| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | | | Good Thursday morning! Virtually every New Jersey Democrat has abandoned Bob Menendez, but he still has some friends. From mid-July to the end of 2023, Menendez raised $469,500 for his legal defense and spent $373,223, according to newly released filings on the IRS website. That’s no small number. But it’s not as much as he raised during a similar time period ahead of his previous indictment, and he’s dipped into his campaign fund for much larger legal bills. Some of the prominent donors who gave $10,000 each: George Norcross and his two grown children Alexander and Lexi, who gave in August — before the senator’s “horrifying” Sept. 22 indictment. So did Brown & Connery, a law firm closely connected with Norcross. Paul Fireman, the billionaire pushing development plans for Liberty State Park, gave in November — after the indictment. The International Longshoremen's Association, which successfully fought to disband the Waterfront Commission, gave in August. Insurer John Graham gave in July, Hoboken-based developer Ironstate Properties in July, and Murray Kushner’s property management in November. The report, which was posted yesterday afternoon, wasn’t easily convertible into a spreadsheet. So I didn’t have time to do an analysis of how much money came before the indictment vs. how much after. It appears to me that the bulk — but by no means all — of the biggest donations came before the indictment. So we’ll see whether the senator can keep this fundraising pace up. And he’s not raising money at the same clip he did prior to his 2015 indictment, when Democrats stuck with him. Menendez’s campaign fund is another story as we wait for the senator to make a decision whether he’ll run for reelection under this cloud. He reported raising just $15,795 last quarter and refunding $16,200. Menendez set up his previous legal defense fund in 2014, ahead of his 2015 indictment that two years later resulted in a mistrial. In its first six months of actively raising money, it took in just shy of $666,000. It would ultimately raise and spend more than $5 million. Still, Menendez has $6.2 million sitting in his campaign account. And last quarter he used almost $1.7 million from that account to pay his lawyers. Read more from Hailey Fuchs and Dustin Racioppi TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com QUOTE OF THE DAY: “The public knows that this will not be the final attempt by a land-grabbing sneaker tycoon to desecrate the waterfront jewel, and the civic irritation is already at a slow boil. It’s time to remind legislators that our great endeavors must never be endangered by some fat cat flooding the zone with steaming piles of misinformation. It’s time to remind them to pick a side.” — The Star-Ledger Editorial Board on Paul Fireman’s Liberty State Park efforts HAPPY BIRTHDAY — John Azzariti, Winnie Comfort, Diane Lattuca Pennacchio | | | | A message from Amazon: Amazon combines comprehensive benefits with free skills training to help hourly employees learn and earn more. Drew used one of Amazon’s free, on-the-job training programs while working at a fulfillment center. “Now I’m an IT specialist,” he said. Learn about career advancement opportunities at Amazon. | | | |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | |
MURPHY WOULD LOVE TO HELP, BUT HE DOESN’T WANT TO DIE — “N.J. Transit wants a big fare increase. Riders want better service,” by The New York Times’ Patrick McGeehan: “Improvements in reliability, safety and on-time performance, the governor said last week, justify the proposal to raise fares for the first time since he took office six years ago. Just days before, [Murphy] had told a group of bond analysts that the state had ‘in many respects fixed N.J. Transit through the customers’ lens.’ But New Jersey Transit’s own figures and customer surveys reflect a different view of the agency’s operations. … On a scale of 1 to 10, the average overall rating from New Jersey Transit riders last spring was 6.9. (That was still an improvement from a 5.8 average five years ago.) The agency’s self-reported statistics show that it met its goal of running 94.7 percent of its trains on time in only three of the last 36 months. By contrast, New York’s Metro-North Railroad reported that its commuter train service east of the Hudson River had met that standard in all of those 36 months. The Long Island Rail Road said it had done so in 25 of them. In addition, New Jersey Transit’s trains break down much more frequently than those run by the region’s other commuter railroads.”
