News: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Cunningham's arrest video

Tuesday, June 1, 2021

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Cunningham's arrest video

Jun 01, 2021

Presented by AARP New Jersey

Good Tuesday morning!

On Friday afternoon, I received an email telling me that my OPRA request from March for body camera footage of state Sen. Sandra Cunningham's DWI arrest was now ready to be picked up at the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office. On a flash drive. It was 3:00 p.m. before a holiday weekend. And I live in Philadelphia.

So I won't be able to get my hands on the video until today. But Terrence McDonald got it. And while I've seen worse instances of politicians trying to pull rank on cops, Cunningham asked for the Jersey City police director and her political adviser, Joe Cardwell, showed up at the scene — both indications that the senator was not acting like a regular person who had just crashed into parked cars.

And while we don't have any alcohol test results yet , in the video Cunningham says she's not on any medication, which, if it's not a response caused by disorientation from medication, undercuts former Gov. Jim McGreevey's explanation to reporters that this was all just a bad reaction to medication.

But as bad as this looks, there's no indication Cunningham is in any political danger. Her people certainly don't think so, otherwise they might have thought twice about going through with her fundraiser less than two weeks later at a bar — an event nobody seemed to have second thoughts about going to, including Senate President Sweeney. Cunningham has never publicly addressed her arrest, and one of her colleagues even cursed me for reporting on it.

This is a legislative district where an Assemblymember was ousted because he somehow ran afoul of the mayor of Bayonne. But trying to pull political connections while being arrested for DWI? Apparently that's just not controversial in some parts of New Jersey. And the way the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office released the footage mitigated its exposure.

Cunningham's court date is scheduled for Thursday.

WHERE'S MURPHY — In Camden at 10:45 a.m. to "mark milestone of all patrol law enforcement officers in new jersey being required to wear body-worn cameras."

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I was very popular… I was pretty great, wasn't I?" — A fifth grader's essay on HItler, which I'm choosing to believe was meant as an expression of Hitler's megalomania.

CORONAVIRUS TRACKER — 177 newly-reported positive PCR tests for a total of 887699. 5 more deaths for a total of 26,212 confirmed or probable deaths. 533 hospitalized, 119 in intensive care. 4,229,214 fully-vaccinated, or about 45.5 percent of the population.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Failed hanger-uper Muhammed Akil. Missed yesterday: Assemblymember Ron Dancer

A message from AARP New Jersey:

Tell NJ Lawmakers to Lower Prescription Drug Prices! New Jerseyans shouldn't have to choose between filling life-saving prescription medications or affording food or rent. It is wrong that even in the midst of a pandemic and financial crisis, drug companies increased the prices of more than 1,000 drugs last year. Drugs don't work if people can't afford them. Make your voice heard and tell NJ lawmakers to lower prescription drug prices now! Take action.

WHAT TRENTON MADE

FOR JUST 8 TIMES MORE, RANDY MASTRO WILL GIVE YOU THE REPORT TO SUIT YOUR POLITICAL NEEDS, BLAMING THE WOMEN INMATES' HYSTERIA — "N.J. is paying a consultant $1.2M to fix N.J.'s women's prison. Will it help?" by NJ Advance Media's Blake Nelson: "Prison officers were accused of sexually abusing people behind bars, and prisoners said they suffered retaliation for speaking out. Many state officials appeared unable or unwilling to help. A lawsuit loomed. So in March 1992, the Georgia Department of Corrections asked Anadora 'Andie' Moss to investigate, according to a Human Rights Watch report published a few years later. Moss' investigation substantiated many of the claims, although the report said it proved difficult to actually prosecute officers. But the experience informed Moss' decision to later found The Moss Group, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm that recently signed a $1.2 million contract to address similar problems in New Jersey. Critics have raised concerns about the price tag, and whether outside advisors are the best call when the federal government is already likely to monitor the state's only women's facility. Yet people in other states who've worked with Moss or on similar issues spoke highly of the organization's expertise, especially when addressing the seemingly intractable problem of sexual abuse behind bars."

