| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Presented by Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind | After losing Democratic support following his indictment, Sen. Bob Menendez looks to me like he’s in burn-it-all-down mode. The senator has said he knows “where all the skeletons in closets are” following his home county party’s endorsement of Tammy Murphy’s Senate bid to replace him (It would have been nice if he told us before). And he said Tammy Murphy will have to answer for the darkest parts of her husband’s record, like the veterans who died in state nursing homes during the pandemic. Since the senator has little shot at winning the Democratic primary, this has led to speculation that the vengeful Menendez could run as an independent, despite telling reporters, “I’m not gonna jeopardize any seat in New Jersey under any circumstance.” It would only take 800 signatures to run as an independent. This would be an unwelcome development for Democrats. But I don’t think they’re sweating it too much. Look at the Rutgers-Eagleton poll released yesterday that showed Menendez’s favorable rating at 6 percent and his approval rating at 11 percent. In 2012 and 2020 — the last two times New Jersey Democratic senators, including Menendez, were up for reelection in presidential years — they won by 20 points and 16 points, respectively. Still, Menendez has over $8.5 million in the bank. It’s enough to do some damage should he choose to use it. So he has some leverage. But Democrats have leverage, too. So far, most who have taken sides have backed Menendez’s son, U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-8th Dist), for reelection. I doubt they still would if their father was hellbent on running an independent campaign. If he did plan to, he’d have to keep his intentions secret until after the filing deadline for primary candidates. For the record, I reached out to Menendez spokesperson Jennifer Morrill about this. She didn't respond. TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Joey Gurrentz, Melissa Hayes, Matthew Montekio, Dan Zwillenberg QUOTE OF THE DAY: "It’s just unbelievable. It’s straight pornography. … This is straight up Penthouse letters. This is Hustler.” — Unsuccessful Ocean City Board of Education candidate Kevin Schaffer on a book from the graphic novel series “Heartstopper” being sold at school book fair. According to Patch, his example of this was an illustration from the book of two boys kissing. WHERE’S MURPHY? In Newark for its annual turkey giveaway at 1:15 p.m.
| | | | A message from Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind: Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind believes how the work is done is as important as the work itself. Led by a team with deep roots in environmental science, the company's first project will inject nearly $2 billion into New Jersey's economy and generate thousands of local, good-paying jobs. And it's just the beginning. Learn more about the first phase of Atlantic Shores’ long-term commitment to creating a clean energy future for New Jersey. | | | |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | |
NO SAL-VATION — Clark mayor charged in state Attorney General's probe of municipal, police misconduct, by POLITICO’s Lawrence Ukenye: The New Jersey Attorney General’s office on Monday announced a set of charges and penalties against Clark Township’s mayor and police chief more than a year after they became mired in controversy over allegedly racist remarks and paying $400,000 to a whistleblower to avoid a lawsuit. Mayor Salvatore Bonaccorso is facing several criminal charges brought by Attorney General Matt Platkin for allegedly filing fraudulent documents to aid his landscaping company. The company, Bonaccorso and Son, used an engineer’s name and license number to forge permit applications to improperly remove underground storage tanks, according to the Attorney General's office. By falsifying the documents, the Clark mayor violated New Jersey environmental laws that require on-site supervision by a certified contractor. Bonnacorso has been mayor of the Union County town since 2001 … Platkin’s office also recommended that Clark Police Department Chief Pedro Matos and Sgt. Joseph Teston be fired as part of a 43-page report laying out alleged wrongdoing by law enforcement and municipal government officials. —“Clark mayor charged with official misconduct. AG rips town leaders for racism cover-up,” by NJ Advance Medai’s S.P. Sullivan and Riley Yates: “Platkin said the Division on Civil Rights, which he also oversees, would review preliminary data showing racial disparities in traffic stops in Clark. The Union County suburb has a reputation among some Black New Jerseyans as a “sundown town” where minorities aren’t welcome after dark, and the AG’s probe found 44% of people arrested in Clark were Black, even though the township is 93% white. The attorney general said shoddy record-keeping by the department prevented his office from making definitive findings regarding any pattern of racially motivated arrests or traffic stops, however.” I’LL GIVE YOU MY PHILLIES BLUNT WHEN YOU TAKE IT FROM MY COLD, DEAD FINGERS — New Jersey's menthol cigarette ban could include pouches and flavored cigarillos, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: State lawmakers have expanded a bill to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes to include flavored oral nicotine pouches and “mass-produced” cigars. The Assembly Health Committee made the additions to the bill, NJ A1989 (22R) on Monday. Similar changes are expected in the Senate version. The wide-ranging prohibition would cut out popular products in the state. The additions specifically targeting flavored “non-premium cigars” would take flavored cigarillos — commonly found at convenience stores and gas stations — off shelves in New Jersey. GØNE WITH THE WIND — “Failed N.J. offshore wind farm leaves unfinished construction and uncertain clean energy future,” by NJ Advance Media’s Steven Rodas: “It has been nearly three weeks since Danish company Ørsted hit the breaks on its plans to build two offshore wind farms here — including what would have been New Jersey’s first. So why does Mayor John Peterson still not have a clear idea on when construction at Island Beach State Park in Berkeley Township — where Ørsted a month ago began work to ultimately lay cables that would have brought the energy from the ocean back into the Garden State’s grid — will wrap up. ... While a blow to Murphy’s goals and setting the stage for larger questions about New Jersey’s clean energy future, some local officials have more immediate questions about the future of the onshore Lacey and Berkeley Township construction sites where cables were once scheduled to be laid, an operations and maintenance center set to be constructed in Atlantic City and the offshore lease areas that Ørsted still holds rights to.”
| | | | GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We're stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here. | | | | | A PLIGHT AT THE OPRA — On first day of lame duck, New Jersey advocates protest OPRA changes, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: Dozens of New Jersey advocates are kicking off the first day of New Jersey’s lame duck legislative session with a plea to state lawmakers to hit the brakes on planned changes to the Open Public Records Act. “No OPRA bill hastily passed in the upcoming lame-duck session will deliver positive results for New Jersey voters. Any changes in this session are ill-considered and threaten to make all levels of New Jersey government significantly less transparent,” reads the letter to Senate President Nick Scutari and state Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen), signed by leaders of 61 mostly progressive advocacy groups. —“N.J. to require all new car sales to be electric by 2035” —“N.J. was poised to strip corrupt public workers of their pensions. Then, the bill stalled” —Huttle: “Steven Fulop will be Bergen County's best choice for New Jersey governor in 2025” —New Jersey clean energy bill gets held until December —“CRDA set to meet in person Tuesday for first time since pandemic”
| | | | A message from Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind:   | | | | | Biden's Beltway | |
DOULAING CAMPAIGNS — Tammy Murphy pushes new doula initiative as she mounts Senate bid, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: New Jersey first lady — and U.S. Senate candidate — Tammy Murphy announced Monday that a bill to guarantee pregnant women can be accompanied by doulas in hospitals and birthing centers will be introduced in the state Legislature. The state-sponsored announcement comes just days after Murphy announced her candidacy and as she's faced questions about how state resources will be used to boost her bid to replace Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.). … The first lady told reporters after the event that the announcement was in keeping with her policy goals on infant and maternal health. … Tammy Murphy has previously held press conferences on the matter, particularly trying to reduce infant and maternal mortality rates, especially in communities of color. She underscored that when asked by reporters Monday whether holding state-sanctioned events was appropriate as a Senate candidate. “I would say today is a big deal. This is a big step. Moms and babies have been dying in New Jersey," she said. "So the answer is, I've done a lot of these, I'm sure you'll see me doing a lot more,” she added.
—“Tammy Murphy’s leadership on maternal health under the microscope,” by NJ Spotlight News’ Lilo H. Stainton: “When New Jersey’s first lady Tammy Murphy committed to reducing maternal mortality in the state — and to eliminating racial disparities in these deaths — she met with stakeholders, joining Black churches, block parties and countless coalition discussions around the state to understand the roots of the problem … Now the first lady’s work has also become a centerpiece of her campaign to replace U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez … And indeed, in interviews last week with health care advocates and others, they praised the first lady for generating unprecedented public awareness of maternal mortality and systemic racism in general, which Murphy makes clear is a primary cause of disparate outcomes. … But some people involved with this work were more critical of Murphy’s focus on advancing certain programs she has prioritized, instead of promoting the grassroots initiatives already underway. … [T]he first lady has been less of an advocate for another Trenton project in the works, a birthing and maternal health center under development by the Greater Mount Zion AME, a Black church with a long history of social service in the region.” —Stile: “Andy Kim must outflank Tammy Murphy — and the NJ ballot 'line.' Can he succeed?” MEMBERS WITH FULL HOUSE SCHEDULE WONDER WHAT HAPPENED TO PREDICTABILITY— “Unpredictable House schedule may have knock-on effects in Senate, gubernatorial campaigns,” by New Jersey Globe’s Joey Fox: “Last Tuesday, the New Jersey League of Municipalities kicked off its annual conference, a raucous, crowded event in Atlantic City that brings a colossal array of New Jersey elected officials and party leaders together to discuss politics and policy. But New Jersey’s House members – several of whom are either actively running for higher office or plotting behind the scenes to do so – weren’t there for the conference’s first day. Instead, they were stuck in Washington D.C., voting on an emergency stopgap funding bill to prevent the government from shutting down. As New Jersey’s contests for Senate in 2024 and governor in 2025 ramp up, that’s a dynamic that’s likely to continue. In a House of Representatives that’s more chaotic than ever, ambitious New Jersey Democrats will need to balance their efforts campaigning back home with a GOP-led House schedule that will throw constant wrenches in their plans.” — “House Ethics Committee questioning visits to Atlantic City by US Rep. George Santos” — “N.J. man who pulled back Jan. 6 guilty plea convicted at trial of 7 crimes”
| | | | A message from Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind: Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind believes how the work is done is as important as the work itself.
Led by a team of purpose-driven professionals with deep roots in environmental science, the company's first project will inject nearly $2 billion into New Jersey's economy, while supplying clean energy to 700,000 homes in the Garden State — and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 4 million tons every year.
The project will generate tens of thousands of local, good-paying jobs that will sustain working families for generations.
Plus, New Jersey communities connected to Atlantic Shores will benefit, as research in other states has shown that towns near offshore wind farms have seen positive increases in tourism.
And all of this is just the beginning. The current project is the first phase of a long-term commitment to creating a clean energy future for New Jersey. Learn more. | | | | | LOCAL | |
HOBROKEN — “Platkin receives letters from Hoboken officials as VBM fraud allegations are disputed,” by Hudson County View’s John Heinis: “New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin has received two letters from three different Hoboken officials regarding vote-by-mail fraud allegations, which are being disputed, ahead of the non-partisan December 5th 1st Ward runoff election. ‘Over the weekend multiple residents in Hoboken’s First Ward came forward to me with unsolicited information detailing a pay-for-votes scheme in that ward,’ Councilman-at-Large Joe Quintero said in a statement, indicating he has forwarded a two-page letter written by residents of 400 1st St. to Platkin. … The letter, which is redacted to keep the unknown number of residents anonymous, claims that they have seen VBMs manipulated in prior elections and again in the November 7th non-partisan race, which is ongoing ahead of the runoff.”
NEW DOMINION — “'Perfect storm': Can Bergen County fix its voting troubles in time for the 2024 election?” by The Record’s Kristie Cattafi: “New voting machines, untrained poll workers and slow system servers are being blamed for a chaotic Election Day in Bergen County, creating what's being called a "perfect storm." County officials want to know what went wrong and how these problems will be fixed before next year's presidential election, which is expected to bring out about 70% of voters, 40% more than this year. Bergen County Executive James Tedesco and Commissioner Chairman Thomas Sullivan sent a letter to Bergen County Clerk John Hogan, Superintendent of Elections Debra Francica and the county Board of Elections, expressing concern about what voters experienced on Nov. 7. This was the first major election in which the new Dominion voting machines, purchased early this year, were used. Tedesco and Sullivan said, ‘We cannot help but voice our disappointment with their performance.’”
| | | | GET A BACKSTAGE PASS TO COP28 WITH GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Get insider access to the conference that sets the tone of the global climate agenda with POLITICO's Global Playbook newsletter. Authored by Suzanne Lynch, Global Playbook delivers exclusive, daily insights and comprehensive coverage that will keep you informed about the most crucial climate summit of the year. Dive deep into the critical discussions and developments at COP28 from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | CREAMM GET THE MONEY — “Fulop created police cannabis policy to win gubernatorial votes at expense of taxpayers: new lawsuit,” by The Jersey Journal’s Ron Zeitlinger: “Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop created an illegal policy barring police officers from using cannabis to win over conservative voters at the expense of city taxpayers in his bid for governor in 2025, a new lawsuit claims. The 56-page lawsuit .... filed Friday by Michael Rubas on behalf of Jersey City police officers Norhan Mansour and Omar Polanco, who were ordered to be reinstated by the Civil Service Commission after they were fired for off-duty use of cannabis … The lawsuit claims the city violated the state’s Open Public Records Act by refusing to provide emails related to the city’s cannabis policy — which state officials have said violated state law — between Fulop, Public Safety Director Jim Shea and Deputy Police Chief Nicola Flora. … The city has fired or disciplined multiple officers for testing positive for cannabis in defiance of a state law, the CREAMM (Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization) Act, which explicitly states law enforcement officers cannot be fired or disciplined for using cannabis while off-duty.” —“Toms River's next mayor warns current leaders not to hire anyone before he takes over” —“'Proud of the race I won': Only Democrat on Wayne council clinches a second term” — “Election 2023: Next mayor of Atlantic Highlands might win by 3 votes; council race tight” —“Hamilton Township may adopt pay-per-run policy for volunteer firefighters” —“Newark Public Schools has plans to tackle difficulties in student reading, writing” —“Middlesex County spending plan for new stadium in Edison increased to $200 million” —“Paterson police officer injured when smoking ‘incendiary object’ explodes on windshield” R.I.P. — “Pompton Lakes mourns loss of longtime councilman, police captain” | | EVERYTHING ELSE | |
THE HAGUE — “Museum of Jersey City History opening with an exhibit on one of the city’s best-known figures, Frank Hague,” by The Jersey Journal’s David Mosca: “Those familiar with Jersey City history are probably familiar with the name Frank Hague. During his three-decade tenure as mayor, Hague famously proclaimed ‘Listen, here is the law! I am the law!’ For it’s inaugural event on Saturday, Dec. 2, The Museum of Jersey City History is presenting an exhibit on one of the city’s most well-known figures with ‘Frank Hague’s Jersey City: Yesterday and Today.’”
—“DEI statements are shaking up higher education. Here's how New Jersey colleges use them” —“Attentive Energy investing $10.6M in supply chain, startups to help New Jersey offshore wind” —“CarePoint wins round against rival in collusion lawsuit, judge denies motion to dismiss”
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