| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | | | Good Friday morning! It appears that the investigation into Camden has expanded beyond real estate deals. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Andrew Seidman and Jeremy Roebuck report that authorities are investigating whether the South Jersey Transportation Authority, stacked with allies of power broker George Norcross, early last year withheld payments to the engineering firm T&M Associates as political retribution. It appears this all stems from that infamous Starbucks meeting in December 2022 that I reported, in which Norcross asked Mercer County Commissioner John Cimino, T&M’s chief strategy officer, and Assemblymember Wayne DeAngelo to stay neutral in the county executive race. They didn’t, and Norcross got mad. His insurance brokerage ended its relationship with T&M, as reportedly did his political consultant Steve Ayscue. Then Norcross sent me a statement calling Cimino, who he said had pledged to stay neutral, a “bald-faced liar.” According to The Inky, in early 2023 the South Jersey Transportation Authority halted payments to T&M, but they eventually made the payment. Authorities are investigating whether this was political retaliation, according to the report. SJTA sources told the publication that the holdup was about work performance. But considering that Norcross world was cutting ties with T&M at the time, the timing is certainly interesting. You’d have to be naive to believe political decisions don’t enter at least into how contracts are awarded. I don’t think T&M is one of the biggest political donors in the state because they just love giving money to politicians. And just on Monday I reported how Union County’s insurance fund ended its long employment of PERMA, a Norcross-linked company that had been administering it, after Norcross and Senate President Nick Scutari had a public spat over campaign finance. The new firm — also politically-connected — was the lower bidder. But somehow there hadn’t been any competition for the job before. TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Managing a kid like that, it’s a lot … It’s deals, conversations, follow-ups and figuring it out. Your child is a business.” — Michelle Cadeau, co-founder of a New Jersey “school” for kids who want — or whose parents want them — to become professional basketball players. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Josh Gottheimer, Erik Peterson, Diane Allen, Matt McHale, Linden John Francis Roman, Zachary Fink. Saturday for Joe Danielsen. Sunday for Angela McKnight, Nohemi Soria-Perez. WHERE’S MURPHY? — In Iselin at 11 a.m. for a health care center opening.
| | A message from Alibaba: American businesses sold $66B worth of products in 2022 on Alibaba’s online marketplace. New Jersey-based companies such as Phyto-C partner with Alibaba to reach one billion consumers globally. The impact: U.S. sales on Alibaba supported over 10 thousand local jobs and contributed $1.3B to New Jersey's GDP in one year. Explore Alibaba’s local impact. | | | |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | | PASSING GAS TAX — "Assembly committee advances gas tax with no amendments amid scattered opposition," by POLITICO’s Ry Rivard: "A bill to raise New Jersey’s gas tax by nearly 10 cents over the next five years advanced Thursday in the Assembly on party lines with little organized opposition. An odd pairing of advocates testified against the bill, but it advanced without amendments out of the Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee. The higher gas tax — about two cents more per year — would shore up the state’s Transportation Trust Fund, which supports $2 billion a year in road and transit construction. Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration supports the plan, as do leading Democrats in both chambers. The committee room was packed with laborers who supported the bill. The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce also supports the plan and is part of a coalition that launched a campaign on Thursday to get the bill passed … The most concerted opposition comes from electric vehicle supporters who are objecting to part of the bill that creates a $250 annual fee to help support the trust fund.” — “NJ Transit needs to delay 15% fare hike, lawmakers demand” — “Can New Jersey’s budget process be bettered?” — “Surge in hate crimes at N.J. schools fueled statewide rise in bias incidents” — “Something to say about Liberty State Park? Team Fireman wants you to shut up | Opinion” — “Murphy, mayors seek to generate buzz for 2nd North to Shore festival” — “NJ Senate advances seven state judge candidates — six from Bergen and one from Ocean”