REDISTRICTING — " Republicans name their six congressional redistricting commission members," by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein : "Former GOP State Chairman Doug Steinhardt has been named to the New Jersey Congressional Redistricting Commission, one of six Republican who will help draw twelve House districts for the 2022 mid-term elections. The picks appear to boost the clout of Thomas Kean, Jr. as he mulls a rematch against Rep. Tom Malinowski next year. Four of the six GOP members of the panel live in New Jersey's 7th district. As Senate Minority Leader, Kean has two direct appointments to the commission. He has named Mark LoGrippo, a councilman from his hometown of Westfield, and Jeanne Dovgala Ashmore, a former aide to Gov. Chris Christie and district director to Rep. Leonard Lance … Steinhardt one of two picks made by Michael Lavery, the current Republican State Chairman. Lavery's other choice is longtime state party vice chair Lynda Pagliughi, a longtime GOP stalwart from Cape May County and an ally of Steinhardt … Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick has appointed his top aide, Mark Duffy, the executive director of the Assembly Republican Office and the Pennington GOP Municipal Chairman. He's also named and Michele Albano, Bramnick's finance chair."

LABOR —" New Jersey has the 7th highest unemployment rate in the country. It's due to several reasons, experts say," by NJ Advance Medial's Sophie Nieto-Munoz: "Despite windows plastered with 'help wanted' signs and businesses offering incentives for new employees, New Jersey's unemployment remains among the highest in the nation. Tied for seventh-highest unemployment rate in the country with Washington D.C., New Jersey has a 7.5% unemployment rate — just a 0.1 point jump from March — and has regained 54% of jobs lost due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the April Bureau of Labor Statistics report … 'We've been very judicious in terms of reopening and our job growth historically over the past decade has been slower than the nation,' said James Hughes, economist and professor at Rutgers University. 'There's no single answer for the higher rate but multiple possibilities and contributing elements to it.' The coronavirus pandemic hurt New Jersey's economy much more than other states, he said, which means it will take longer and take more effort for the state to recover and dig out of its hole, noting New Jersey has been slower in lifting restrictions than states in other parts of the country. Among the other states with high unemployment are California, New York and Connecticut, which were also coronavirus hotspots at the height of the pandemic."

OR YOU COULD JUST LET PEOPLE GROW THEIR OWN — Democrats' bill would require state funds to cover claims for medical cannabis, by POLITICO's Sam Sutton: New Jersey lawmakers want to cover patients' medical cannabis costs through the state's prescription drug and children's medical relief funds. A new bill, NJ S3799 (20R), proposed by the chairs of the Legislature's health committees, Sen. Joe Vitale (D-Middlesex) and Assemblymember Herb Conaway (D-Burlington), would require the Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund, the Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled program, the Senior Gold Prescription Discount Program and Victims of Crime Compensation Office funds to cover medical cannabis prescriptions for qualified residents.

0.89 MASTROS — Plans in the works for $8M Statehouse security building, by POLITICO's Matt Friedman: New Jersey could soon upgrade its Statehouse security while taking away some open space on its grounds. A recently introduced resolution would authorize construction of an $8 million security screening building in the courtyard between the Statehouse and its annex in Trenton. The resolution, NJ ACR217 (20R) , was introduced last Tuesday and fast-tracked for a vote in the full Assembly without a committee hearing. But it was held up because lawmakers learned it had not yet gotten a required approval by the Commission on Capital Budgeting and Planning, Assembly Democratic spokesperson Kevin McArdle said — even though the resolution states it has been approved by the commission—"Just how much will early voting cost?"

—"Murphy, at Memorial Day parade, says higher wages would help NJ's labor shortage"

—Steinberg: "Jack Ciattarelli's last opportunity to avoid lethal Trump toxicity"

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BIDEN TIME

GATEWAY TO GATEWAY — Biden administration approves a crucial element of Gateway project, by POLITICO's Danielle Muoio: The Biden administration has approved the environmental impact statement for the Hudson Tunnel Project, marking a major milestone in the multi-year Gateway Program effort to repair tunnels that were damaged by Superstorm Sandy and expand rail capacity between New York and New Jersey. The move will allow New York and New Jersey officials behind the $11.6 billion tunnel project to move forward with pre-construction activities like property acquisition, engineering and federal design development. It will also allow parties behind the project to request federal funding, which hasn't been allocated to date. "This is a big step for the Northeast, and for the entire country, as these tunnels connect so many people, jobs, and businesses," Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. "Now we need to make sure to provide the funding America needs to deliver world-leading infrastructure in this region and in every part of the country."

