Jackson Hewitt consultant confirms involvement in tax credit application

A whistleblower testifed yesterday that a consulting firm Jackson Hewitt hired to seek millions in tax incentives from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority was aware that the application included false statements.

Timothy R. Comerford, a senior vice president at Princeton-based Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Company, was the consultant responsible for the application, the New Jersey Globe has learned.

“I was involved, but I have no comment at this point,” Comerford told the Globe.

Comerford would not his role in obtaining tax credits for Jackson Hewitt or other companies he he represents with past or pending applications for tax incentives with the EDA.

Publicly available records show numerous clients of the Biggins firm have received lucrative tax credit deals in recent years.

“I don’t have any comment at this time,” he said.

Comerford ran Public Service Electric & Gas’ site development, utility relocation and economic development departments before joining the tax incentives advisory firm.

The whistleblower, Gulsen Kama, told the New Jersey Tax Incentive Tax Force that the consultant, who was not named at the hearing but subsequently identified by the Globe, was responsible for submitting the Jackson Hewitt application to the EDA.

“We were advised at the time by the consulting firm that we needed to have credible out of state  alternatives included in the applications,” Karma said, noting the Jackson Hewitt executives knowing presented a false CEO certification to the EDA to obtain a GrowNJ assistance grant.

The decision to relocate to Jersey City was already a done deal, Kama said.

“The analysis included all of the locations both in state and out of state being considered for the relocation and the financials associated with those locations,” said Kama.

The Biggins firm specializes in “location economics” and has other clients who have received grants from the NJEDA.   Their website touts skills of negotiating state, local and utility incentives, and tax credit sales and assignments.

In a promotional video his company uses to pitch clients, executive managing director Jay Biggins said that “companies understand that these are important bargains and that they’re receiving scarce public resources in consideration for bringing jobs and investments”

“All of our clients understand that they are corporate citizens.  Their corporate reputations are one of their most important assets,” Biggins said.  “It is an abiding theme that a corporate reputation will be enhanced and never diminished.”

Biggins contributed $3,700 to Gov. Chris Christie’s 2013 re-election campaign, about eighteen months before the Jackson Hewitt application was approved.