Corzine Campaign Aide Busted on Drug Charges?

Well, I figure you have to be high on something to support Jon Corzine. But who knew his campaign aides were so heavy into the drugs?

A man who identified himself as an official with New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine's re-election campaign was arrested last night after cops found found ecstasy tablets wrapped and ready to be sold in his car, police said.

Jason Shih, 25, was pulled over by East Rutherford cops at about 11:30 p.m. last night because he was talking on his cell phone on Route 17, said Lt. Chris Conforti of the East Rutherford police.

Officers wound up finding 19 "blue star" ecstasy tablets in Shih's car, each wrapped in its own little plastic bag.

Shih -- who was stopped within 100 feet of Becton Regional High School -- also had had "several hundred" empty plastic bags in his car, Conforti said.

Maybe he was so whacked out he's spinning stories.

Corzine spokeswoman Elisabeth Smith said Shih is not on the payroll of the campaign or the New Jersey Democratic State Committee, and that the campaign doesn't know who he is.

Shih was charged with possession of drugs, possession of drugs in a school zone, intent to distribute drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was also charged with two motor vehicle violations -- driving while using a cell phone and having drugs in his car.

ABC 7 in New York has this link but it's disabled.

Corzine campaign worker arrested

Interesting. For some reason no New Jersey papers that I can find have this story.

Update: NewsBusters noticed the WABC story was scrubbed but found a link where the story was captured.

Jason Shih, an Assistant Deputy Director to the campaign of NJ Gov. Jon Corzine was arrested last night on drug charges.

East Rutherford police say they pulled over the 25-year-old on Route 17 for driving while using a cell phone.

Police say they found 19 ecstasy pills and several hundred glassine envelopes.

He was charged with possession of a controlled narcotic and paraphernalia that is used for distribution.

Emphasis mine. An Assistant Deputy Director of his campaign? Now if that indeed is the case where did this information come from?

Update: A story is now up at nj.com.

A Paramus man claiming to work for Gov. Jon Corzine’s reelection campaign was arrested Friday night on drug charges after police found Ecstasy tablets in his car, authorities said.

A Corzine spokeswoman said the man does not work for either the governor’s campaign or the Democratic State Committee.

Jason Shih, 25, was pulled over on Route 17 by East Rutherford police at about 11:30 p.m. last night for talking on his cell phone. Police found 19 Ecstasy tablets and hundreds of small glassine bags used for distributing drugs, police spokesman Capt. William Schanel said.

Schanel said Shih told police he was an official in Corzine’s campaign, and several tickets to tomorrow’s rally with President Obama at Newark’s Prudential Center were found in his car.

“As he’s exiting the vehicle, he’s stating it’s not mine,” Schanel said. “He just said I’m assistant deputy director of Gov. Corzine’s campaign, and they rented this vehicle for my use.”

Schanel said the vehicle was rented, but said it is unclear who rented it. He said Shih is not suspected of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol -- just very nervous.

“His hands were shaking,” Schanel said.

Here's a cached version of the WABC story that disappeared earlier.

Linked at Instapundit. Thanks!

Update: Via Steve W from Ford in the comments, look what we've got here.

New Jersey Democratic State Cmte Expenditure Detail

Shih, Jason, Paramus, NJ $420 Field Consulting Services 11/03/06

Granted, this is three years old, but I have to assume it's the same Jason Shih, as searches turn up only one Jason Shih in Paramus. So at some point it appears he did some work for the New Jersey Democrats.

Update: Hmmm. The Post story now redirects here. The Star-Ledger story still exists. For now...