| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Good Thursday morning! Legislative committees last night approved the $56.6 billion budget bill after another night-time cram session, sending it on for a full vote Friday. More on that from Daniel Han below. But for now, allow me to use this space to riff on the George Norcross indictment. You can’t have a political machine without soldiers. And of course, those soldiers usually need to be paid. One of the less-covered allegations in the sprawling George Norcross indictment gives us a rare inside look at the game of musical chairs political bosses engage in to reward those soldiers. Years ago, I wrote a lot about the law Chris Christie signed to let former Camden Mayor Dana Redd — an alleged Norcross co-conspirator — back into the top tier of the pension system right just as she was hired for a $275,000 pensionable public job at the Rutgers-Rowan Board of Governors. But I didn’t have subpoena power to unearth the inner workings behind the move. Before Redd could be hired in the new job, its then-occupant Kris Kolluri needed a landing place. That turned out to be the CEO post at the non-profit that was then called Cooper’s Ferry Partnership. But that meant then-CEO Anthony Perno had to go. According to the indictment, then-Cooper’s Ferry co-chair Susan Bass Levin, referred to as “CC-1,” told Perno, referred to as “CFP CEO-1,” that she needed him to resign and offered him a job at the Camden County Improvement Authority. But that job paid $100,000 less and would have required Perno to forfeit his $50,000 severance package. Not surprisingly, he didn’t want to go. “[Bass Levin] went on to tell [Perno] that if he did not resign, ‘they’ would just make something up about him, which would lead to him being terminated for cause.” According to the indictment, in a recorded conversation, Perno asked Bass Levin to restructure his severance package to allow him to resign instead of being terminated. Here’s what Bass Levin allegedly said, referring to Norcross: “You can't go there. You don't want that fight. Believe me when I tell you. If you don't think that he can't get to anybody he wants to, you're kidding yourself. He has been relentless with me for the last year about why we pay you so much money. ... I'm not saying it's rational." In the end, according to the indictment, Perno was paid his bonus. Kolluri moved into Perno’s job. And Redd, of course, got her $275,000 pensionable job. But that wasn’t the end of the story. Following Kolluri’s hiring to lead the Gateway Development Commission, Redd — pension secured — took his job at Cooper’s Ferry Partnership, which by then had changed its name to Camden Community Partnership. I don’t know what Redd’s salary is there, but she was hired in October 2022 and, according to a form filed with the IRS, made $78,172 for the remainder of that year. In a statement, Bass Levin attorney David Eskew told me she “has done nothing wrong, which is why she was not charged.” “Susan Bass Levin has a well-earned reputation of being an ethical and upstanding community leader through her five decade career,” he said. “She should be celebrated for her tireless work to improve the health and well-being of South Jersey.” I don’t know if any of this will be determined to have been illegal. But if it’s true, it’s an ugly if somewhat unsurprising look at the inner workings of our political system. TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at Mfriedman@politico.com. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Bill Spadea says they’re out to get him. Who is ‘they?’ Oh, that could be the’“left wingers,’ the ‘deep state,’ or in this case, the state’s ‘establishment power brokers.’ And that apparently includes the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.” — InsiderNJ columnist Fred Snowflack on the question of Spadea keeping his four-hour daily radio show while running for governor HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Gail Gordon, Scarlett Rajski Martin, Jim Schulz WHERE’S MURPHY? — In Newark at 12:15 p.m. to deliver "brief remarks" following a meeting he's convening between Amtrak and N.J. Transit leaders. Media: "Ask Governor Murphy" on News 12 at 5 p.m.