HIGHER ED — Rutgers union files lawsuit to remove two Board of Governors members, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: A Rutgers labor union has filed a lawsuit to remove two members of the university’s influential board, claiming that they have violated residency requirements. The lawsuit filed yesterday in Middlesex County Superior Court seeks to remove Bill Tambussi, a prominent attorney affiliated with South Jersey Democrats, and Heather Taylor, an accountant, from the Rutgers Board of Governors. … The move also underscores the continuing acrimony between the university’s leadership and its labor groups. State law requires a gubernatorial nominee to the Rutgers board be a Camden County resident, which has been fulfilled by Tambussi, and an appointee to the Rutgers board from the Rutgers Board of Trustees to be a Middlesex County resident, which was filled by Taylor. However, as POLITICO reported in December, both have moved out of those respective counties — raising questions of whether they can continue to serve in their positions. BERG MARKEY GOIN’ OFF — “Brian Bergen uses Markey-themed video in Coughlin protest,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: ”Assembly Minority Whip Brian Bergen (R-Denville) is borrowing a TV ad from Ed Markey’s 1976 congressional campaign in Massachusetts to protest his removal from the Assembly Appropriations Committee by Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin. Perhaps more than any other Republican, Bergen … has gotten under Coughlin’s skin over the last four years. … Bergen became a loud voice against a bill that raised salaries for legislators and other state officials … Bergen lost his seat on Appropriations, and his desk was moved to the back row … Script: “My name is Brian Bergen. Speaker Coughlin kicked me out of the Appropriations Committee because I oppose a 60% Democrat increase of their salaries for themselves while you suffer under their policies. That’s insane. That’s $82,000 a year for 40 days of work. I am tired of the backroom deals. The trend bosses may tell me where to sit, but nobody tells me where to stand.’” —“'No one should have to go through this': NJ nurse wants new law after $6K ambulance bill” —“Bag ban didn’t backfire, N.J. says. Plastic industry paid for study”
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REAPING WHAT HE SOWED — “Jan. 6 rioter granted prison term delay to harvest crops at his century-old N.J. farm,” by NJ Advance Media’s Kevin Shea: “A federal judge has granted a New Jersey farmer’s request to push a prison term for his role in the Jan. 6 riots until October so he could work the harvest season on his Gloucester County land. Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Stecher was sentenced to 60 days behind bars on Jan. 3 for the felony charge of civil disorder by Judge Randolph D. Moss. Stecher was present in the Capitol’s Lower West Terrace Tunnel during rioters heavy fighting with police. Stecher’s lawyers asked that he be allowed to surrender later in 2024 so he could work the family farm he owns, Stecher Farms, in Mantua Township.”
—“N.J. man among first to enter broken Capitol doors during Jan. 6 riot, feds say” —“Andy Kim says 92% of his campaign funds came from small contributions” —“Reps. Payne, Menendez blast Mayorkas impeachment as process moves forward”
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RICHARD BERDNIK — “Passaic County mourns 'beloved sheriff' Richard Berdnik at funeral mass,” by The Record’s David M. Zimmer, Amanda Wallace and Matt Fagan: “Under gray skies, family, friends and colleagues gathered shortly before 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist on Grand Street in Paterson for Berdnik's funeral. A lifelong Clifton resident and longtime law enforcement officer with deep community ties, Berdnik fatally shot himself eight days earlier at a Turkish restaurant in Clifton. Wednesday was a day to reflect on the life, leadership and legacy of Berdnik and provide comfort to his family, said Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh. It was also a day no one would have predicted two weeks earlier, before a tragedy Sayegh and many others were still trying to comprehend. … On Tuesday, an estimated 4,000 people attended Berdnik's visitation at the cathedral. The line stretched around the block. Questions remained Wednesday about the reasoning behind the high-ranking officer's suicide, which is still under investigation by the county Prosecutor's Office. Mourners over the week after his death have nonetheless chosen to focus on fond memories.”
UMBARASSING — “$2.5M tort claim alleges Spotswood mayor 'has turned the borough into an absolute mess',” by MyCentralJersey’s Mike Deak: “Spotswood Police Chief Philip Corbisiero has filed notice that he intends to sue the borough for $2.5 million. In the 27-page tort claim filed Friday with the borough, Corbisiero alleges he has been subjected to a hostile work environment, harassment, retaliation, age discrimination and defamation by Mayor Jackie Palmer, Business Administrator Brandon Umba and Assistant Business Administrator John Scrivanic. Borough Attorney Victoria Flynn said the borough does not comment on pending litigation … In the claim, the chief, who joined the department in 1994, alleges that he has been ‘effectively and constructively demoted and stripped of his authority and position" and has been ‘relegating to simply trying to stop Palmer and Umba,’ a former state Assemblyman who was defeated for reelection in November, ‘from engaging in shocking illegalities" involving the police department.’” EVESHAME — “Evesham Democrats dropped councilwoman from ticket hours after her miscarriage,” by Ne Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “New Jersey politics can be jagged, but a move by Evesham Democrats may have taken heartlessness to an entirely different level after announcing they would dump a councilwoman from their ticket hours after learning she had suffered a miscarriage. Local Democrats were informed that Ginamarie Espinoza had lost her pregnancy on Friday morning but decided to proceed with an announcement that they had voted not to support her re-election later that day. ‘Our party has a responsibility to communicate to our members, and this decision was almost a day old,’ said Phil Warren, the Democratic municipal chairman. Espinoza disagreed. ‘It speaks to their character,’ she said.” AFFIRMATIVE INACTION — “Jersey City won’t revive plan to change admissions policy at top two schools to socioeconomic model,” by The Jersey Journal’s Joshua Rosario: “During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, the Jersey City school board touted an ambitious plan to alter the admission policy for its two top-performing schools from race-based to one that would weigh socioeconomic status. … On Tuesday, current Board President Natalia Ioffe and Jersey City Superintendent Norma Fernandez said any plans to change the magnet programs’ admission policy are not happening. Even though the U.S. Supreme Court ended affirmative action in university admissions, Fernandez said the decision does not apply to schools at the lower levels."
