| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Presented by McDonald's | Good Wednesday morning! It was just hours after we learned that Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh wouldn’t challenge U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell in the Democratic primary that a new player entered the game: Assemblymember Shavonda Sumter. As first reported by The Paterson Press, Sumter signed up to screen with Passaic County Democrats for the seat. But she’s not giving off committed candidate vibes. Sumter, who chairs the Legislative Black Caucus and is beginning her seventh term in the Assembly, told POLITICO’s Daniel Han, “It's something I will only do with the endorsement of the county parties.” She also said she respects Pascrell, though she did sponsor a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the war between Israel-Hamas. Pascrell’s lack of stance on the issue has hurt him with his district’s large Arab-American population, which includes many of Palestinian origin. At this point, a Sumter challenge looks unlikely. Pascrell hasn’t been at odds with party leaders, at least to my knowledge. Gov. Phil Murphy was quick to endorse him after the news broke. Passaic County Dem Chair John Currie is Sumter’s godfather, and he’s not backing her. "It’s an open process. She has every right to screen," Currie told me. “But I’m endorsing Congressman Pascrell." Apart from that, nobody has fired a shot at Sumter. And while she could always change her mind, her above comment to POLITICO precludes running off the line. Instead, we may be looking at some Democrats, as of now just Sumter or Sayegh, putting down a marker for a future run. That’s the thought of some insiders I talked to about this as well. Pascrell, a 27-year incumbent, is 87. In all of American history there’s been just one member of the House who continued to serve past the age of 90. Congressional seats only open up so often, and this one obviously will at some point in the not-too-distant future. TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com QUOTE OF THE DAY: “According to Menendez, not one of the many acts, over multiple years, with respect to multiple people, multiple agencies, and multiple governments, that he is alleged to have promised or agreed to take (and/or in fact taken), in exchange for bribes can be prosecuted at all, under any federal statute, much less weighed by a jury. … It is not so.” — Federal prosecutors’ response brief to Sen. Bob Menendez’s attempts to get the indictments against him dismissed, including by claiming immunity through the Speech and Debate Clause. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Sherwood Goodenough, Kosi Remy WHERE’S MURPHY? — No public schedule
| | | | A message from McDonald's: From 2021 to 2022, the McDonald’s System contributed over $830 million to New Jersey’s economy, supporting over 17,000 jobs statewide. McDonald’s presence in local communities throughout New Jersey generated nearly $150 million in federal, state and local tax revenue, providing funding for public schools, infrastructure, parks and more. Learn more about McDonald’s impact on local communities in New Jersey and nationally by visiting https://www.mcdeconomicimpact.com/state-impacts/nj. | | | |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | |
DO YOU HAVE TO LET THEM LINGER? — “World Cup 2026: Murphy estimates $2B impact for NJ as funding questions linger,” by The Record’s Katie Sobko: “New Jersey isn’t the sole host of the games. The bid was a collaborative effort with the city of New York, and officials have previously said costs would be split with New York City. Exactly how that will happen remains unclear, though. The authority has noted that New York City is “aware of our obligations with respect to stadium renovations necessary to meet FIFA field size requirements,” and a planning agreement among all the parties, including MetLife Stadium, is also being developed. Murphy said the tournament — and the final, in particular — will bring in an estimated $2 billion for New Jersey and New York, but he doesn’t have a firm number as to how much the state will have to spend while getting ready."
IF ONLY TEXAS HADN’T BUSED SO MANY SOCCER FANS TO NEW YORK NEW JERSEY— “Why did AT&T Stadium miss out on World Cup final? Dallas won’t dwell on FIFA’s decision,” by The Dallas Morning News: “Bill Miller, an Austin-based lobbyist and Republican political consultant whose clients include the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans, said politics could have played a role if the Biden administration had a say, though there’s no indication it wielded any influence in FIFA’s decision. ‘All we do is fight with the federal government,’ he said. “Historically our role is the loyal opposition to the Democratic administration. It helps our Republican elected officials, but it doesn’t help win a World Cup.’” DRUG RECOVERY PUSHERS — The state’s addiction rehabilitation industry faces widespread corruption, often at the expense of recovering drug addicts, according to a new report from the State Commission of Investigation. The report — the result of a years-long investigation by the SCI — called on the state legislature and Gov. Phil Murphy to create new measures to protect people in drug addiction recovery and crack down on unscrupulous actors. Specifically, the report called for: - Having a stronger state law against “patient brokering,” a practice where patients are referred to providers in exchange for financial benefits. The practice is illegal under federal and state law, although the SCI found that the state law is narrow in scope — it only applies to individuals — and should be changed to apply to nonprofit organizations, sober homes and health care entities. The SCI also called to increase penalties for patient brokering from the current maximum 18 months in prison and $10,000 fine to at least include a $50,000 fine.
- Create state licensure requirements for so-called peer recovery coaches. Recovery coaches are not licensed by the state and not required to have clinical backgrounds, although they help people enter drug treatment, conduct interventions or partner with local law enforcement to bring people into care.