| | | | DON’T MISS POLITICO’S HEALTH CARE SUMMIT: The stakes are high as America's health care community strives to meet the evolving needs of patients and practitioners, adopt new technologies and navigate skeptical public attitudes toward science. Join POLITICO’s annual Health Care Summit on March 13 where we will discuss the future of medicine, including the latest in health tech, new drugs and brain treatments, diagnostics, health equity, workforce strains and more. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | BIDEN TIME | | WOMAN PREVAILS IN MANVILLE — Murphy gets second county convention win over Kim in Senate race, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han and Katherine Dailey: "First lady Tammy Murphy won her second Democratic county convention Thursday evening, beating Rep. Andy Kim in her bid for the Democratic nod for Senate. Murphy beat Kim by a vote of 207 to 106 to win the endorsement of the Somerset County Democrats, a county where a key party leader vigorously promoted her candidacy. Patricia Campos Medina, a labor activist also running for Senate, received 15 votes. The vote was done by a show of hands, unlike prior open conventions where votes were done by secret ballot. A proposal from the convention floor to allow a secret ballot vote was shut down by Somerset County Democratic Committee Chair Peg Schaffer, a Murphy ally." THIS IS THE ENDEZ. MY ONLY FRIENDEZ, THE ENDEZ — "New Jerseyans to Menendez: Get out," by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: "Most New Jerseyans think indicted Sen. Bob Menendez is probably guilty and think he should resign, according to a poll released Thursday. Seventy-five percent of residents think Menendez is probably guilty, while just 5 percent think he’s probably not guilty, according to the Monmouth University poll of 801 New Jersey adults. Menendez’s approval rating among registered voters stands at just 16 percent — his lowest ever recorded in a Monmouth poll. Sixty-three percent said he should resign." — There’s a report in the New York Post that the senator won’t seek reelection, but it’s based on a single anonymous source and not confirmed anywhere else. Asked by a reporter in a Washington hallway, Menendez said he won’t resign but demurred when asked about his reelection, saying “Ah, that’s another question" and that “when I decide, then everyone will know.” My take: Based on Menendez’s lack of fundraising, lack of convention participation, lack of campaign infrastructure, lack of signature gathering and the negative polling, it seems very unlikely that he will run for the Democratic nomination. But I’m still curious whether he’ll rule out running as an independent, and think there’s a decent chance he leaves that question open until the filing deadline on June 4. HOLT AND CATCH FIRE — “Rush Holt endorses Andy Kim for U.S. Senate,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “Rush Holt, a former eight-term congressman from Hopewell who was never part of the New Jersey political insider sect, has endorsed Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown) for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. The endorsement from the Hopewell Democrat comes hours before Somerset County Democrats hold their convention to award an organization line in the Senate race between Kim, Tammy Murphy, and others … The support could also boost Kim at next week’s convention in Mercer County, where the South Jersey congressman and former Obama White House staffer is already the favorite.” PROSPECTS NOT SO GOOD — “Prospect Park Mayor Khairullah challenges Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. for Congress in primary,” by The Record’s Kyle Morel: “Jersey's longest-serving Muslim mayor has announced a campaign to challenge incumbent Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. in the June primary elections for the Democratic nomination in the 9th Congressional District. Prospect Park Mayor Mohamed T. Khairullah officially declared his candidacy this week, touting his background as an educator and former volunteer firefighter with more than 30 years of public service. ‘Now more than ever, our nation requires leaders who genuinely listen to the diverse voices of their constituents; leaders who are dedicated to building bridges and building a better future,’ a statement from Khairullah reads.” — “Four more counties will soon make the choice between Andy Kim and Tammy Murphy” — “Zdan grabs the Passaic GOP line”