| | | | CONGRESS OVERDRIVE: Since day one, POLITICO has been laser-focused on Capitol Hill, serving up the juiciest Congress coverage. Now, we’re upping our game to ensure you’re up to speed and in the know on every tasty morsel and newsy nugget from inside the Capitol Dome, around the clock. Wake up, read Playbook AM, get up to speed at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report, and fuel your nightly conversations with Inside Congress in the evening. Plus, never miss a beat with buzzy, real-time updates throughout the day via our Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here. | | | | | MARTHA, MARTHA, MARTHA! — “Emotions run high at hearing over book challenges,” by NJ Spotlight News’ Brenda Flanagan: “About 50 speakers lined up for a contentious clash on Tuesday in what has been two-year-long battle over banning books at the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School library. The controversy before the school board meeting — rescheduled to accommodate the large crowd — was over embattled school librarian, Martha Hickson, and her refusal to pull illustrated sex-ed books like ‘Let’s Talk About It’ off her library’s shelves. ‘This is a far cry away from the days of showing reproductive parts in health class and discussing abstinence,’ said Lee Mack, a resident from Lebanon. ‘Now we have librarians with hardcore agendas.’ Responded another parent, Amy Barrett: ‘Let’s Talk About It’ is sex education for teenagers, not pornography. And I’m going to add here, I was also sexually abused as an adolescent, and knowing about my body and about consent would have been really helpful at the time.’ Hickson attended the meeting but didn’t speak to the board. But her supporters criticized the board for failing to defend her against online harassment.”
| | | | 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. | | | | | —“'Selfish money grab': Bergen County joins fight against NYC congestion pricing” —“[DiVincenzo] seeks to avoid sworn statement in jail beating suit” —“Judge rules in TAPinto Newark OPRA suit, orders district to ‘remove all redactions’” —“Family of woman who killed herself in Hudson County jail receives $450K in lawsuit settlements” —“Convicted Paterson police sergeant Michael Cheff seeks reduced federal prison sentence” —“'Totally wrong': Protesters slam Toms River plan to replace police captains with EMTs” —“Lead found at Ulysses S. Grant Intermediate School in Trenton, students and local residents to get testing” | | EVERYTHING ELSE | |
ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT — “A critical doctor shortage is hurting N.J. kids. There’s no end in sight,” by NJ Advance Media’s Adam Clark: “New Jersey, like the rest of the country, has an alarming shortage of developmental pediatricians. There are only 750 board-certified developmental pediatricians nationwide, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Just 31 of the doctors practice in New Jersey despite the state’s 2 million children, according to a 2023 AAP analysis. Nine Garden State counties do not have a single developmental pediatrician. And the consequences are dire. Children with autism and other neurodiverse conditions aren’t getting diagnosed quickly enough. Crucial interventions are being delayed with potentially lifelong consequences. Schools are deciding what services students need — or don’t need — without enough input from doctors. And the backlog keeps growing as the need only increases. They’re kids who cannot wait.”
PARENTAL RIGHTS, LEFTS AND JABS — “Bleacher-clearing melee with screaming, shoving at N.J. youth wrestling match, video shows,” by LehighValleyLive’s Rudy Miller: “An argument during the New Jersey grade school wrestling championships led to a bleacher-clearing parent melee with screaming, shoving and kicking, videos show and some in attendance confirmed. The fight started around 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Phillipsburg High School. … According to the videos, the fight starts between two men, with shouting and a shove. Then, the bleachers clear and people start pulling, pushing and shoving each other. One person can be seen getting kicked in the head. … Two parents in attendance … said at least one child was struck during the fight.” — “Lawsuit says Paul Fireman bilked son-in-law’s biotech company out of $86 million” —“Another popular N.J. craft brewery issues last call, plans closure”
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