- Laws to ban deceptive marketing in addiction recovery treatment like prohibiting false or misleading statements.
- Strengthening licensing and inspection standards for treatment centers to include financial audits and criminal background checks.
- Strengthen penalties for unlicensed sober living homes and consider whether there should be criminal penalties for unlicensed home operators.
The report cited instances where individuals and organizations would try to get patients with private insurance — which is more lucrative to providers than Medicaid reimbursements — using incentives for referrals. It also cited poor living conditions in unlicensed sober homes throughout the state. — Daniel Han
| | | | A message from McDonald's:   | | | THE TUNNEL TO TWO BLOCKS FROM MACY’S BASEMENT — State share of Hudson River train tunnel costs way down as final deal nears, by POLITICO’s Ry Rivard: Backers of the $16 billion plan to build new train tunnels across the Hudson River are approaching a holy grail moment: a full funding grant agreement from the Biden administration as soon as this spring. A new letter from the Gateway Development Commission to Biden administration officials is a last major step the bi-state commission must take to close on the agreement to get billions in federal grant money. The letter, obtained by POLITICO, has includes an updated financial plan for the project on which some early construction work has already begun. The biggest change is good news for two Democratic governors: a dramatic decrease in the share of the costs New York and New Jersey will have to pick up. Gateway said it expects the federal government will pay for 73 percent of the tunnel project. New York, New Jersey and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey — another bi-state agency — will pick up the rest. —“Fired head of NJ Transit's Portal Bridge project warns about key design flaws in lawsuit,” by The Record’s Colleen Wilson: “The engineer who oversaw NJ Transit’s Portal North Bridge project accused the agency of ignoring his whistleblower concerns about the new bridge’s design, which he alleges led to retaliation and discrimination, says a recently filed lawsuit. Within months of his hiring at NJ Transit in 2021, Mohammed Nasim — the agency's former chief of construction management — began reporting ‘design defects including the dangers of track settlement and issues with construction work being built too close to the existing corridor, and the navigation issues in the river,’ says the lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey in Essex County last month. … Nasim alleges in the lawsuit that he raised these issues a number of times publicly in meetings during his employment at NJ Transit, as well as in emails and privately to his boss, Richard Schaefer, who became senior vice president of capital programs. But his warnings were ignored, he says. In some cases, Nasim alleges, he was told by Schaefer to ‘shut up’ or that he didn’t know what he was talking about, the lawsuit says.” —“NJ Transit will operate ‘on steroids’ during the World Cup, Murphy says. Here’s the plan” —“Tammy Murphy U.S. Senate run could hurt Gov. Murphy’s job approval rating, new poll shows” —“Perks for some part-time N.J. officials could end under proposed bill” —“Trenton police under new scrutiny over tactics”
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THE ALT LEFT — “Blazakis withdraws, Altman is presumptive nominee vs. Kean,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “Jason Blazakis is dropping out of the race for the Democratic nomination for Congress in New Jersey’s 7th district, clearing the field for Sue Altman to take on freshman Rep. Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) in one of the most closely-watched House races in the nation. ‘It is with a heavy heart that I have decided to end my race for Congress in New Jersey’s 7th district, my home district,’ he said. … A former State Department official who focused on counterterrorism finance, he says he’ll keep pushing for Kean to be a one-term congressman. … Altman has now vanquished three men in her bid to take on Kean: Roselle Park Mayor Joe Signorello, Summit Councilman Greg Vartan, and Blazakis.”
