| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | The news broke early Wednesday evening: NBC News, citing two unnamed sources, reported that Sen. Bob Menendez was calling allies and telling them he planned to resign. Two hours later, following efforts by POLITICO and I’m sure lots of other news outlets to confirm the apparent scoop, Menendez spoke to CBS New York’s Christine Sloan and denied it. "I can tell you that I have not resigned nor have I spoken to any so-called allies ... Seems to me that there is an effort to try to force me into a statement. Anyone who knows me knows that's the worst way to achieve a goal with me,” Menendez said. Whiplash! While Menendez refuted the report, his quote is no guarantee that he plans to stick this out and face possible expulsion. And indeed, The New York Times wrote soon after the CBS report published that Menendez is considering resigning but has made no decision. That’s logical. By Wednesday, almost all of Menendez’s Democratic colleagues had called on him to leave the Senate, including a dozen who called for expulsion if he did not. With all that happening publicly, you’ve got to wonder what’s been happening between Menendez and his colleagues in private. Gov. Phil Murphy has already said he’ll place a “temporary” replacement, and as much as Democrats think it makes sense for him to pick Democratic nominee Andy Kim in the role for the seniority boost, people close to Murphy have told POLITICO that’s not very likely. The governor previously said he would not pick the first lady for the seat, but that was way back in October — before she launched her ill-fated campaign for it. That would certainly lead to backlash. Former Democratic Senate candidate Patricia Campos Medina told me she’s willing to serve. That would give Murphy an opportunity to put another Hispanic person in the seat, however briefly, and also appoint the first female senator. U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman also “did not discourage the idea” of her own appointment, according to The New York Times. An insider noted to me that, if elected, Kim could still get in the Senate slightly earlier than the rest of the freshman class if a scenario similar to what happened in 1982 plays out. Nicholas Brady, who was Tom Kean’s appointee to replace Harrison Williams following his post-corruption conviction resignation, left office on Dec. 27. Kean then appointed the winner of the election, Democrat Frank Lautenberg, to the seat the following day. Lautenberg was sworn in from his vacation home in Colorado but, according to a New York Times article, he didn’t gain any advantage in committee assignments because they had already been determined. TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at Mfriedman@politico.com. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Ed Durr, Susan Bass Levin. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Menendez kept saying, ‘They’re coming after me because I’m Latino.’ No, it was him … He shouldn’t have done what he was doing in the first place. He better pay for what he did, and in return, maybe he’ll start doing the right thing and get forgiveness.” — Union City student Kimberly Perez, 17 WHERE’S MURPHY? — No public schedule. | | | | The CNN-POLITICO Grill has quickly become a key gathering place for policymakers and thought-leaders attending the RNC in Milwaukee.
On Tuesday, POLITICO and Bayer convened two conversations: a discussion with Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Rep. G.T. Thompson (R-Pa.) and an executive conversation with Bayer’s Jessica Christiansen, senior vice president and head of crop science and sustainability communications.
The conversations focused on the news of the day in Milwaukee, including deeper discussion centered on the critical challenges faced by the agriculture sector.