| | | | A message from Alibaba:   | | | | | LOCAL | | CLARKKK — “Caught using racial slurs, two N.J. cops sue to keep their jobs,” by NJ Advance Media’s Riley Yates: “Two police officers at the center of a racism scandal in Clark Township are suing to keep their jobs, though they were caught on tape using racial slurs that included the n-word. Police Chief Pedro Matos and Internal Affairs Sgt. Joseph Teston have been on paid leave since 2020, and state prosecutors have recommended they be fired, saying they violated the public trust and should never work as cops again. But in lawsuits filed last month in Superior Court in Union County, the embattled officers claim the much-delayed investigation against them took too long and violated procedural safeguards requiring it to be quickly resolved … Matos and Teston have been on paid leave for more than 3½ years, as has a third officer, Capt. Vincent Concina, whom [whistleblower Lt. Antonio] Manata accused of retaliation. As of November, their salaries had cost local taxpayers more than $1.5 million.” THEY TOWED TITO’S CAR! — “Paterson councilman Michael Jackson confronts cops over parking crackdown,” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “A police crackdown on illegal parking in the 1st Ward early Wednesday morning escalated into a conflict between the local councilman, Michael Jackson, and the officers at the scene. Jackson questioned why the officers were towing cars in the middle of the night when Paterson, he said, ‘is overrun with illegal everything.’ The councilman also accused the cops of being condescending toward residents whose cars were being hauled away, asserting they should treat the people with more respect. Police accounts of the incident said Jackson was being antagonistic towards the officers, saying he was directing profanity at the cops and confronted them in an agitated and aggressive manner … A Mustang owned by Jackson’s brother — a vehicle the councilman said he himself uses — was among the vehicles that were towed.” (h/t to X-formerly-known-as-Twitter user @dpwworker, who came up with that headline humor)
| | | | On the ground in Albany. Get critical policy news and analysis inside New York State. Track how power brokers are driving change across legislation and budget and impacting lobbying efforts. Learn more. | | | | | IF YOU WANT FIREWORKS JUST GO TO A COUNCIL MEETING — “Toms River mayor: I want weekly summer fireworks, and downtown group better pay for them,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Jean Mikle: “The board of directors of Toms River's business improvement district voted Wednesday to resist Mayor Daniel Rodrick's demand that the BID fork over money from its operating budget to pay for 10 weekly fireworks shows downtown. Instead, the board agreed to send a letter to the mayor and township council, requesting again that the BID's 2024 budget be placed on an upcoming agenda for a vote and public hearing, and agreed to consider legal action if the budget is not put before the council … I don't think this was a very smart idea,’ Rodrick said of the BID's actions. ‘I tried to get them to see reason. If they are unwilling to change, perhaps we'll dissolve them. That's my feeling on it.’ … In a report to the BID's board Wednesday, Bennett gave a timeline of meetings … to discuss the BID's budget … If the BID did not agree to this, Rodrick told her he would ‘take the BID down,’ Bennett said.” THE BUCH DOESN’T STOP HERE — “Scathing state report rips Lakewood schools' backroom decision-making,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Joe Strupp: “A scathing review from the state Department of Education claims that Lakewood schools suffer from ‘a culture of low expectations’ and ‘high levels of distrust’ and that important decisions are often made ‘behind closed doors.’ … The report, portions of which were obtained by the Asbury Park Press, was released March 1 to both parties in the Alcantara case, a 10-year-old lawsuit filed on behalf of parents against the Department of Education seeking to improve state aid to the district.’ … [Former State Education Commissioner Kimberly] Markus’ report took issue with Board Attorney Michael Inzelbuch, who often directs the board meetings and serves as district spokesman … Inzelbuch’s salary, which averages more than $800,000, has come under scrutiny in the past.” SAME SCHI, DIFFERENT DAY — “July trial set for Lakewood SCHI founder after judge won't toss corruption charges,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Kathleen Hopkins: “A judge Wednesday set a July trial date for Rabbi Osher Eisemann, rejecting a defense motion to dismiss money laundering and corporate misconduct charges against the founder of Lakewood's School for Children with Hidden Intelligence (SCHI). Eisemann's bid to avoid a new trial on the charges failed at a hearing Wednesday before Superior Court Judge Joseph Paone, who rejected arguments by defense attorney Lee Vartan that the case should be dismissed. Vartan argued that the indictment against the 66-year-old Lakewood resident should be thrown out because the state attorney general's office kept potentially exculpatory evidence from the defense not only at the time of the Eisemann's first trial in 2019, but even after the defendant won a motion in 2022 granting him a new trial … Paone, when granting the new trial, said the state's withholding of evidence did not constitute willful misconduct. On Wednesday, he said the state's conduct was not