News: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Covid hits Murphy's office

Thursday, October 22, 2020

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Covid hits Murphy's office

Oct 22, 2020

It really speaks to the fact that Covid-19 is spiking again in New Jersey when it strikes deep inside the governor's office.

Yesterday, in the middle of a press conference in Blackwood, Gov. Phil Murphy said he learned that a senior administration staffer had tested positive for the virus.

"I will now, unfortunately, have to take myself off the field," Murphy said before going into quarantine through the weekend.

Spokesperson Mahen Gunaratna said Murphy did not know the staffer, Mike Delamater, had been exposed or had any symptoms prior to traveling to the event. Later, the governor's office announced that adviser Dan Bryan tested positive after taking a test "out of an abundance of caution."

Here's how Bryan, who, as of last night, was not exhibiting symptoms, described when Murphy and Delamater were together:

"On the evening of Saturday October 17, the governor and first lady had a personal social engagement, which included communications director Mahen Gunaratna and his wife," he said in a statement. "The small gathering was outdoors and lasted for approximately an hour and 15 minutes... Deputy Chief of Staff Mike Delamater joined in toward the end for less than 15 minutes, and was not close to the governor or First Lady for a sustained period of time."

My questions are still outstanding as to whether Delamater knew about potential exposure or symptoms before testing positive and alerting people in the governor's office. Republican State Chairman Doug Steinhardt has some questions, too.

Murphy put the scare into a lot of people by misspeaking and saying he had tested positive, before correcting himself to say he meant negative. Read more here and here.

WHERE'S MURPHY? — Quarantining. Holding a virtual coronavirus press conference at 1 p.m. Media: MSNBC at 9:15 a.m., 1010 WINS at 9:40 a.m.

CORONAVIRUS TRACKER — 1,016 newly diagnosed cases for a total of 223,223. 18 more deaths for a total of 14,456 (not counting 1,789 probable deaths)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — CLB's Jon Boguchwal, journalist Hank Kalet

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Hiding behind the name of the Garwood Republican Party like cowards, the Wilson/Nicastro campaign has called the Garwood Democrats, my campaign and even private citizens members of Antifa and domestic terrorists… This is exactly the kind of inflammatory rhetoric which resulted in the recent plot to assassinate police officers in Michigan as part of an action that included kidnapping and executing the governor there." — Democratic Garwood council candidate Vincent Kearney, who's a Union County Sheriff's Officer. (The Facebook post he's referring to.)

THIS WEEK - NEW EPISODES OF POLITICO'S GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS PODCAST : The world has long been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, but many of those issues exploded over the past year. Are world leaders and political actors up to the task of solving them? Is the private sector? Our Global Translations podcast, presented by Citi, unpacks the roadblocks to smart policy decisions and examines the long-term costs of the short-term thinking that drives many political and business decisions. Subscribe now for Season Two, launching Oct. 21.

WHAT TRENTON MADE

TRANSPARENCY — "After being wrongly convicted, former prisoners call on N.J. to make police misconduct records public," by NJ Advance Media's S.P. Sullivan and Blae Nelson: "An analysis of state Treasury records and court documents obtained by NJ Advance Media shows taxpayers have footed the bill for at least $4.6 million more in wrongful conviction lawsuits over the last decade. That is most likely an undercount because it only includes claims brought under the state's Mistaken Imprisonment Act, rather than federal civil rights suits like Halsey's. Now a widening coalition of civil rights and government transparency groups are calling on New Jersey lawmakers to pass legislation making police internal affairs records public, arguing such reforms could prevent wrongful convictions and save millions in lawsuits. New Jersey is one of 20 states that shields such records from public view. New Jersey is one of 20 states that shields such records from public view. Months after social unrest over law enforcement shootings sparked a flurry of police reform measures around the United States, New Jersey so far has enacted few changes"

SEX ABUSE — "Another pandemic is raging: Online child exploitation reports are up 75% in NJ," by The Record's Dustin Racioppi: "While the world has battled the health and economic effects of the coronavirus, another pandemic has raged in tandem with little notice — and without the additional money and resources needed to effectively battle it, experts said. Online child abuse and exploitation, already one of the biggest and growing crime challenges nationally, has spiked as COVID-19 has forced more people indoors with abusers and children spending more time on the internet. Through Oct. 9, New Jersey had received 5,251 reports of online child exploitation, a 75% increase from 2,996 at the same point last year, according to Lt. John Pizzuro, commander of the State Police's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. There were a total of 4,148 tips in all of 2019, he said. Within the spike is a "disturbing trend" of victims between the ages of 7 and 9 years old, State Police Superintendent Col. Patrick Callahan said … But money for law enforcement to substantially combat the growing threat is scarce. Roughly half the $60 million authorized by Congress is spread each year among nearly three dozen task forces in the United States, and New Jersey does not provide additional funding to make up where federal aid lacks."

A RUTH OVER STUDENTS' HEADS — "NJ lawmakers urge Rutgers to dedicate a Ruth Bader Ginsburg building," by The Courier-News' Bob Makin: ""While a law professor from 1963 to 1972 at Rutgers University in Newark, the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg helped create a course on women and the law and won a 1971 federal gender pay gap case against the university. Because of her Rutgers legacy and national legal influence, state lawmakers are requesting that Rutgers name a building in her honor. The Senate Higher Education Committee passed a resolution Monday urging the university to dedicate a building to the legal icon."

— " NJ unemployment $300 benefit taking longer than planned to pass out, Labor Department says"

— "Report: New Jersey making clean energy progress, but has a long way to go"

— " NJ relaxes rules for indoor nursing home visits. What will change"

— "N.J. can start counting election ballots Saturday, but some counties will wait. Here's the map"

TRUMP ERA

MUY MALINOWSKI — No coordination? No problem. Malinowski campaign, Democratic super PAC have identical messages, by POLITICO's Matt Friedman: In August, U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.) listens during a House Foreign Affairs hearing in September.Stefani Reynolds/Pool via AP In August, U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.) called attention to Republicans using a loophole in campaign finance law to launch an attack on him through his opponent's campaign as well as super PACs. Malinowski's campaign is now doing the same thing, targeting Republican Tom Kean Jr. with an ad that's similar to one being run by a Democratic super PAC. The text in both ads appears to be taken from the same source material published by the House Democrats' campaign arm. The development, which Kean's spokesperson highlighted Wednesday on Twitter, shows how easily political campaigns and super PACs get around campaign laws that bar them from coordinating with each other, allowing the PACs — which can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money — to run ads with the same message as campaigns while technically avoiding coordination with them.

WHICH PEOPLE IN POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY ARE YOU REFERRING TO, GOV? — "I should have worn a mask," by Chris Christie for The Wall Street Journal: "When you get this disease, it hits you how easy it is to prevent. We are asked to wear cloth over our mouth and nose, wash our hands and avoid crowds. These minor inconveniences can save your life, your neighbors and the economy. Seldom has so little been asked for so much benefit. Yet the message will be broadly heeded only if it is consistently and honestly delivered by the media, religious leaders, sports figures and public servants. Those in positions of authority have a duty to get the message out. One of the worst aspects of America's divided politics is the polarization of something as practical as a mask. It's not a partisan or cultural symbol, not a sign of weakness or virtue. It's simply a good method—not a perfect one, but a proven one—to contain a cough or prevent the virus from getting in your mouth or nose. Wear it or you may regret it—as I did." "

TO THE VIKTOR GO THE SPOILS — Menendez, with eye on committee chair, blasts Trump in new report, by POLITICO's Nahal Toosi: Shortly after Viktor Orbán visited him in the White House, President Donald Trump called one of his biggest critics in Congress to defend his decision to meet with the autocratic Hungarian leader. Orbán is a "good guy," Trump told New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, following the May 2019 meeting. The president also noted that Hungary had agreed to buy a lot of U.S. military equipment. Trump's assurances did not comfort Menendez, who has remained a fierce critic of the president throughout Trump's first term. On Wednesday, the New Jersey senator released a blistering report detailing what he characterized as four years of foreign policy chaos under Trump. The report, which describes Trump's call to Menendez about Orbán, also signals what Menendez may prioritize if Democrats win control of the Senate and he becomes the Foreign Relations Committee chair next year"

STEPHANIE SCHMID: THE LAST PERSON IN NJ WITHOUT CALLER ID — "Schmid declines to drop mailer falsely claiming Smith backed GOP's 2017 health plan," by New Jersey Globe's Nikita Biryukov: "House challenger Stephanie Schmid again declined to abandon a campaign mailer that falsely claims Rep. Chris Smith (R-Hamilton) backed a 2017 Republican health care plan that would have stripped Affordable Care Act protections for pre-existing conditions on Wednesday. 'Congressman Smith voted for a healthcare plan that guts protections for people with pre-existing conditions like cancer, asthma and diabetes,' the mailer says, falsely ... Reached by the New Jersey Globe Wednesday, Schmid declined to comment on the mailer's factual errors 'Nope, I'm headed into a meeting, and I answered this because I thought it was the person that I'm meeting with, so I don't have the time to give you a full statement or interview right now,' she said after being told the topic of the Globe's questions and directing the question to a campaign spokesperson."