CATCH UP HERE | | | | | |  | MENENDEZ CORRUPTION TRIAL | | — The Menendez verdict is in, but the case isn’t over, by POLITICO’s Ry Rivard: Twelve New York jurors found Sen. Bob Menendez guilty on 16 different corruption charges, but nine Supreme Court justices may have final say on his fate. Menendez and attorneys for a pair of co-defendants found guilty of bribing the senator said within minutes of the Tuesday verdict that they planned to appeal. But they indicated throughout the two-month trial that an appeal was almost certain if the jury found the defendants guilty. Larry Lustberg, an attorney for a New Jersey real estate developer found guilty of bribing the senator with cash and gold bars, said he’ll appeal “as long and as high” as needed. The defense attorneys’ bet may be that the high court, which has undone several of the most high-profile political corruption cases in recent years, will do so again. — “How Bob Menendez conviction could change how politicians are prosecuted,” by The Record’s Charles Stile: “For the moment, the nation may scoff at the conviction as New Jersey politics as usual, another Jersey Swamp creature taking bribes. It will further enshrine Hudson County as a top candidate for Corruption Capital USA, with its long roster of bribed officials and Jersey City mayor and county executives and legislators … But this will also have implications for prosecutors from across the country, who may have been gun shy about bringing these cases in the wake of U.S. Supreme Court decisions, which narrowed the definition of bribery and setting the bar higher for prosecutors to meet for convictions. … ‘The government's not flying the white flag of surrender here on political corruption, right? You know, we're still in business,’’ said Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University. ‘There's still lines that can be crossed. And you know, no matter what the Supreme Court says, we're still going to prosecute the laws that are on the books.’” — “In Bob Menendez’s hometown of Union City, little love for now-convicted senator,” by New Jersey Monitor’s Mark J. Bonamo: “On the day Menendez was convicted on all 16 charges in his federal corruption trial, residents of this densely populated Hudson County town made it clear: He got what he deserved. Jose Ovalles is a bodega worker who was walking down Bergenline Avenue in front of Cuban restaurant El Artesano soon after the jury in Menendez’s case announced its guilty verdict. Ovalles said the senator has lost the trust of his constituents. ‘People around here don’t believe in him no more. And why not? Because of what he did,’ he said. ‘There was all this love for him, and now it’s gone.’ … Even as his stature grew and he moved to other parts of the state, Menendez remained a commanding presence in Union City. But on Tuesday, residents here seemed to be shaking the senator off like a bad habit.” — Snowflack: “Post Menendez Verdict: Word on the Union City Streets” HUGIN HAS MENENDEZ’S BEST INTERESTS AT HEART — NJ GOP Chair: Menendez should stay, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman and Daniel Han: As more and more Democrats call on Sen. Bob Menendez to resign or be expelled from the Senate following his conviction on 16 corruption counts, Republican State Committee Chair Bob Hugin is taking a different approach. Hugin on Wednesday said that Menendez should do neither. “The one thing about America is that even though he’s been convicted, he does have rights to appeal and have a fair trial,” Hugin said in a phone interview. “It’s only fair that he be given a chance to appeal … I expect [the chances of it succeeding] to be remote. But I think everyone’s entitled to a full day or full hearing on the issues.” POSSIBLY LESS TO SPEND — “Menendez faces loss of state, federal pensions,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “Among the many post-conviction issues Bob Menendez will ultimately be forced to deal with is the potential forfeiture of his state and federal pensions. Menendez has been drawing a $1,066-per-month state pension based on his state legislator and local elected official service. The New Jersey Attorney General’s office is expected to file a civil action against Menendez seeking a lifetime disqualification of public employment. That will likely come with a freezing of his state pension. Typically, that action doesn’t occur until after sentencing. Once Menendez leaves the Senate on January 3, 2025 – or earlier – he will lose his federal pension under the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007. Menendez voted for this law when it came before the Senate.” — “Democrats line up to demand that Menendez resign”
