Turnpike_Grand_Jury_Presentment

Assistant Chief Engineer for Design, the Assistance Chief Engineer for Construction or the
Director of Facilities may also be present depending upon the projects up for discussion. The
Contracts Administrator, a position once held by Hatalowich, facilitated the process.
Despite the procedure described above, there was a behind the scenes process that, in
many instances, involved the pre-selection of preferred firms by the Senate. Chief of Staff
Lepore explained that Senate officials would learn of work becoming available at the Turnpike
and would call Turnpike CEO Brimmeier and tell him which firm, vendor, or consultant they
wanted to steer Turnpike work to. Generally, their requests were honored. Lepore explained the
instances that the Senate did not get their pick accordingly, “Sometimes, frankly, because there’s
- - remember, we got the Senate Ds [Democrats], Senate Rs [Republicans], administration, and
commissioners. If there’s not enough to take care of everybody that round, they would say,
Tony, we can’t do it this time, but next time you will get the mother lode of it. Generally, that
kept us happy.”
George Hatalowich took his direction from CEO Joseph Brimmeier and Commissioner
Mitchell Rubin, and led the charge both before and during the official meetings of the Technical
Review Committee. Lepore described Hatalowich’s role to the Grand Jury,
During this time of both him getting close to the apex, when we would call Mitchell,
especially when we called Mitchell and he would come over, he would bring George with
him. Sometimes when Joe came over, he brought George with him. When we would go
to Senator #6’s house for picnics . . . George would be there and some other turnpike
guys flipping burgers, as a matter of fact. George came over. He was involved in it. He
wasn’t Joe Brimmeier and he wasn’t Mitchell. But a lot of times if I had an issue, they
would say, call George and he’ll work it out. . . . He was what we would call a yes man.
When Mitchell said get this done, he said yes. When Joe said get this done, he said yes.
The Grand Jury heard testimony from numerous witnesses and reviewed several exhibits which
support this.
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