Senator Jon Corzine of New Jersey is now running for governor of the state. About a year ago, New Jersey’s previous governor, Jim McGreevey, left office in disgrace after it was revealed that he gave the state’s highest anti-terrorism position—a six-figure job—to a man with whom he was having an extramarital affair. Although McGreevey spun his resignation as an affirmation of his sexuality, in actuality he resigned not because he got caught with his pants down, but because he was stuffing the pants of his male lover with money from the taxpayers of New Jersey.

New Jersey voters, who have long grumbled about the level of corruption in the state government, are not likely to look kindly on the latest revelations about candidate Corzine:

Judging by his reaction thus far, Corzine believes his best bet is to stay close-mouthed behind an avowal of his right to privacy. Problem is, new details of his relationship with union leader Carla Katz keep trickling out. The fact that Katz also won’t say anything just lends an added air of someone trying to hide something.

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It all dates back to Corzine’s affair with Katz, who is president of Local 1034 of the Communications Workers of America, which represents about half of the state government’s unionized workers — and with which any Corzine administration would have to undertake intensive negotiations.

In 2003, during the course of their relationship, Corzine loaned Katz $470,000 — about $100,000 more than she needed to buy her ex-husband’s share of a 19th-century Hunterdon County farmhouse.

Shortly after their romance ended — and about a week before he announced for governor — Corzine forgave the loan, converting it into a gift, and paying another $200,000 in taxes. He says he did so because Katz “didn’t have the resources” to repay the loan. A few months later, her union endorsed his candidacy.

Though he insists everything was above board, it later turned out that Corzine had made two other sizable personal loans to women — but the one to Katz was the only one he didn’t report on his U.S. Senate disclosure forms.

Although Corzine didn’t give any state money to Katz, it is fair to ask how the cozy relationship between Corzine and this union boss will affect the state if Corzine becomes governor. After all, Katz heads the union that represents more New Jersey state employees than any other. How well Katz’s union does in negotiations with the state will determine how much her union members get paid by New Jersey taxpayers.

Whereas Jim McGreevey gave away a state job worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, a sweetheart contract for the Communications Workers of America could cost Jersey taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

In whose interests will a Governor Corzine be working, the citizens of New Jersey, or the members of his former lover’s union?