Fulop’s multi-generational feud with the Menendez family

Dec 05, 2023

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Good Tuesday morning!

A few weeks ago in Atlantic City, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop revealed part of his strategy to win the governor's office: “I'm running for governor so I say nice things about everybody,” he told NJ Spotlight News’ David Cruz.

There may be one exception to that: Any member of Congress with the last name “Menendez.”

As Hudson County Democrats are lining up to support U.S. Rep. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) — the son of indicted U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) — for a second term in Congress, Fulop said Monday it’s time to dump the younger Menendez from office.

“When the Senator first got indicted, I thought maybe I could separate the father and son, and I even expressed that to Rob,” Fulop wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “As time went on, I realized it is impossible to do that and the situations are tied together. It’s not a secret that Rob got to Congress only because of his dad's influence, so it’s fair to move on from Rob now because of that same influence.”

Fulop’s position is something of a throwback to how he started his political career — someone willing to break against the Hudson County Democratic machine when it’s backing a Menendez, like when Fulop ran a quixotic House primary in 2004 against the now-senator. (Fulop lost by a lot.)

This is also just the latest in Fulop’s frosty relationship with Menendez, with the feud now becoming multi-generational. Fulop and the younger Menendez were caught up in a back-and-forth of scathing statements and mean Tweets yesterday.

“Steve’s absence from the city — whether spending time at his Rhode Island mansion preventing people from accessing the beach or traveling the state for his own political ambition — has led to a housing affordability crisis, a broken budget and 911 calls that go unanswered,” Rep. Menendez said in a statement.

Fulop, in response, accused the older Menendez of ghost writing statements for the younger Menendez.

“Senator — I’m not mad at this silly statement from you,” Fulop wrote on X. “If I was headed to spend the rest of my life in prison I too would prob do and say desperate things.”

With the younger Menendez still holding onto party support for his congressional reelection bid, there may be many more years of the Menendez-Fulop feud to come.

TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at Dhan@politico.com.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Jessica Calefati, Jeff Booker, Rocco Riccio

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “You stand your ground sir and don't get bogged down by all the haters out there. Stay strong and Merry Christmas!” — former U.S. Rep. George Santos in a paid Cameo appearance to “Bobby from Jersey,” paid for by Sen. John Fetterman.

WHERE’S MURPHY? — Nothing on the public calendar.

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WHAT TRENTON MADE

STATE POLICE — “The Police Force Where Female Officers Warn Other Women to Stay Away,” by The New York Times’ Tracey Tully: “Before retiring in the last year … three women joined with a female trooper who is still on the force, Claire Krauchuk, to file a lawsuit that accuses the [New Jersey State Police] of gender bias so entrenched that it often keeps women from being promoted to top command posts. Their suit echoes similar claims of discrimination made in recent years by other women and by gay, Black and Latino officers employed by the State Police, an agency controlled by Gov. Philip D. Murphy, a Democrat, and one of his closest allies, Matthew J. Platkin, the attorney general. …. Their allegations have now drawn the scrutiny of the U.S. Justice Department. Federal officials traveled from Washington in late September to meet with the U.S. attorney for New Jersey, Philip R. Sellinger, and more than a dozen former troopers, lawyers and civil rights leaders in Camden, N.J.”

— “Part-time officials, full-time perks: Some N.J. towns skirt the law, and taxpayers foot the bill,” by NJ Advance Media’s Riley Yates and Steve Strunsky: “Throughout much of New Jersey, serving on the local town council is supposed to be a part-time community service that won’t rake in the bucks. But for years, many towns have offered a plum to their elected officials: They are permitted to sign up for government health insurance, a generous benefit often quietly worth double or triple the small stipends they receive. In 2010, New Jersey lawmakers sought to crack down on that largesse by barring part-time mayors and council members from enrolling in the state’s insurance plan. The law required officials seated after it took effect to work at least 35 hours a week to qualify for those benefits, preventing them from receiving full-time perks for part-time hours at posts that typically pay less than $10,000 a year. Yet 13 years later, towns continue to flout those rules, an investigation by NJ Advance Media found.”

TAX TALK — Stay NJ task force members, executive director named, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: Gov. Phil Murphy and legislative leaders on Monday announced their appointments to a task force that will play a key role in implementing the “Stay NJ” program. ... The Legislature and governor have to enact the task force’s recommendations or something “substantially similar” for the Stay NJ benefits to take effect — otherwise the benefits, which go out in early 2026 at the earliest, will be delayed indefinitely. Three picks representing the Murphy administration on the task force are deputy state treasurer Aaron Binder, Department of Community Affairs Chief Data Officer Christopher Wheeler and Murphy’s chief policy adviser Dennis Zeveloff. The law also allows Senate President Nick Scutari and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin to make their own recommendations to the task force and a joint recommendation. That included former director of public policy for the Senate President Jessica Cohen, Woodbridge mayor and former state treasurer John E. McCormac and Plainfield Mayor Adrian O. Mapp. The law also allows Murphy to directly pick an executive director to the task force, which will be David Ridolfino, a longtime state Treasury staffer and former director of the state’s Office of Management and Budget.