THE TOM TOM CLUB — "Malinowski's stock scandal is not much of a scandal," by The Star-Ledger's Tom Moran: "In a year when Republicans need to flip just five seats to reclaim control of the House, Malinowski's troubles are drawing national attention, so let's dig in. First, there is no evidence that Malinowski used inside information to gain advantage in the market. No one is accusing him of that, and even the bloodthirsty AP article concedes the point. It turns out that 'chasing profits' means he's one of millions of people playing the market, with no special advantage. So, at its core, this is not much of a scandal. Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina lost his chairmanship after he received secret briefings of the impending disaster in January 2020, sold from his own portfolio to avoid losses, and told the public everything was just fine … Malinowski swears he had no such special information, and that all his trades were made by his broker of 25 years, without his knowledge. His mistake -- and he concedes it was sloppy -- was his failure to report those trades within the 45-day window, as required by law. He is now moving all his holdings into a blind trust, run by an advisor he doesn't know. Is that a picture of a corrupt and carnivorous politician?"

—Moran: " Menendez mischief, aided by Booker, gets slap-down at White House"

'I COMMITTED A CRIME!' VERY SMART TRUMP SUPPORTER SAYS — "I breached the Capitol door!': Little Ferry man charged in Jan. 6 Capitol riot," by The Record's Tom Nobile: "A Little Ferry man charged with storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 allegedly tried to mislead investigators by telling them he was merely pushed inside the building by a surge of people. But federal authorities determined that was a lie, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, after they uncovered videos taken by fellow rioters that showed James Breheny willfully breaching the Capitol and its rotunda. Breheny also texted friends amid the pandemonium, messages that read 'I breached the Capitol door!' and 'Made it in Brother,' according to the agency. The discoveries led federal prosecutors to charge Breheny, 61, with a host of federal crimes, including violent entry and disorderly conduct, entering a restricted building with intent to disrupt government and obstructing justice."

LOCAL

SHE'S GOT JIMMY DAVIS EMOJI EYES — "Appellate court reinstates former Bayonne worker's 'sexting' lawsuit against Davis, city," by Hudson County View's John Heinis: "The Superior Court of New Jersey Appellate Division reinstated a former Bayonne City Hall employee's 'sexting' lawsuit against Mayor Jimmy Davis and the city, asserting that the lower court erred when dismissing the case last February … Percella alleged that Davis sent sexually explicit text messages beginning in early 2013, long before Davis announced he would be running for mayor, and ended in late 2014, about six months after he'd been in office …. She ended up filing a lawsuit in Hudson County Superior Court in January 2018, alleging that Davis abused his office by offering her a $150,000 settlement in exchange for a sexual relationship while she still worked at City Hall. The former city worker alleged that the text messages were explicit and included phrases such as 'I would eat you alive!!!!' and 'love that ass!'"

HAS BILL SPADEA MENTIONED THIS GUY? — "Former Bordentown Township top cop sentenced to prison for lying to FBI," by The Burlington County Times' Phil Gianficaro: "Words matter. In the case of rogue and racist former Bordentown Township top cop Frank Nucera, Jr., his words connect a hateful trail extending from his lying lips to his cold, dark soul. For far too many years, Nucera spewed his racist words without consequence. Nucera was a police officer — a public servant sworn to protect all. He threatened to send police dogs to intimidate Black spectators at high school basketball games; was eager to join a firing squad to mow down Blacks; compared Blacks to ISIS, was secretly recorded using slurs to refer to not only Blacks, but Mexicans and Asians; and was secretly recorded saying, 'It's gonna get to the point where I could shoot one of these [expletives].' … Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Lorber was hoping Judge Kugler would impose a stiffer sentence, between 46 and 57 months, because Nucera was a police officer at the time he lied to the FBI. But Nucera got 28 months. Got off relatively light. Light. A racist cop's favorite shade."