— "Biden calls wife of Glen Ridge police officer who died due to COVID-19"

— " Schmid defends rigidity on speaking to the press, but admits citation on attack mailer was wrong"

— "Why these NJ Latinos are voting for Trump, despite his anti-immigrant attacks"

— " With cases rising, NJ hospitals prepare for what's ahead"

— "Another former Edna Mahan corrections officer gets jail for sex with inmates"

GLOBAL PULSE, GLOBAL PURPOSE: At a high-stakes moment when global health has become a household concern, it is pivotal to keep up with the politics and policy driving change. Global Pulse connects leaders, policymakers and advocates to the people and politics driving global health. Join the conversation and subscribe today for this new weekly newsletter.

LOCAL

TRENTON — "Two children killed in Trenton, where violence is surging," by The New York Times' Michael Gold: "Two young brothers were shot and killed in their home on Tuesday night in Trenton, N.J., the latest victims of a surge in homicides this year in the state's capital, officials said. The two boys — Gustavo Perez, 16, and Johnny Perez, 8, were on the second floor of a house on Mulberry Street on the east side of the city when at least one gunman fired at least six rounds at around 10:30 p.m., a spokeswoman for the Mercer County prosecutor's office said. 'The children did not deserve to be at the other end of a barrel,' Mayor Reed Gusciora said at a news conference on Wednesday."

— "Trenton officials provide few answers in double homicide of young brothers"

WILL ANY OF THEM BE PUNISHED? — "Video shows off-duty cop push woman at Jersey Shore bar. Fellow cops accused of making a scene," by NJ Advance Media's Matt Gray: "Video released from an incident in which an off-duty cop was arrested at the Jersey Shore for allegedly assaulting someone during a domestic dispute shows him running after the woman and pushing her to the ground. Deptford Police Lt. David Grogan was charged with simple assault and resisting arrest following the Sept. 26 incident outside of a North Wildwood bar … Body camera footage of the incident also shows angry friends of Grogan's, some of whom identify themselves as off-duty police officers, berating the arresting officers. The victim also yells at the officers and denies she was assaulted … Several people who were with Grogan 'Swarmed"' he arresting officers … The North Wildwood officers try to get the men to move away as they assess the situation. 'We're all cops,' one of them yells as officers tell the group to back up … A man with the group who indicates he is an off-duty cop tells the woman to not provide any additional personal information to police. At that point, the woman walks away and refuses to cooperate further, while the off-duty officer tells one of the North Wildwood cops to 'get a real job.'"

GOLTSCHA JOURNALISM — " Manchester BOE member facing theft charges will 'step back,' won't serve if elected," by The Asbury Park Press' Mike Davis: "The school board member facing theft charges will soon leave the board, unofficially withdrawing his candidacy from the race. Anthony Goltsch, 40, won't serve if he wins election to a full three-year term on the school board, said Bill Cunningham, Goltsch's attorney. "In light of this complication that came up, he thinks it would be appropriate for him to step back," Cunningham said."

PINKOS FROM CHATHAM ARE THE NEW COMMUNISTS FROM MONTCLAIR — "Republican plays the Antifa card on suburban women of the Chathams," by InsiderNJ's Fred Snowflack: "Turns out that Laura Ali, the chair of the Morris County Republican Committee, lives in Chatham Township. She recently reported to police that signs on her property backing police and the president were stolen. King's letter says the signs were defaced with such things as "F Pigs," "F the NRA." and dumped outside the township police station. The letter also said that the perpetrators "screamed vulgar insults at officers." He said many Republicans now fear publicly stating their opinions. The police confirmed most of this in a Facebook post, adding that the suspects are "3 white females," one of whom may have pink hair."

— "Ciba-Geigy Superfund site: After 24 years' pumping, pollution plume cut in half"

— "Enrollment drop, state aid cuts loom over Asbury Park school board"

— "Passaic Republicans campaign for seats as check on Democrat-dominated county board"

— "DEP 'heading in the right direction' on plan for Liberty State Park's 230-acre interior, Black leaders say"

EVERYTHING ELSE

THE BURBS ARE BACK AND THEY'RE BORING AS EVER — "COVID-19 has changed the fate of the suburban sprawl. What next," by Michael S. Byers for Gannett: "As recently as this past winter, indicators showed that millennials — the generation that's taking over the workforce, and marrying and having children — didn't want suburban life. Instead, they wanted to live and work in more walkable, densely-populated urban environments like Brooklyn, Hoboken and Jersey City. Along came COVID-19, the lockdown and the shift to from-home working, shopping and schooling. Suddenly the suburbs, with single-family houses and big yards, became the rage and the real estate market heated up. 'The bottom line is that the "burbs" are back,' says Jim Hughes, the former dean of Rutgers University's Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy."

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