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OO-EE, OO-EE BOBBY. WON’T YA TAKE THE JURY ON A SEA CRUISE? — “The source of Menendez’s gold bars takes the stand,” by NJ Spotlight News’ Brenda Flanagan: “On Wednesday, jurors heard from the man who sold the infamous gold bars that ended up in the hands of U.S. Sen. Bob Menedez and his wife, and are at the center of the bribery charges against them. Vasken Khorozian, a jeweler in Edgewater, did business with the senator’s wife, Nadine Menendez, and businessman Wael Hana, both of whom are co-defendants accused of participating in a sprawling bribery scheme. Khorozian described those transactions, including selling hundreds of thousands worth of gold bars on behalf of Nadine Menendez. The trial has dragged on since beginning in mid-May, and the prosecution still has not rested its case. The proceedings are falling behind the schedule that Judge Sidney Stein had hoped to stick to, and that’s starting to have consequences. An alternate juror was dismissed from the case on Wednesday. She had booked a nonrefundable cruise prior to being called for jury duty, and Stein had promised that she would be able to make it.”
FUNNY COINCIDENCE — A juror was also dismissed from Menendez’s 2017 corruption trial to take a pre-planned cruise. That was Evelyn Arroyo-Maultsby, who told reporters she felt the senator was being “railroaded” and correctly predicted a hung jury. She later showed up to Menendez’s 2018 election night party. | | WHAT TRENTON MADE | | BUDGET — NJ lawmakers advance $56.6B budget, tax hikes on big business, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: The state Legislature advanced a $56.6 billion spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year on Wednesday alongside a five-year tax hike on corporations to support NJ Transit. The Assembly and Senate budget committees approved the state budget as well as the business tax hike along party-line votes. State lawmakers raced against a procedural deadline to advance the bills in committees to ensure a full floor vote by the Senate and Assembly on Friday. The budget for the upcoming fiscal year begins July 1. The corporate transit fee — the additional 2.5 percent tax for businesses with over $10 million in profits — was included as part of budget negotiations and was among Gov. Phil Murphy’s most high-profile proposals in his nearly $55.9 billion spending plan. The surcharge would be on top of the state’s 9 percent corporate business tax, making it the highest corporate rate in the country … Some Republicans underscored the confusing last-minute budget process. Even earlier on Wednesday, it was unclear what the total budget would be, and lawmakers received details of the spending plan later that night. Details of the budget were not available to the public online as it was being voted on FURIOUS GEORGE — “Reaction to George Norcross indictment is muted at best. Why? He remains powerful,” by The Record’s Charles Stile: “For the most part, many in the political class are simply afraid of the guy and will remain so as long as he is free to conduct his insurance business, hold his tailgate parties at Philadelphia Eagles football games and rail with a Trump-like sense of victimization on the front steps of the courthouse. He may lack the statewide power of his heyday during the Christie years, many feel there is no upside poking a finger at an angry bear who is facing a long, unflattering public probe of his political and business operation, and possibly even prison. Norcross’s scorched-earth political style is legendary, and few wanted to tangle with him in those halcyon, pre-indictment days when the machine churned along. “If anybody knows where all the bodies are buried, it's George. He's got the goods on everybody," noted Micah Rasmussen, the director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University. Rasmussen also noted that many lawmakers have been beneficiaries of Norcross’ fundraising and strategic investing in their campaigns. On that score, they are also indebted to him.” AMCRAP — “NJ Transit delays have angered riders. How it became Amtrak's problem,” by The Record’s Colleen Wilson: “Eight incidents where Amtrak wires got tangled with NJ Transit pantograph equipment have occurred since April, contributing to a recent deluge of train delays and cancellations — but Amtrak says what causes the incidents remains a mystery. “There’s a lot going on to try to figure out what’s causing this and what we can do to prevent the situation from reoccurring," said Gery Williams, Amtrak’s executive vice president of service delivery and operations. ‘Unfortunately, right now, we don’t have the answer yet,’ Williams said … Meanwhile, patience is wearing thin for riders who have endured weeks of hours-long, unpredictable and haphazard commutes because of the incidents. Other problems that cropped up in recent weeks include a case where a signal wire fell, but Amtrak can’t determine why that happened, either. And last week a substation blew, causing a power outage. U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. told Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner on a phone call Monday night that ‘enough is enough.’” —“Amtrak train delays have N.J. Congressional leaders demanding answers”
