Leona Beldini (also referenced as Baldini) was a longtime political figure in West New York, New Jersey, where she served as Deputy Mayor of Hudson County and held positions on the local Board of Education. She was deeply involved in Hudson County Democratic machine politics, working alongside figures like Mayor Vincent Talerico. As a political operative, Beldini was a defendant in the FBI's Operation Bid Rig (specifically Operation Bid Rig II) sting operation targeting public corruption, ultimately receiving a split verdict. On September 11, 2008, she accepted a $5,000 cash bribe from cooperating witness Solomon Dwek in exchange for promising to assist with municipal approvals for a development project. On January 23, 2009, Beldini pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Newark to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery (18 U.S.C. § 371) and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering (18 U.S.C. § 1956(h)), admitting to participating in a scheme to disguise illegal campaign contributions as legitimate donations. On March 19, 2010, she was sentenced by Judge William H. Walls to 18 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a $12,500 fine. Beldini served her sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, and was released in 2011. The scandal implicated over 40 New Jersey officials and highlighted systemic corruption in the state's political culture.