BARBERIONS AT THE GATE — "Zero hour: Parsippany," by InsiderNJ's Fred Snowflack: "[Jamie] Barberio wants his old job back, but first he must defeat [Lou] Valori, a former township police officer and councilman. Parsippany is by far the most populous town in Morris County and Republicans badly want to reclaim the mayor's seat. And the fear of Soriano winning again is palpable among active Republicans. At a meeting of the township's GOP club a few weeks ago, some speakers warned with trepidation that another win by Democrats could put the town in the 'blue" camp forever.'"

SANDY SHORES — " On the Jersey shore, surf's up — way up," by Bloomberg's Francis Wilkinson : "In New Jersey's beach towns, there are two sets of data that always seem to be rising: property values and sea levels. Neither phenomenon is particularly subtle, and eventually their trajectories will collide. But no one buying property seems to think it will happen today — or maybe ever. 'The two things that I'm amazed by are the prices that people are paying and the age of the people who are paying the prices,' says Allan Dechert, who has been a real estate agent for decades on the seven-mile-long barrier island that hosts, for now, the towns of Avalon and Stone Harbor. Many of the people buying vacation homes, he says, are young and don't need a mortgage."

— "Full-time residents flock to Jersey shore"

—Fish kill left behind mess, bills, quarter-size flies along Shrewsbury, Navesink rivers"

—" [Jersey City] police union president: Recruiting and keeping officers is 'our biggest challenge'"

—"[Trenton] honors, restores largely forgotten burial ground of Black Civil War Veterans"

JOIN TUESDAY FOR A TALK ON ECONOMIC RECOVERY AFTER COVID-19: The U.S. economy is picking up speed, sparking fears of inflation and financial bubbles even as millions are still out of work following the Covid recession. Join us for an interview with Federal Reserve Vice Chair of Supervision Randal Quarles to discuss the U.S. economic outlook, how the nation's banks are holding up, and what to expect from the Fed on interest rates and regulations. REGISTER HERE.

EVERYTHING ELSE

IT USED TO BE THE COOL MALL BUT NOW ONLY OATH KEEPERS HANG OUT THERE — "Kushner Cos. buys out partner, takes sole control of Monmouth Mall," by The Asbury Par Press' Dan Radel: "Kushner Cos. has taken full control of Monmouth Mall, buying out its partner Brookfield Properties, a spokesperson for the real estate development group has confirmed. The spokesperson did not disclose the terms of the deal. The broker was Patrick Arangio of CBRE, a commercial real estate services firm headquartered in Dallas. According to a trade publication report, the mall had been in danger of foreclosure since the two partners defaulted on a loan last year."

N.J. REPUBLICANS TO CONDEMN TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FOR LETTING HIM OUT OF PRISON — " Alleged member of Pagan's Motorcycle Club arrested on attempted-homicide charges in South Jersey," by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Andrew Seidman: "An alleged member of an outlaw motorcycle gang was arrested on attempted-murder charges late Saturday in Gloucester County following an hours-long manhunt that prompted officials to ask residents to stay at home. The suspect, Michael F. Dorazo, 41, of Glendora in Camden County, had been released from federal prison in December, supposedly to home confinement, to await a trial stemming from a federal firearms charge, court records show. Authorities on Sunday said Dorazo forced his way into a Deptford Township residence about noon Saturday. Police responding to reports of a domestic disturbance heard gunshots as they approached the home. When they arrived, Dorazo had fled, and authorities learned he was armed with two handguns and a 'high-power, high-capacity' assault weapon, according to the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office."

—"'Only brother I had': Wayne man gets tattoo for 90th birthday to honor fallen soldier"

—" Here's how Day One of the end of the NJ mask mandate looks in North Jersey"

—"I tried to spend a maskless weekend in N.J. It didn't really work"

R.I.P. — " Trial lawyer Andy Stern, advocate in Salvation Army collapse case, dies in Jersey Shore accident"

A message from AARP New Jersey: