| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Normally I would say “Good Wednesday morning” here, but with yesterday’s breaking news, I can’t . Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik fatally shot himself Tuesday at a restaurant in Clifton. Passaic County officials I called yesterday who knew the 13-year Democratic sheriff and longtime Clifton police veteran were shocked, to say the least. “This is a very painful time for Paterson, this is a very painful time for Passaic County,” Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh told News 12’s Ali Reid at the scene. Statements soon poured out. There had been some bad headlines about the Sheriff’s office last week, but it’s impossible to say at this point whether they played any role in what at least appears to be a suicide. Berdnik on Thursday announced the layoffs of 29 correctional officers — just a day after three sheriff’s officers were arrested for allegedly beating a jail inmate in 2021. The magazine TurkofAmerica, a Turkish-American business and lifestyle magazine, tweeted that they had spoken with Berdnik, and that he had spoken with the restaurant’s owners, just 15 minutes before he reportedly walked into the restaurant’s bathroom and ended his life. I’ll make sure to keep you apprised on this developing story. Here’s a look back at Berdnik’s career from The Record. TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com QUOTE OF THE DAY:” When Governor Murphy was sued after he won his first term, there was accusations that in his campaign, there were reports of sexual assault and whatnot. … I found it serious, but I didn’t jump to the conclusion that, in fact, he knew about it and he permitted it to take place. … And then to see that his wife is the one that he promotes to run? He’s been trying to get to Washington for some time. I guess this is what he sees as his avenue to achieve that.” — Sen. Bob Menendez in a Washington Post profile HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Chris Estevez, Jim Kehoe, Caridad Salicrup WHERE’S MURPHY? — No public schedule
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A ROLE FOR EACH SURNAME — “Gov. Murphy's chief of staff also heads NJ DOT. Can she keep doing both effectively?” by The Record’s Colleen Wilson: “Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti was supposed to shed the role of state Department of Transportation commissioner on Jan. 12 to become Gov. Phil Murphy's full-time chief of staff. But that date has come and gone and Gutierrez-Scaccetti remains in both jobs — arguably two of the biggest, most-demanding jobs in New Jersey state government. This comes as the state emerged from a lame duck session of the Legislature without getting big-ticket issues over the finish line, as the state hurdles toward significant budget challenges, and as a report surfaced about internal strife among Murphy’s most senior cabinet positions. Meanwhile, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority does not have a budget currently and there is no solution in sight for NJ Transit’s historic budget shortfalls — agencies whose boards she chairs as commissioner. … Two legislators and some public policy academics agree that doing both jobs is not sustainable. … ‘I can’t recall a time where someone had any two jobs of this magnitude at the same time,’ [Micah] Rasmussen said. ‘The part that’s not unusual is feeling your way through these transitions. What is unusual is that this has not already been worked out.’”
THE CHURCH — “Five years later, clergy abuse survivors still waiting for NJ attorney general's report,” by The Record’s Deena Yellin: “When New Jersey's attorney general launched an investigation into alleged abuses by Roman Catholic clergy in the state more than five years ago, Bruce Novozinsky felt a wave of relief. ‘I had so much hope,’ said Novozinsky, an abuse survivor from Monmouth County. … Yet more than five years after the investigation was announced with great fanfare, there's no sign that a grand jury empaneled to oversee the probe will release its report any time soon. Despite receiving hundreds of tips, the effort thus far has resulted in only three indictments and one conviction, and the state Attorney General's Office has been tight-lipped about its process. Abuse survivors around New Jersey say they've been let down once again. … In a recent interview, [Robert] Laurino, the head of the task force, said the investigation continues. ‘We are still working on it,’ he said. ‘We hope to draw it to a conclusion. We're hoping to wrap it up as soon as we can.’ He declined to account for the delay or offer a timeline.” PUBLIC CONTRACTS — “Murphy says 'disparity' in NJ public contracts awarded to minorities, women must be fixed,” by The Record’s Katie Sobko: “A "statistically significant disparity" exists in New Jersey when it comes to public contracts awarded to minority- and women-owned business, a study commissioned by the Murphy administration has found. The study, conducted by California-based Mason Tillman and Associates, reviewed statewide procurement data relating to goods and services, professional services and construction over a five-year span … Minority owned businesses represented 27.97% of the available construction businesses but received only 3.69% of the money for prime construction contracts valued from $65,000 to $5,710,000 while woman-owned businesses represented 37.75% of the available professional services businesses but received only 9.91% of the dollars on prime professional services contracts valued from $40,000 to $800,000.” DYE ANOTHER DAY — You may recall this story from September about an Absecon business owner arrested for allegedly using a drone to drop dye in nearby swimming pools. Now, there’s action. Two local legislators, Vince Polistina and Don Guardian (both R-Atlantic) introduced legislation this session to increase penalties for crimes committed with drones. If someone uses a drone to commit a disorderly person’s offense — the equivalent of a misdemeanor — the crime would be upgraded to a fourth degree offense, which is the lowest level of felony. If a drone is used to commit a more serious crime, it would be upgraded one degree. And police would seize the drone. Read the bill here. —“What do NJ legislative leaders want to accomplish in the new session?” —“New state public defender aims to bring modern approach to indigent defense” | | | | YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS: From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics. | | | | | | | BIDEN TIME | | WHAT ABOUT BOB? — “Hi, Bob. How are you? Congratulations on everything, we’re proud of you." Remember when then-President Donald Trump said that to a caller he believed was Sen. Menendez, but who was actually comedian “Stuttering John” Melendez? I bring it up now because the two men, now both under federal indictment, share a common argument: That the federal authorities are persecuting them. In Trump’s case it’s the nebulous “deep state,” including the FBI and pretty much everything else. For Menendez, it’s the FBI and Justice Department out for revenge because Menendez beat them with a mistrial the last time they indicted him on corruption counts. “The government’s apparent zeal to ‘get back’ at Senator Menendez for defeating its prior prosecution has overwhelmed its sound judgment,” reads the first line of a new memo by Menendez’s lawyer that’s part of a motion to suppress the evidence the feds gathered from Menendez’s home and digital communications, including the notorious gold bars and wads of cash found.. In the memo, Menendez’s legal team asserts that not only were the warrants overbroad, violating the senator's Fourth Amendment right, but that that in getting a judge to authorize them the FBI excluded exculpatory evidence from recordings of conversations between an unnamed cooperating witness and an unnamed Menendez associate. Unfortunately, those allegedly exculpatory statements are redacted in the memo. Since those statements are redacted, at least right now (there’s an effort by several press outlets to un-redact other allegedly exculpatory statements Menendez has cited), I really can’t comment on how convincing they are. But the parallels between Menendez and Trump are striking: The belief that the federal government is acting as persecutors, not prosecutors. In Menendez’s case, we’re asked to believe that the vast machinery of the federal government was so hung up on its courtroom defeat by Menendez six years ago — under a case that spanned the Obama and Trump administrations — that in yet another presidential administration it plotted its revenge. If prosecutors actually hid exculpatory evidence, that’s a problem. But how believable is their alleged motivation? You can read more on the filing from Nikiya Biyrukov here. —Trump wins New Hampshire —Murphy joins governors calling for more federal support to handle migrants —“At Morris forum, Andy Kim makes NJ Senate pitch with focus on healthcare, abortion rights” —“North Jersey developer Fred Daibes gets court date in bank fraud charges after six years” —“Brendan Gill on the life of Frank R. Lautenberg” —“Blazakis internal poll gives Kean modest early general election lead” —“Rep. Menendez secures support of House Democratic Leadership Team for re-election” | | LOCAL | |
SPOTSWOOD AND CLARK TO BECOME SISTER CITIES —“N.J. mayor told cops she didn’t want Black resident in municipal building, lawsuit says” by NJ Advance Media’s Anthony G. Attrino: “The mayor of a borough in Middlesex County is accused in a lawsuit filed last week of telling police officers she wanted a man removed from the municipal building because he is Black and she and her staff didn’t feel safe. The incident occurred over several days in April 2022 at the Spotswood Municipal Building, according to the lawsuit. The resident says he was approached multiple times by ‘a clearly aggravated’ Mayor Jackie Palmer, according to the suit, filed Jan. 15 in Superior Court of Middlesex County. ‘The elephant in the room is that he is f------ Black and this is not a diverse town, let’s be honest,’ Palmer said in video recorded on police body-worn cameras, according to the lawsuit … Borough attorney Victoria Flynn said neither she nor Palmer would comment on the case due to active litigation … Attorneys for the borough asked a judge last week to seal or redact most of the lawsuit, including the alleged racist incident, claiming the matter was ‘the subject of a confidential internal affairs investigation that was sustained.’”
BAD SANTA — “Did mayor cancel fall, winter fests and Santa pics to spite Pemberton employee?” by The Courier-Post’s Joseph P. Smith: “Were Pemberton’s official fall and winter celebrations scrubbed last year to punish an employee? That’s what a lawsuit from their organizer claims. Less than year into his first term, Mayor Jack Tompkins became the prime focus of a sexual discrimination lawsuit from the woman heading township recreation services. Director Nichole Pittman, a 17-year employee, swears in a complaint filed in November that working with Tompkins is anything but recreational. … Attorney R. Armen McOmber, whose firm represents Pittman, said the mayor spiced his harassment of Pittman by canceling the annual Pictures With Santa Winter Festival and Fall Festival. Those are seasonal events the recreation department sponsors and close to Pittman’s heart, he said. ‘Not only is it punitive and retaliatory, it is extremely juvenile to basically punish the entire town to get to her,’ McOmber said.” A POLITICAL GAMBLE — “Gamble is Bloomfield’s new mayor; Mundell will run in dem primary,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “The all-Democratic Bloomfield Town Council [Monday] bucked the local Democratic organization and selected Councilman Ted Gamble to serve as interim mayor by a 4-2 vote against Jenny Mundell, a four-term councilwoman. Mundell immediately announced that she would challenge Gamble in the June Democratic primary to run in a special election for the remaining thirteen months of Michael Venezia’s term as mayor. Venezia resigned early this month to take a seat in the New Jersey State Assembly. … Venezia, who is also the Democratic municipal chairman, had endorsed Mundell. He slammed the council for not following the wishes of the party.” CAMDEN — It's amazing how far we've come from the "stay out of Camden" message local officials sent to Gov. Murphy in 2019, when his administration was investigating the roughly $1.6 billion in tax credits awarded to George Norcross-linked Camden companies, to today. On Tuesday, Murphy went to the building where Norcross' insurance brokerage and other major tax credit recipients area headquartered for a Camden Community Partnership meeting with George Norcross and most other Camden bigwigs to promote the city's economic development, of which those tax credits have been a big part, even if local hiring hasn't exactly been robust. "We had a substantial conversation today about the tools that are needed for distressed cities in the state need to move forward,” Norcross said in a press release. —“18 public officials have been arrested in Atlantic County since 2022, prosecutor says” —“Vineland gets paid as tax fight ends with Inspira hospital system” —“Mr. G’s family will battle plan to use his name on renovated Paterson diner” —“New details emerge as feds take case of South Jersey man charged with building pipe bombs” | | EVERYTHING ELSE | |
BREAKING WIND — “NJ offshore wind industry threatened by economic uncertainty, 2024 presidential election,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Amanda Oglseby: “Renewable energy companies are bracing for higher costs and more lawsuits, experts say, which will likely make 2024 another difficult year for the offshore wind industry in New Jersey. The industry is also threatened by the prospect of a change in the White House in the 2024 election. Industry leaders worry a new president could slow progress on offshore wind farms for years. Already the pressure has led some offshore wind developers to abandon or pause their projects, while other companies are cautiously moving forward.”
SPRINGTIME FOR HITLER IN NEW JERSEY — “When N.J. was ‘Nazi Town, USA.’ Film examines history of German American Bund,” by NJ Advance Media’s Amy Kuperinsky: “Children gathered in the greenery of Sussex and Passaic counties more than 80 years ago to frolic at summer camp. ‘In ever-increasing numbers, the nation’s youth has been going away to camp,’ a 1930s newsreel proclaimed. ‘This year has seen more boys and girls at camp than ever before.’ But at these New Jersey camps — Camp Nordland in Andover and, a little more than 25 miles away, Camp Bergwald in Bloomingdale — children in uniform were surrounded by flags emblazoned with swastikas and SS lightning bolts. At these camps, the German American Bund was indoctrinating a new generation of Nazi sympathizers. … ‘America offered fertile ground for these ideas,’ says director Peter Yost.” —“Workplace Deaths In NJ Reach Highest Level In Nearly 20 Years” —“JCP&L not liable for damages in massive fire on Jersey Shore boardwalk, court rules” R.I.P. — “Charles Osgood, longtime CBS ‘Sunday Morning’ host, dies at N.J. home”
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