| | | | Understand 2024’s big impacts with Pro’s extensive Campaign Races Dashboard, exclusive insights, and key coverage of federal- and state-level debates. Focus on policy. Learn more. | | | | | GUNS & POLITICAL AMMO — “Smith & Wesson must cough up internal docs on how it markets guns, court rules,” by NJ Advance Media’s S.P. Sullivan: “New Jersey officials can pry into gunmaker Smith & Wesson’s internal company documents as part of a long-stalled state fraud probe, a federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday. The three-judge panel rejected a challenge from the gunmaker in a 2-1 ruling, with the dissenting judge questioning New Jersey’s ‘novel’ efforts to take on the gun industry in court. The inquiry, launched in 2020, concerns whether the Tennessee-based firearms manufacturer violated New Jersey law by making misleading claims about gun safety and state regulations in their advertising. Smith & Wesson has fought the subpoena in state and federal court, saying New Jersey officials were unfairly targeting the company as part of a broader anti-Second Amendment agenda. … ‘However, lawyers for Smith & Wesson could bring their challenge to the U.S. Supreme Court, which has been favorable to gun rights litigants in recent rulings.” CLERKS: WE ASSURE YOU WE’RE OPEN TO COMMUNICATION — ”County clerks were on the front lines of this year’s ballot drama. How did they fare?,” by New Jersey Globe’s Joey Fox: “Now that the primary has come and gone, the New Jersey Globe spoke to four county clerks – Monmouth County’s Christine Giordano Hanlon, Hudson County’s Junior Maldonado, Hunterdon’s Mary Melfi, and Mercer County’s Paula Sollami Covello – about their offices’ experiences in an unprecedented election year. All four said that, in the end, their offices were able to make things work and deliver a primary election that went about as smoothly as in any other year; as Maldonado put it, ‘we were given a surprise pop quiz, and we passed it with flying colors.’ But they also didn’t hesitate to bring up the challenges they faced, from wrangling with their voting machine vendors to conducting extended ballot draws to educating voters about their new ballots. As the fight over New Jersey’s ballot design continues in court and potentially the state legislature, county clerks will remain on the front lines, since they’ll be the ones who have to implement any changes that are made. Melfi had a simple request for the judges and politicians who will be making those sorts of changes: please talk to us first. ‘I don’t care what they do in the future, as long as they do it with plenty of time for us to work it out,’ she said.” RED BULLS**T — “Multibillion-dollar corporation to receive $750K taxpayer handout to bring European soccer powers to Red Bull Arena,” by The Jersey Journal’s Mark Koosau: “Two high-profile European soccer teams will owe a debt of gratitude to New Jersey’s taxpayers when they take the field, or ‘pitch’ as they say, at Red Bull Arena next month. Some taxpayers might rather have their $750,000 back instead. The ‘friendly’ — the July 31 match is nothing more than an exhibition — between the German Bundesliga power RB Leipzig and English Premier League elite Aston Villa, will be funded, at least partially, by $750,000 from the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority. The state agency, which oversees the MetLife Stadium complex and a multitude of aspects related to the Meadowlands District, is expected to approve the funding at its regular meeting Thursday morning.” —“Cooper health system stands by George Norcross and two other indicted board members, while the nurses’ union stays silent” —“N.J. establishes responsible gaming task force to combat problem betting” —“MTA board move could give NYC congestion pricing advocates legal pathway” —“Trying to strike a balance between rights of hotel owners and homeless people” | | BIDEN TIME | |
—“Port Authority needs $1B loan to replace NYC bus terminal, [Gottheimer] says”
—“Lamberto will manage Bashaw Senate race” —“Building & Construction Trades union group endorses Kean in NJ-7” —“Altman endorsed by Human Rights Campaign” | | LOCAL | |
THE WHITE TIFFS OF DOVER — “Former NJ assemblywoman files $15M whistleblower lawsuit against Dover, mayor,” by The Daily Record’s William Westhoven: “The abrupt firing of BettyLou DeCroce as Dover administrator last month has resulted in a $15 million whistleblower lawsuit against the town and its mayor. The former assemblywoman initiated a lawsuit that states Mayor James Dodd fired her for refusing to suspend the police chief for criticizing him during a public meeting in February … ‘She was a whistleblower, that's what this case is about,’ DeCroce's attorney, Neil Mullin, told the Daily Record. … A statement from Dodd states the tort claim is "baseless," contains "false claims" and "is nothing less than an attempted money grab by a public official." Dodd said DeCroce ‘presided over herself obtaining an unearned $60,000 raise to bring her salary in excessive of $240,000 per year making her one of the highest paid administrators of any town this size throughout the state of New Jersey for a part-time position, which is how she and the prior administration classified her title in the state pension system.’” (h/t Fred Snowflack for coming up with that headline joke two years ago)
COURTESY, PROFESSIONALISM, RESPECT — “Prosecutor compares road-rage suspect, a NYC police officer, to a 'time bomb',” by The Courier-Post’s Jim Walsh: “A New York City policeman, accused of a road-rage shooting in Voorhees and compared to a ‘time bomb’ by a prosecutor, has been ordered to remain in custody pending trial. Hieu Tran, 27, allegedly shot a 30-year-old motorist at a Route 73 intersection on the night of May 17, according to the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office. The victim, a Voorhees man, has not regained consciousness and is now a quadriplegic, said Assistant Prosecutor Peter Gallagher. … Defense attorney Ross Gigliotti said a psychiatric examination found Tran suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, depression and an alcohol-abuse issue. He called the 11:15 p.m. shooting ‘an aberration’ and asked for Tran to be released with monitoring to a facility that would treat him for emotional and psychological issues. ‘He has fellow officers endorsing his strong character,’ Gigliotti said.” CONMELO — “Carmelo Garcia pleads guilty in bribery scheme,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “Former Assemblyman Carmelo Garcia (D-Hoboken) today pleaded guilty to taking bribes to help two businessmen secure lucrative redevelopment agreements with the City of Newark, where he served as deputy mayor and director of economic and housing development. Garcia admitted to taking cash from former Springfield Board of Education President Irwin Sablosky and his partner in a Newark pawn shop and check cashing business, Frank Valvano, in a bid to help the two secure redevelopment agreements with the city.” —“Overdue at the [Burlington County] library? Not gonna be a problem” —“Prosecutor still probing shore elections; Loch Arbor challenge filed in court” —“Union City woman files suit alleging cop invited himself in & sexually assaulted her” —“Budget hike in [Newark] would cost taxpayers $189 more in 2024” —Snowflack: “A second act for former congressman Malinowski” —“[Camden] clears 70,000 toxic tons from illegal N.J. dump. Activists say more needs to be done” —“[Flemington]. borough clerk forced to resign after seeking time off for counseling, lawsuit says” —“A well-deserved rest: North Hudson Community Action Corp. President Joan Quigley to retire at year’s end” | | EVERYTHING ELSE | | TYRANTSAURUS — “'Which dinosaur gets your vote'?: Eye-catching billboard on Rt. 80 before first debate,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Amanda Wallace: “Her name is T, and she is a Tyrannosaurus rex from Field Station: Dinosaurs in Leonia. Her first campaign ad went up in the form of a billboard Tuesday on Route 80 in Bogota. The billboard shows T alongside President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump with the question, ‘Which dinosaur gets your vote?’” —“NJCU scores appellate court victory in former real estate advisor’s $1.75 million lawsuit” —“Leading global IT firm opens East Coast headquarters in Middlesex County” —“Offshore wind farm company outlines plans to use Green Acres plots for electric cables”
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