ANTI-SUIT JACKET POLITICIANS TO FORM ‘NO LAPELS’ TICKET— Christie not closing door on No Labels bid: ‘There’d be a long conversation’, by POLITICO’s Lisa Kashinsky: Chris Christie is no longer ruling out a third-party presidential bid. The former New Jersey governor had repeatedly dismissed the idea of running on a No Labels ticket while competing for the GOP presidential nomination. But nearly a month after exiting the race, he declined Tuesday to shut the door to the idea. “Oh, I don’t know. There’d be a long conversation between me and [my wife] Mary Pat, I can guarantee you that,” Christie said when asked on “Good Morning America” if he would consider running on a No Labels ticket. Christie said No Labels has not asked him to run on a potential ticket. However, NBC News reported the group had made overtures to his allies about the possibility before he dropped out of the GOP primary.” —“Bradley Beach Dem Chair will, in fact, endorse Tammy Murphy for Senate” —House GOP fails to impeach Mayorkas over border handling
| | | | A message from McDonald's: McDonald’s is an economic engine for the state of New Jersey, contributing over $830 million to our state’s economy, directly employing nearly 13,800 New Jerseyans and supporting an additional 3,200 jobs statewide. It’s also an engine of opportunity: 1 in 8 independent McDonald’s operators in New Jersey began their careers as restaurant crew members, generating wealth for their families and local communities. We are proud to support New Jersey through public schools, parks and more from the nearly $150 million in federal, state and local tax revenue generated by the McDonald’s System’s activities. And thanks to the generosity of McDonald’s customers and owner/operators, the $660,000 raised through Ronald McDonald House Charities in 2022 provided over 6,600 overnight stays for families with children receiving medical care in New Jersey. Learn more about McDonald’s impact on local communities in New Jersey and nationally by visiting https://www.mcdeconomicimpact.com/state-impacts/nj. | | | | | LOCAL | |
SICK CITY — Newark, celebrated for removing all lead service lines, now unsure it did, by POLITICO’s Ry Rivard: Newark, a city which has been held up by the Biden administration as a national model for quickly replacing lead service lines, is no longer certain that all the lead is really gone. A few years after declaring Newark was lead free, officials from the city and state Department of Environmental Protection are rechecking homes and investigating an unspecified third party involved in the three-year effort to replace 23,000 lead service lines that was celebrated with a 2022 visit by Vice President Kamala Harris. Following a tip about incomplete work by a third party, the city and state checked four homes to see if all the lead plumbing and fixtures had been removed. Three of the homes still had lead, suggesting whoever did the job did only partial replacements. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said he believes the “overwhelming majority of the lead service lines in the city have been fully replaced.” But the city is now waiting on what is expected to be a weekslong DEP investigation to find out. … News of the concerns inadvertently came out Tuesday, when Baraka was caught on a hot mic behind closed doors talking about the letters the city planned to send later this week. Later in the day, after several local media outlets reported his remarks, Baraka said he’d planned to let everyone know about the concerns but wanted to let residents know about them by mail first.
—“Baraka says there is still lead in some water pipes after replacement” —“Great Falls park expansion pauses as EPA, state agency weigh asbestos concerns” —“Neptune once again filling empty Township Committee slot, and making racial history” —“Saddle Brook Police Chief Kugler wants a rematch against Bergen County Sheriff Cureton” —Snowflack: “Bergen behemoth” —“East Newark cop charged with DUI after crashing police car in Harrison while on duty” —“Judge issues deadlines in Sayreville councilwoman’s murder case” —“Wyckoff taps former New Milford Mayor Roger Lane for Township Committee” —“Clifton appoints Chris D'Amato to fill Lauren Murphy's council seat” —“Police-involved death in Camden brings $1.3M settlement for victim's mother, estate”
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SETON HELL — “‘Gaslighting, retaliation and intimidation’ forced me to leave Seton Hall, former president says,” by NJ Advance Media’s Ted Sherman: “When he unexpectedly resigned last year as president of Seton Hall University, Joseph Nyre gave little explanation as to why he was abruptly leaving. But in a stunning lawsuit filed late Monday night, Nyre took aim at the private Catholic university in South Orange and its Board of Regents, claiming retaliation, misconduct, as well as sexual harassment of his wife, for his early exit. The former president claimed he had raised objections regarding a litany of alleged actions by the university’s former chairman of the board and others which he said violated the law, the university’s own policies and procedures, and accreditation standards. As a result of his whistleblowing, he said that he was subjected ‘to subsequent gaslighting, intimidation, and retaliation’ that ultimately led to a separation agreement. … Seton Hall, which is home to more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, denied the allegations. … Nyre disclosed that the real reasons for his departure were in part due to concerns over the handling of the scandal at the law school, as well as what he claimed was ‘serious misconduct’ by former Board of Regents chairman Kevin Marino, who was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit and is no longer on the governing board.”
HOW ELSE WERE THEY SUPPOSED TO PREPARE FOR CONGESTION PRICING? —“9 N.J. residents charged in NYC Housing Authority bribery scheme, feds say,” by NJ Advance Medial’s Matthew Enuco: “Nine New Jersey residents were among those charged in sweeping indictments announced Tuesday against nearly six dozen current and former New York City Housing Authority employees that officials say point to mass corruption at the public city agency. The 70 employees charged in the case allegedly accepted cash bribes in exchange for no-bid contracts, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York, announced Tuesday. The nine New Jersey residents were all charged with bribery and extortion.” WHITE FRIGHT — “White residents in NJ more likely to say neighborhood crime is getting worse, poll finds,” by WNYC’s Mike Hayes: “As major cities around New Jersey and the country report sharp drops in their crime numbers, a new poll finds that New Jerseyans’ perceptions of crime in their neighborhoods differs substantially based on race. According a Rutgers University poll released on Tuesday, 15% of Black residents say crime has worsened where they live over the last five years, compared to 31% of white residents. At the same time, 20% of Black people say crime has gotten better in their neighborhoods, but just 6% of white residents say the same. Most of both groups — about 62% of white people and 60% of Black people — said things had stayed the same. Hispanic residents were the least likely — 47% — to say things had stayed the same. Of Hispanic residents polled, 16% thought crime was getting better in their neighborhoods, but 34% thought it was getting worse.” —“Rutgers researchers work on breakthrough COVID-19 treatment”
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