— NJ Monitor: “New Jersey lawmakers edge closer to school construction fix”

— NJ Spotlight News: “Lawmakers push to expand Medicaid access for social workers”

— The Record: “NJ lawmakers hear bill that may limit pet shops from selling dogs, cats and rabbits”

— NJ Advance Media: “DOT should know how many potholes can be found on N.J. highways, legislator says”

— The Record: “Former Gov. Whitman to Brookdale students: 'We've gotten lazy about our democracy'”

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GO FOR THE GOLD — “Gold bars featured in Bob Menendez bribery case linked to 2013 robbery, records show,” by NBC 4’s Jonathan Dienst, Courtney Copenhagen and Tom Winder: At least four gold bars found in the FBI search of Sen. Robert Menendez’s home had been directly linked to a New Jersey businessman now accused of bribing the state's senior senator, Bergen County prosecutor records from a 2013 robbery case show. The businessman, Fred Daibes, reported to police he was the victim of an armed robbery in 2013, and he asked police to recover the gold bars stolen from him. In the 2013 robbery, Daibes reported $500,000 in cash and 22 gold bars were stolen, Edgewater police records show. Police later caught four suspects with the stolen goods. To get his property back, Daibes signed ‘property release forms’ certifying the gold bars belonged to him, the records show. … A decade later, the FBI said it found four gold bars with unique serial numbers in the Clifton home of Menendez and his wife Nadine.”

REPUBLICAN RESCUED — Christie will join DeSantis, Haley, Ramaswamy on debate stage, by POLITICO’s Zach Montellaro: Four candidates will be on stage for Wednesday’s GOP presidential primary debate in Alabama, including a surprise last-minute inclusion of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. The Republican National Committee announced late Monday that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, businessperson Vivek Ramaswamy and Christie will appear at the University of Alabama.

— NJ Spotlight News: “NJ congressmen: Chinese seafood tied to forced labor”

— MyCentralJersey.com: “South Amboy ferry gets another federal financial boost”

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LOCAL

— [Readington Township] backs out of $800K settlement with three underpaid female employees,” by NJ Advance Media’s Sue Livio: “It took just one mediation session in July for attorneys representing Readington Township and three senior female employees suing for wage discrimination to reach a settlement: the women would share $800,000 and the two who remained working there would receive retroactive raises that would nearly bring their salaries into line with men in similar jobs. But when it came time for the Readington Township Committee to vote to approve the deal — a mere formality, the women’s attorney thought — the committee members refused. The 15-month-old case is now likely headed for trial, said the plaintiffs’ attorney, Katy McClure of Verona. What should have been an example of the power of the Diane B. Allen Equal Pay Act, a 5-year-old anti-discrimination law heralded as one of the most comprehensive in the country is instead raising concerns about its limitations in the government sector.”

— “Deaf man’s parking ticket ends up costing Jersey City $175K,” by The Jersey Journal’s Ron Zeitlinger: “It may be one of the most expensive parking tickets in Jersey City history. But it’s the city, not scofflaw, who is on the hook for the bill. Jersey City will pay a deaf man $175,000 to settle a federal lawsuit filed after the city’s municipal court failed for months to provide a sign-language interpreter when the man tried to fight the ticket in court. The city council approved the settlement and three other unrelated lawsuits for another $240,000 last week.”

— NJ Globe: “Final Penns Grove mayoral ballot count still on hold”

— NJ Advance Media: “Homeschooled kids banned from sports, clubs in [Wall Township] district”

EVERYTHING ELSE

GHOST FORESTS FOR PHANTOM CANDIDATES — “'Ghost forests' threaten New Jersey's wildlife and fresh water supply,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Tamara Walker: “The Atlantic white cedar trees in the Pinelands of New Jersey are dying. Atlantic white cedar forests are valuable to wildlife and filter water for nearby counties, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. At one time, Atlantic white cedar occupied more than 125,000 acres in New Jersey, but that number has declined to less than 25,000 acres in recent years.”

— “N.J. drug overdoses poised to fall in 2023 but remain persistently high,” NJ Advance Media’s Riley Yates: “New Jersey drug overdose deaths are poised to dip slightly for the second year in a row in a continuing crisis that annually claims the lives of thousands of residents. So far, in 2023, 2,368 people have died in the state of suspected overdoses, or roughly seven deaths each day, according to the medical examiner’s office. Still, with a month remaining in the year, that is on pace to mark a drop from the 2,892 people who died in 2022.”

— Bloomberg: “Developer Tishman Speyer Gets Loan to Build Jersey City Apartments on Goldman Sachs Lot”

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