| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | | Presented by |  | | | Hassan Abdus-Sabur, an aide to Newark Council President and Democratic 10th District Congressional candidate LaMonica McIver, told a group of people in a text message, as well as New Jersey Globe, that he helped collect signatures for McIver to run in the special July Democratic primary. That’s a problem because the only person who certified collecting signatures for McIver was her mother, Robin. And that claim threatens McIver’s candidacy. So during a Tuesday court hearing about the petition mishap, McIver’s side entered into the record text messages between McIver, Abdus-Sabur, and fellow McIver aide Alfredo Ruiz in which McIver wrote that he “lied and misspoke” about collecting the signatures. “That’s what I will go on the record and say. I lied and misspoke.” Abdus-Sabur wrote in the Friday text message. “I will go to my grave and say that!” So either Abdus-Sabur lied about collecting the signatures or he lied about lying about collecting signatures. Either way, he lied. Abdus-Sabur didn’t show up to court to testify, despite being subpoenaed. Neither did McIver. You would think they’d both be eager to clear it up. Instead, McIver’s lawyers just used a text message thread testified to by Ruiz, who was not in a position to answer any questions other than its authenticity. And McIver didn’t bother to ask her aide why he told that initial alleged lie, at least in the part of the text chain we saw. Administrative Law Judge Kim Belin has to make a recommendation as to whether McIver stays on the ballot by 10 a.m. today. Note that this fight is over who’s going to serve the last few months of the late U.S. Rep. Donald Payne’s term. The full term will almost certainly be served by someone picked by Democratic committee members. The candidacy of rival candidate Brittany Claybrooks, who challenged McIver’s petition signatures, is also facing a petition challenge that’s yet to be resolved. More on all this below. TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at MFriedman@politico.com. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "The only evidence is a text message which is contradicted by the same person in another text message. That’s not evidence. That’s a wash, if you were to ask me.” — McIver attorney Angelo Genova during Tuesday’s court hearing. WHERE’S MURPHY? — No public schedule.
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| | | | THE GOLD STANDARD OF POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. The Pro platform dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries—finance, defense, technology, healthcare, energy—equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists.
Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced, and better sourced than any other—with teams embedded in the world’s most active legislative and regulatory power centers. From Brussels to Washington, New York to London, Sacramento to Paris, we bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY. | | | | | | | WHAT TRENTON MADE | | RACIAL PROFILING REMAINS AN ISSUE — “Minority motorists still face racial profiling by N.J. State Police despite reforms, watchdog says,” by NJ Advance Media’s Ted Sherman: “Despite repeated warnings, critical internal reports, and a federal consent decree, the State Police ‘seemingly turned a blind eye’ to the possibility that discrimination was to blame for the continued adverse treatment of racial and ethnic minorities, according to a report issued Tuesday by a New Jersey watchdog. The Office of the State Comptroller also complained that both the State Police and the Attorney General’s Office of Law Enforcement Professional Standards, which monitors the agency’s practices, failed to produce all the documents it requested for review, redacted others, or “asserted without sufficient explanation that certain documents and information” were privileged. According to the comptroller, the State Police consistently failed to adequately analyze the aggregate motor vehicle stop data and recognize when action might be needed. A series of reforms and policies aimed at preventing discriminatory policing, it added, have been ‘largely performative,’ with oversight ineffective for years.” OPRA: USE OF FARCE — “Concerns remain over OPRA bill’s effect on police accountability,” by NJ Spotlight News’ Taylor Jung: “OPRA has been critical to revealing police conduct and enacting reform, say advocates. A recent OPRA lawsuit over police body-worn camera footage showed Edison police