Political Consultant Admits Hiring 2 Men to Kill Longtime Associate

The next day, after learning that the victim was dead, Mr. Caddle met the first man hired in the scheme in the parking lot of an Elizabeth diner and paid him thousands of dollars more, the filing says. The man split the money with his accomplice, according to the court papers. They are identified only as “CC-1” and “CC-2.”

The Journal reported at the time that firefighters responding to a blaze at Mr. Galdieri’s Mallory Avenue apartment had found him fatally stabbed. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide, The Journal reported, adding that investigators believed the fire was meant to cover up the killing.

Mr. Galdieri’s father, James Galdieri, was a state senator and his grandfather, also James Galdieri, served briefly in the State Assembly. Reached by phone on Tuesday, Michael Galdieri’s sister, Virginia, declined to comment on behalf of his family.

While much of Mr. Caddle’s work involved local and state races, he was a political consultant for Mr. Menendez, a congressman at the time, from 2003 until early 2005, collecting nearly $100,000 in payments and additional money for travel and other expenses. A spokesman for the senator did not respond to a request for comment.

William O’Dea, a Hudson County commissioner and former Jersey City councilman, said he was familiar with both Mr. Caddle and Mr. Galdieri. He called Mr. Galdieri a friend and said he had worked on his 1989 Council campaign.

“We grew up together in St. Al’s parish, and he loved politics from a young age,” Mr. O’Dea said, referring to the Jersey City neighborhood served by St. Aloysius Catholic Church.

Mr. O’Dea said he was stunned to hear that Mr. Caddle had admitted to hiring hit men.

“I’m totally shocked,” he said. “But as unfortunate as it seems to be, it always seems to happen in Hudson County.”