's statement.

Alicea lost the election, but was appointed public safety director at $27,500 a year by Cammarano. After Cammarano's arrest he stayed on the job.

The mayor said she asked U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman to release any other FBI tapes he may have of this or other meetings. The mayor has also filed a Freedom of Information Request with the Department of Justice.