officers making disparaging comments to migrants, for example. Hundreds of OPRA requests were also used for The Force Report, which found racial disparities in police use of force. The report, by NJ Advance Media, led the state attorney general’s office to create directives about how police use force and to also establish public databases on police use of force. Under the new bill, however, people cannot make multiple of the same requests to agencies. But concerns over the changes to OPRA have also highlighted agencies’ responsibility to make information accessible.” REMEMBERING GOLDEN — “Rest in Peace, Carl R. Golden,” by InsiderNJ: “Carl R. Golden, whose remarkable political savvy and lightening wit made him trusted advisor and confidant to two NJ governors, a state chief justice and many others, died Monday at 86. Golden died during a medical procedure, his wife of 32 years, Linda Monica Golden confirmed. ‘He was absolutely the best. I don’t think anybody ever had a better press secretary,’ said former NJ Gov. Thomas H. Kean, who worked with Golden for decades. During a career of more than 50 years, Golden held a wide range of jobs in journalism and politics.” —“N.J. gym owner who defied COVID lockdown cleared of 80+ charges, attorney says" —“Opponents of N.J. Turnpike widening projects win a victory from the Coast Guard” —“Lose your job? It’s now easier to apply for N.J. unemployment, officials say” —“185K ballots have already been cast in early NJ primary voting. How you can vote by mail”
| | | | A message from Uber:   | | | | | BIDEN TIME | | MCGIVING HER A HARD TIME — In bizarre twist, congressional candidate's aide recants claim he collected petition signatures, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: "Abdus-Sabur’s recantation was brought up in the hearing following two hours of testimony from two women who said they were on the original text message chain, in which Abdus-Sabur claimed to have collected signatures: Lisa Mitchelson-Parker, a Central Ward district leader, and Newark housing advocate Felicia Alston-Singleton, a cousin of Abdus-Sabur. The two women, who have been critical of McIver and the city council, confirmed the exchanges were authentic. Mitchelson-Parker also said that during a breakfast on May 5, she heard Newark city employees say they had to go to the Robert Treat Hotel to sign petitions for McIver. '[T]he city workers were complaining that they were called to do petition signing on a Sunday,' she said. The recanting text messages were introduced by [Alfredo] Ruiz, the McIver … [Attorney Matt] Moench was skeptical about the latter texts, which he called 'self-serving' ... 'It doesn’t make any sense. It’s not believable that he lied. What is believable that his employer called him up and said ‘What did you just do? There’s now a press statement out there that basically says our petitions aren’t valid, you’ve got to fix this,' Moench said." BONUS REMAND — It looked yesterday like Brittany Claybrooks had survived her petition challenge when Administrative Law Judge Susana Guerrero once again ruled she should stay on the ballot, following a remand of her earlier decision by Secretary of State Tahesha Way. But on Tuesday evening, Way once again blocked Claybrooks. She remanded the case again, saying that Guerrero did not call a hearing to give the Democratic State Committee, which is challenging the petitions, a chance to cross-examine the circulators they suspect of fraud. “This is particularly concerning, given that the initial decision found that there was ‘insufficient evidence in the record to demonstrate’ any wrongdoing by the very people Petitioners sought to elicit testimony from and who were willing to voluntarily testify,” Way wrote. Way told Guerrero to call a hearing and have the two circulators testify. —Snowflack: “GOP primary flashpoint: Bashaw versus Serrano” —“CD-8 candidates talk turnpike widening, corruption, & Gaza at Jersey City Heights forum” —“U.S. Senate candidates focus on Black community at forum in Newark” —“Rampant” antisemitism at Rutgers? In a word, no | Opinion”
| | | | JOIN 5/22 FOR A TALK ON THE FUTURE OF TAXATION: With Trump-era tax breaks set to expire in 2025, whoever wins control of Congress, and the White House will have the ability to revamp the tax code and with it reshape the landscape for business and social policy. Join POLITICO on May 22 for an exploration of what is at stake in the November elections with our panel dissecting the ways presidential candidates and congressional leaders are proposing to reshape our tax rates and incentives. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | LOCAL | | AND LET’S BLAME YOU, MRS. ROBINSON — “Jersey City school district slammed in financial audit; officials blame former business administrator,” by The Jersey Journal’s Joshua Rosario: “A 319-page financial audit for the 2023-23 school year revealed the worst fears of Jersey City school district officials — the accounting and bookkeeping for one of the largest districts in the state was an unmitigated disaster. Auditors found the district overpaid vendors, failed to report contracts to the state and county, failed to track vacation and sick time liability, kept invalid purchase orders on the books — and arguably worst of all, mismanaged numerous accounts related to employee payroll deductions and withholding transactions that amounted to a net loss of $2,428,896. District officials laid the blame for the fiscal mess — the audit had 17 red flags — on former Business Administrator Regina Robinson. In a letter to the Department of Education requesting state oversight of the district earlier this year, Fernandez said Robinson cost the district ‘millions of dollars in fines and unnecessary expenses.’” TILTING AT WINDMILLS — “Wind power opponents continue to push; Ocean City bridge march set,” by The Press of Atlantic City’s Bill Barlow: “More than 100 people are expected to rally in the city and march over the Route 52 causeway Saturday in opposition to offshore wind power development … Although federal scientists have said there was no connection to offshore wind, many local wind power critics remain convinced that undersea mapping for future projects was connected to a spate of whale deaths in the winter of 2022-23. South Jersey opponents got a significant win last October when Ørsted, the Danish company with the leases to develop two large-scale projects that would have been visible from the Ocean City beaches, announced it would walk away from the Ocean Wind 1 and 2 projects. Wind power opponents celebrated the decision but vowed to keep the heat up in and out of court. Officials in eight towns in Atlantic and Ocean counties filed an appeal seeking to reverse the state Department of Environmental Protection’s approval of another proposed wind power project, Atlantic Shores.” —“Dolphin stuck in small creek in Cape May Court House” —“'What do you want us to do?': State aid cuts slamming some Cape school districts” —“Slow rollout of new FAFSA application delays financial aid offers for Newark students” —“Askar Mirza, 19, ousts Ridgefield Park incumbent by two votes” —“After delays, Jersey City Council set to vote on regulations, protections for food delivery workers” —Snowflack: “The political sirens of Sussex County” —“Fired Perth Amboy teacher loses license for students' 'Truth or Dare' game”
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Learn more | | | | | EVERYTHING ELSE | | CAMDEN RISING — “Pope Francis names Bishop Joseph Williams as coadjutor bishop of Camden, New Jersey,” by Catholic News Agency’s Courtney Mares: “Pope Francis on Tuesday named Bishop Joseph Williams as coadjutor bishop of Camden, New Jersey. Williams, 50, has served as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis since 2022. As coadjutor, Williams will assist 79-year-old Bishop Dennis Sullivan in the administration of the Camden Diocese and will automatically succeed him as bishop upon Sullivan’s retirement next year … According to the Diocese of Camden, Sullivan submitted his letter of resignation to the pope on his 75th birthday in 2020. Pope Francis recently notified the bishop that his resignation will be accepted on his 80th birthday on March 17, 2025.” SCAMPI DECISIS — “NJ Red Lobster employees take legal action after company files for bankruptcy,” by The Record’s Kaitlyn Kanzler: “Two employees at a Morris County Red Lobster filed a class action lawsuit after the seafood restaurant abruptly closed and the company declared bankruptcy. Brandon Wright was a full-time manager at the Ledgewood Red Lobster and Trista Van Jura was a server, according to the the lawsuit filed in Morris County Superior Court on Monday … The suit said the Ledgewood Red Lobster, which is on Route 10, closed without prior notice” —“Oldest grad at N.J. university went back to school for this heartwarming reason" —“Three Delaware River toll bridges to stop taking cash in June. How NJ drivers can prepare” —“Crumbling Sandy Hook Fort Hancock Officers' Row homes doomed? Apartment plan in trouble”
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