serious enough to warrant dismissal of the charges." VOTEBOKEN — “Hoboken landlords say they’re willing to let the voters decide on their rent control gripes,” by The Jersey Journal’s Teri West: “A Hoboken landlord group has proposed a referendum that would all but eliminate one of the primary pillars of rent control in the city, a move that has the potential to spur a special election this summer. The concept would allow rent-controlled units to be rented for any price after a period of vacancy provided that the owner contributes $2,500 to the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Landlords may currently only raise the rent by a maximum of 25% when the unit is decontrolled while vacant. The Mile Square Taxpayers Association, which is behind the campaign, has begun collecting the petitions required to bring the issue to a citywide referendum, and its executive director, Ron Simoncini, announced the initiative during the public comment period at Wednesday’s city council meeting. ‘Our view of this is that there aren’t any victims in this,’ Simoncini said. ‘There’s an opportunity to not have to rehash the complex issues that we rehashed all last spring.’ In a statement Thursday, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla said, ‘The Mile Square Tax Association has been trying, unsuccessfully, for years to gut rent control in Hoboken and the latest attempt is offensive and unacceptable.’” OUT OF COMPTROLL — “Irvington needs an outside financial monitor, state comptroller says,” by New Jersey Monitor’s Sophie Nieto-Munoz: “A watchdog agency that has twice warned Irvington officials about their sloppy accounting records is now urging state leaders to appoint an independent monitor to ensure the township implements corrections. Town leaders failed to file required financial documents, spent nearly $1M without approval from the town council, and even paid to rent space from a business partly owned by a top town official, the Office of the State Comptroller says.” — “Paterson will pay $1.2M to settle eight lawsuits related to police” — “Atlantic City Housing Authority calls special online meeting for 1:30 p.m. Friday” — “Jersey City council approves lasting tribute to mark Jeremy Farrell’s impact on city” — “New, returning candidates to face off in Newark’s school board race this year”
| | A message from Alibaba: New Jersey skin care company Phyto-C grew revenue 600% after launching on Alibaba's online marketplace, which reaches over one billion consumers in China. This small business is among thousands of American brands growing global sales on Alibaba. In New Jersey alone, U.S. sales on Alibaba added $1.3B to the state GDP while supporting over 10 thousand full-time jobs in 2022.
“As a small business, none of this would have been possible without Alibaba. From day one, Alibaba supported our entry into the Chinese market by providing data-driven consumer insights that helped shape our marketing strategy and proactive guidance on supply chain and logistical hurdles,” said Dr. Eddie Omar, CEO of Phyto-C.
Learn more. | | | | | EVERYTHING ELSE | | IT’S IMPORTANT FOR KIDS TO UNDERSTAND THAT WINNING IS EVERYTHING — “Manasquan-Camden basketball controversy went to court. Here's the judge's ruling,” by The Record’s Stephen Edelson: “Two days after getting robbed of a monumental victory over Camden by the referees on the basketball court, Manasquan basketball was dealt another defeat by a Superior Court judge in Ocean County on Thursday. This time it was Judge Mark Troncone denying a filing by the Manasquan Board of Education to put Saturday’s NJSIAA Group 2 championship game on hold. Instead, it'll be up to the Department of Education and Acting Commissioner Kevin Dehmer to act on an appeal petition that was filed Thursday morning … ‘The district and the students in the district are deserved of getting the right outcome to this incident. So we are taking all these necessary steps to try to right the wrong that was done,’ [attorney Michael] Gross said. Outside the courtroom, attorney Lou Cappelli Jr., representing the Camden school district, ripped into Manasquan decision to take legal action on the matter, painting it as sour grapes. ‘Are we going to go back and look at all 32 minutes of the game and come to the judge and say ‘judge, this wasn’t a foul.’ It’s ridiculous,’ Cappelli said.” — “Bill proposed by [Sean] Kean would make Manasquan last team to have win unfairly snatched” YIPEE-PARK-WAY, MOTHER F—R —“Cape parkway rest stop to be renamed for Bruce Willis,” by The Press of Atlantic City’s John Russo: “The Garden State Parkway service center in Ocean View will be getting a new name. The Cape May County rest stop will honor actor Bruce Willis, who grew up in Salem County.” R.I.P. — “Steve Lawrence, who rolled the dice as Atlantic City's first casino opened, dies at 88” | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
