| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | | Presented by |  | | | Good Monday morning! A complaint alleges that Lt. Col. Sean Kilcomons, deputy superintendent of the NJ State Police, referred to Attorney General Matt Platkin as “that Jew” and told a helicopter pilot not to land until Platkin and his son left a “Take Our Children to Work Day” event. It’s the last thing the State Police need right now on the PR front. The complaint — first reported by The New York Post — was anonymously made. Superintendent Patrick Callahan said he supports an investigation but warned “should these allegations prove unsubstantiated and an attempt at defamation, I trust that the Office of Law Enforcement Professional Standards will take decisive action to address any disinformation and hold accountable those responsible for spreading it.” Platkin recused himself from any investigation but said he was “disappointed to learn that a law enforcement leader might have chosen to use his position and the privilege of his authority to hurt my son.” First, allow me to state the obvious: The New Jersey State Police has historically had major discrimination problems that have allegedly not abated all that much. There’s new allegations, some laid out in this report by the Attorney General’s Office that oversees the agency, and in a lawsuit by a fellow trooper. The lawsuit, by State Police Major Brian Polite, alleges Kilcomons — who beat Polite out for a promotion — made racist comments about him. Oh, and there’s the fact that one of its now-fired troopers had a giant tattoo on his neck of a Hitler Youth slogan and other tattoos tying him to white supremacist ideology. Frankly, it strains credulity to believe no one noticed the tattoos, or that the trooper never aired his beliefs to any co-workers. On Friday afternoon, the recently-retired chief of the force’s aviation division , Adam Wrede, called me up to say that the allegation didn’t make sense. Unlike during previous years, no helicopter landed at Division Headquarters in Ewing, where Platkin was present, during the event itself. Instead, there was one on the ground for all the kids to see. It looks to me like there’s a power struggle going on between the Attorney General and the State Police. Of course, that doesn’t affect the validity of the allegations. TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Jim Beach, Leslie Tejada. Missed yesterday: George Helmy QUOTE OF THE DAY: “If you’re driving from Lakehurst to Bloomfield, you can fittingly say, ‘Whoa, we’re halfway there’ at the stop named for this singer.” — A "Jeopardy!" clue last week. (The correct answer: “Who is Frankie Valli?”) WHERE’S MURPHY? In Trenton for an 11:30 a.m. roundtable discussion on public contracting and minority-owned businesses | | | | A message from Amazon: Maydeen turned a temporary job at Amazon’s Edison, New Jersey fulfillment center into a full-time career. “Amazon provides so much training and support,” she said. As the largest job creator in the U.S. Amazon is committed to helping employees thrive with benefits starting on day one and free skills training programs. See how Amazon supports employees. | | | |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | |
EARLY VOTING IS HUGE THIS YEAR — In-person early voting in New Jersey came off to a slow start when it was first enacted in 2021. But a lot of people are taking advantage of it for the presidential election. Secretary of State/Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way said on Saturday alone — the first day — 135,075 New Jerseyans cast ballots. By contrast, the next highest turnout came during the 2022 midterms, with 26,658 casting ballots on the first day, according to The AP’s Ryan Dubicki. There’s photos and videos of long lines at polling places all over the state. Gov. Phil Murphy reportedly had to wait 40 minutes.
CALIFORNIA STILL DREAMING — These blue states are hesitating to follow California , by POLITICO’s Alex Nieves and Ry Rivard: California's blue-state allies in the electric truck transition are getting cold feet. New Jersey — one of the 10 states that follows California's rules to transform the heavy-duty trucking sector — is contemplating giving truck manufacturers a break from having to sell electric models. “The state is just not ready,” said New Jersey Senate Transportation Chair Patrick Diegnan, who introduced a bill this week that would delay the start of New Jersey’s zero emission sales mandate by two years amid concerns that there aren't enough electric trucks or chargers. New Jersey isn't an outlier. Regulators in Oregon, Massachusetts and New York are all considering slowing down portions of California's regulations, which are designed to increase the number of electric trucks on the road — and offer cleaner diesel engines for trucking companies that can’t afford electric models. — “Bill introduced on police use-of-force policy review in wake of shooting of Fort Lee woman ” — “Fulop slams Sherrill, Gottheimer for seeking a job they might not want” — “Gottheimer punches Fulop back after statements about House re-election bid” — “ Is lead exposure adding to NJ’s maternal deaths?” CARTOON BREAK — “What are the odds that smoking will be banned in casinos? ” by Drew Sheneman | | | BIDEN TIME | | |
THERE GOES BASHAW’S POTENTIAL DEMOCRATIC CROSSOVER VOTE — “Murphy endorses Kim for U.S. Senate,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “After a lengthy, seven-month wait, Gov. Phil Murphy finally endorsed Democrat Andy Kim by name on Saturday. ‘Today, I cast my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz for POTUS and VP, Andy Kim for Senate, Frank Pallone for Congress, and Dems down the ballot,’ Murphy said on Saturday — the first time Murphy has said he’d vote for Kim. In the past, Murphy has merely just that he would support the entire Democratic ticket. There has been bad blood between Muphy and Kim since the three-term congressman’ defeated the governor‘s wife for the Democratic nomination for Senate two months before the Democratic primary.”
*EARTH SHAKING ACTUALLY JUST A MINOR AFTERSHOCK FROM APRIL QUAKE — “Inside N.J.’s unique, earth-shaking, Trump-colored race to replace a disgraced U.S. Senator,” by NJ Advance Media’s Brent Johnson: “The last time you may have checked in on New Jersey’s race for U.S. Senate, the state’s political universe was exploding. That was in the spring, when First Lady Tammy Murphy abruptly dropped out of a surprisingly fierce Democratic primary fight against upstart U.S. Rep. Andy Kim to replace the disgraced Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez — after she was backed by powerful party leaders, including her husband, the governor. The drama got even more epic when Kim won a mammoth legal battle that took away the power party bosses long had over where names appear on the state’s primary ballots. It was an opera out on the Turnpike, as Mr. Springsteen might say. Political theater of the highest order. But the story doesn‘t end there. The next chapter is its own interesting tale, filled with twists and turns and captivating characters. It’s a one-of-a-kind general election to decide who takes over Menendez’s former seat, with big implications for New Jersey and the nation in this huge election season. On one side is hotel developer Curtis Bashaw, 64, a Republican like few others in this age of Donald Trump: an openly gay man who describes himself as a pro-choice, pro-business moderate and doesn‘t particularly like his party’s brand of smash-mouth politics … On the other side is Kim, 42, the bookish three-term congressman who shockingly took a pickaxe to the political machines that have ruled the state.” THROW YOUR GUNS IN THE AIR. AND BUCK YOUR PARTY LIKE YOU JUST DON’T CARE — “Kean bucks GOP on gun vote,” by NJ Spotlight News’ Benjamin Hulac: “Tom Kean presents himself as a moderate Republican, willing to buck his party for the interests of New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, home to about 774,000 people. Kean has largely voted with Republicans in his first House term. Yet a vote on gun control stands out. Kean was one of two Republicans in the chamber to vote against a measure (H.J.Res.44) that would have blocked a federal rule to regulate the use of ‘stabilizing braces’ — mechanical extensions that can be attached to pistols to make those weapons more dangerous.” WAS TUCKER CARLSON THERE? — “On abortion, Kean gets the spanking he deserves,” by The Star-Ledger’s Tom Moran: “Rep. Tom Kean spoke at a temple in Bridgewater Tuesday night and tried to make the case that his Democratic opponent, Sue Altman, is an extremist on the issue of abortion. It didn’t go well. At one point, a man in the audience interrupted him, shouting ‘That’s not true! That’s not true!’ according to a recording of the event, confirmed by a witness. He and three or four others who joined him were immediately told to quiet down. ‘We don’t tolerate that,’ said one Jewish leader who was present. ‘But it was a much friendlier audience to Sue than to him, I think to paint her as an extremist went down very badly.’ This race, the only nail-biter in New Jersey this year, may hinge on the issue of abortion.” — “A decade of Trump alerts: A Q&A with Gov. Christie Whitman” — Snowflack: “Working ‘9 to 5’ in CD-5 and CD-9” | | | | A message from Amazon:   | | | | | LOCAL | |
EAST ORANGE IN THE RED — “N.J. school district broke rules by keeping quiet about dire budget problems, state says,” by NJ Advance Media’s Tina Kelley: “East Orange school officials violated state rules when they failed to notify the state Department of Education that the Essex County district’s budget was deeply in the red, state officials said. The budget shortfall led East Orange schools to cut almost 100 positions last week. The district’s schools had to close early for half days for two days when a large number of teachers called in sick following the news of the layoffs. State regulations are clear that when school districts are about to fall into a deficit, they must notify the department about the causes, state Education Department spokeswoman Laura Fredrick told NJ Advance Media. ‘East Orange School District’s reports that they are experiencing a budget shortfall so early in the school year raises concern,’ Fredrick said. ‘Unfortunately, East Orange School district did not follow these steps, including timely notification to the Department, so the Department is now attempting to gather additional information from the district.’”
— “ East Orange schools chief defends cuts, layoffs” A CURETON FOR WHAT JAILS YOU — “Bergen County race for sheriff a repeat between two career officers,” by The Record’s Kristie Cattafi: “The Nov. 5 ballot for the Bergen County Sheriff's race will look familiar. The contest for the county's top cop is a rematch from 2021 between incumbent Democrat Sheriff Anthony Cureton and Republican retired Saddle Brook Police Chief Robert Kugler. Both candidates are career officers. Cureton began his career in 1989 in Englewood and Kugler served as chief in Saddle Brook for 30 years. Both want to continue their careers as public servants … During his last term, the Passaic County jail merged with Bergen's, creating $21 million in revenue for the county. Cureton said that money goes toward helping the tax base and the administration be fiscally responsible … Kugler said it’s time for a change in leadership and to bring his passion to serving the general public and law enforcement to make the community safer. If elected, some of his plans include establishing county-wide patrols, enhancing traffic safety, and implementing opioid prevention and education programs.” DEFINITELY GOOD NEWS AND NOT JUST ANOTHER CUT TO AN ALREADY BARE-BONES NEWSPAPER NETWORK — “ Courier-Post staff moves to remote work model,” by The Courier-Post: “The Courier-Post will be transitioning to a fully remote workplace model. Currently, the staff at the Courier-Post works on a flexible model. Some employees come into the office daily, while others prefer to work remotely most of the time. Beginning in January 2025, all staff will be fully remote. ‘The Courier-Post and our South Jersey papers are committed to delivering local coverage that impacts the communities we serve,’ said Courier-Post Executive Editor Audrey Harvin. ‘As our industry evolves, our commitment to readers and advertisers does not change.’” 'GEORGE NORCROSS' IS PENNSAUKEN'S MOST POPULAR HALLOWEEN COSTUME — “Two NJ towns have set an age limit for trick-or-treaters. Should there be an age limit?” by The Asbury Park Press’ Juan Carlos Castillo: “Should there be an age limit for trick-or-treating? Some people think there should. In New Jersey, two towns have set age limits for trick-or-treaters: Pennsauken in Camden County, which banned kids older than 14 in 2017, and Upper Deerfield Township in Cumberland County. ‘Trick or treating is for kids, not adults. Anyone over the age of 14 cannot go out trick or treating, unless you’re acting as a chaperone,’ Pennsauken said on its website at the time. ‘And unfortunately, chaperones can’t ask for any candy or treats. They have to wait until they get home to help their kids "sort" the candy.’ In Upper Deerfield Township, those older than 12 are technically not allowed to trick-or-treat.” — “Atlantic City considers allowing 16-year-olds to vote in school board elections” — “ Cumberland County prosecutor promises to fight for slain Detective Sgt. Monica Mosley” — “ [South Orange-Maplewood] school district drops controversial ban on Halloween costumes and class parties” — “[Cohanzick Nature Reserve] has become a haven for Native Americans battling for Indigenous rights ” — “A pro-Trump demonstration in ... Montclair? Famously liberal town hosts Republican rally” — “No fireworks during Diwali, [Edison] mayor tells one of N.J.’s largest Indian-American communities” — “ Man dies after being struck by personal vehicle driven by Paterson officer leaving HQ” — “A haunted hayride devolved into a melee, then kids ransacked a local Wawa. Collingswood officials are bracing for what comes next ” — “Democrats and Republicans play tug-of-war over control of Egg Harbor City Council” | | | | A message from Amazon: Amazon is committed to helping their employees and communities where they operate thrive.
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THANK GOD THIS COMPANY IS ONLY IN CHARGE OF MINOR THINGS LIKE … UH, STORING SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL — “Holtec sues former executives and outside accountant for $70 million in damages, reputational harm from criminal probe ,” by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Abraham Gutman and Andrew Seidman: “When energy technology firm Holtec International agreed in January to pay New Jersey $5 million to avoid facing criminal charges over a tax incentive dispute, the company denied wrongdoing and accused prosecutors of threatening ‘unfounded retaliatory’ prosecution. Holtec still maintains it handled everything aboveboard — but now the company is pointing the finger at its accountants, saying an outside firm gave bad advice that led to a costly criminal probe. And in a twist, Holtec says its own investigation shows the company was the victim of a yearslong embezzlement and self-dealing scheme involving two of its own senior executives that cost it more than $70 million, according to a lawsuit the company filed this month in Camden County Superior Court.”
SILVIO DANTE’S PEAK — “N.J. has a volcano. Seriously! Here’s what you need to know,” by NJ Advance Media’s Rob Jennings: “It looks like just another hill in Sussex County, but you wouldn’t have wanted to have been standing there 420 million years ago. That’s about when the Beemerville Volcano erupted in Wantage, give or take six million years, according to geologists. So much about New Jersey is familiar — the Jersey Shore, traffic jug handles, diners. Far less known is there was a time, nearly 200 million years before dinosaurs first roamed the Earth, when a volcanic eruption reshaped the landscape. ‘You don’t typically think of New Jersey as volcanoes. We’re not Iceland, we’re not Hawaii. But we do have a very unique geologic history,’ said Steve Domber, New Jersey’s state geologist. The crater is long gone. All that remains of the Beemerville Volcano is a volcanic neck that stretches 1,020 feet into the sky.” BLAMING NEW JERSEY BECAUSE IT’S OUR FAULT — “New fault line discovered under New Jersey may explain unusual shaking from April's 4.8 quake ,” by Fox Weather’s Scott Sistek: “The discovery of a new fault line may explain the unusually strong and displaced shaking from April’s magnitude 4.8 quake that struck the heart of New Jersey, yet was felt the strongest miles away from the epicenter, a new research study shows.” CHRISTIE URGES WIND COMPANIES TO TAKE THE BATS OUT ON WEINBERG — “ Birds are attracted to offshore wind turbines. How Jersey Shore is preparing for risks,” by NJ Advance Media’s Steven Rodas: “Much of the attention around what towering offshore wind turbines could mean for Jersey Shore animals has focused on whales and certain fish species. Birds, some believe, have gotten short shrift. As have bats. Not that wind developers and environmentalists aren’t looking up to the skies. During a recent tour of the Long Island South Fork wind farm — a project that could be instructive for what’s planned in New Jersey in the years to come — managers from Ørsted said they monitor for birds and bats. How? With the Motus Wildlife Tracking System, an international collaborative research network. The equipment is affixed to one of the projects’ 12 turbine platforms, the company said. Worries have been shared by advocates about what wind structures, simply by the nature of their size and placement, will mean for birds and bats that travel off the coast.” DO WE HAVE TO LET THIS DROUGHT LINGER? — “N.J. grows $20M of cranberries each year. Drought is threatening our ruby red crop ,” by NJ Advance Media’s Matthew Enuco: “Most years, the cranberry harvest in New Jersey is a carnival of colors. Ruby red berries bubble to the surface of cerulean blue bogs framed by the autumn foliage nestled inside the Pine Barrens. Farmers wade out into the bogs in waste-high water and delicately rake the berries across the water’s surface before they are collected onto conveyor belts for processing. But this year, water is scarce. Months without meaningful rainfall in the Garden State have left reservoirs high and dry while underground wells are pumped for their last drops … A prolonged dry spell across areas of New Jersey has made harvesting cranberries slow, expensive and almost impossible for many farmers as reservoirs dry up, water tables shrink and a general lack of moisture delays deliveries and threatens vines.” — “Book unearths strange tale of N.J. gynecologist dubbed ‘America’s Biggest Catfish'”
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