Mr. Monmouth County. A founding father of Brookdale Community College. Local Republican Party icon.
Corrupt politician?
What a difference a couple of weeks made for the reputation of Harry Larrison, a man whose term of service on the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders dated back to Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidency.
Upon his retirement from the board in December, Larrison was celebrated by colleagues for his distinguished record of public service. His legacy seemed assured as the longest-serving freeholder in state history and a policy maker who helped guide Monmouth’s growth from a sleepy rural area to a modern suburb that offers a quality of life considered to be one of the best in America.
And despite being charged in an ongoing federal corruption probe last week, there are some who will continue to remember him that way.
“I think he still deserves recognition for the many things he has done for the county over the years,” longtime colleague Freeholder Tom Powers said. “He helped put Brookdale Com-munity College on the map, he helped create a great county library system, helped get the police academy going. The list goes on and on. I don’t think we can dismiss these things.”
The roll call of local politicians accused of corrupt activity in our county continues to grow. But the thought that Larrison may have squandered almost 40 years of goodwill over a measly $8,500 in bribes is perhaps the most disappointing commentary of all.
There is another troubling aspect about this situation. Every person arrested and charged by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will have the opportunity to clear his name in court, but Larrison may not.
Many suspect that the authorities had no illusion that this case would ever see trial and wanted to show their cards on this political giant while they could. Now in the twilight of his life and in the late stages of three forms of cancer, time is not on Larrison’s side.