| | WHAT TRENTON MADE | | TRANSPORTATION — “NJ Transit steps in as private carriers bail on bus routes — but at a cost,” by The Record’s Colleen Wilson: “NJ Transit has improved reliability and increased ridership on some of the bus routes it took over after being abandoned by private companies last year, according to data provided by the agency. At a cost of more than $30 million — amid historic deficits — NJ Transit recently added or modified 11 routes in Essex and Hudson counties that were previously serviced by DeCamp, Coach USA and A&C. … Weekday ridership is up on all 11 routes since NJ Transit took over. … Residents, riders and public officials from Newark, Jersey City and the surrounding communities who faced a void of service once these routes were terminated, mounted successful pressure campaigns to have NJ Transit take them over.” ASK OPRA — "Will Sen. Menendez's conviction do anything to curb corrupt NJ politics?" by WNYC's Nancy Solomon: "Sen. Bob Menendez’s conviction on bribery and corruption charges Tuesday sends a powerful warning that public officials need to tread carefully when navigating the murky area between gifts and bribes. But whether the 16 felony convictions will do anything to curb corruption in New Jersey politics is even murkier. Speaking ahead of the verdict, Rutgers political scientist Ross Baker said a conviction of the state’s senior U.S. senator would end 'one of the most important criminal trials involving a political figure in New Jersey.' ... The last four months have issued high-profile blows to the power structures that good government reformers say breed corruption in New Jersey. ... 'It all feels like a piece of the same thing – that we are not going to do politics as usual,' said Rutgers political scientist Debbie Walsh." — “Gov candidate Fulop, the outsider, is defiant in the face of abandonment by HCDO leaders” — “Baraka raises $345,606 as a candidate for governor” — “Strong June gaming report sets tone for 2024’s second half”
| | BIDEN TIME | | ANOTHER SLOW NEWS DAY — Biden tests positive for Covid, by POLITICO’s Adam Cancryn: President Joe Biden has tested positive for Covid-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms, the White House said on Wednesday. The president was in Nevada and is returning to Delaware to isolate, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. He has already received a dose of Paxlovid. As he boarded a flight out of Nevada, Biden gave reporters a thumbs-up and said he was feeling “good.” “I feel good,” he reiterated. Biden was not wearing a mask at the time. Biden’s bout with Covid comes as the president battles a widely-held perception among fellow Democrats that he doesn’t have the strength to run for another term. For Democrats, it also serves as an unwelcome contrast to Donald Trump, who last week survived an assassination attempt. — Schumer and Jeffries tell Biden directly that they have deep concerns about the election — “Who is LaMonica McIver, who just won primary to replace late Donald Payne Jr. in Congress?” — “New Jersey’s Q2 congressional fundraising, by the numbers”
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | LOCAL | | THE MOMENT OF TRUTH — “YouTuber arrested for disorderly conduct at Union City meeting, vows to file lawsuit,” by Hudson County View’s John Heinis: “YouTuber Leroy Truth was arrested for disorderly conduct at last night’s Union City Board of Commissioners meeting, being led out in handcuffs, prompting him and his attorney to vow to sue the city. ' … The defendant committed the act of disorderly conduct by purposely and knowingly disrespecting the board of commissioners, failed to comply with multiple orders to sit down, failure to stand behind the podium as ordered by Captain [Omar] Hernandez,’ the criminal complaint against Truth, whose real name is Leonard Filipowski, says. … Filipowski says he has video of the meeting that will show he did nothing wrong and that this was simply part of an ongoing plot to silence him. … West New York-based attorney Mario Blanch, who is representing Filipowski in the matter, said he plans on filing a lawsuit requesting an injunction to prevent the city from engaging in this type of conduct, as well as malicious prosecution and wrongful arrest.” DON’T AC — ”Atlantic City Council pulls vote on route to move offshore wind energy under city streets, parks,” by The Press of Atlantic City’s Michelle Brunetti Post: “City Council postponed a scheduled vote Wednesday night on a resolution to remove several acres of parkland from Green Acres protection, to allow Atlantic Shores to move large amounts of electricity from its first offshore wind farm across the city. A large number of residents opposed to the route spoke during the public portion of the meeting, causing Council President Aaron 'Sporty' Randolph to pull the resolution from the agenda. Randolph said council will further discuss some of the issues brought up by the residents, who focused mostly on what they called the dangers of electromagnetic fields put out by high-voltage wires running under and near homes, schools and parks. There is no definitive evidence of health issues related to electromagnetic fields” — “Blade collapse, New York launch and New Jersey research show uneven progress of offshore wind” PATERSON FALLS… APART — “No one hurt as Paterson health office facade crumbles to the sidewalk,” by Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “Large chunks of concrete blocks from the second story of Paterson’s health division building collapsed onto the sidewalk on Broadway on Wednesday morning, but tragedy was averted because no one was walking along the pavement. The same building has been shut down on nine consecutive business days because of broken air conditioning.” “Bayonne rapper charged with aggravated assault, weapons offenses,” by The Jersey Journal’s Ron Zeitlinger: “A local rapper with a large following on social media has been charged with pointing a gun at two people during an argument outside a Bayonne convenience store earlier this month, Bayonne police said. Richard Sharp, aka ‘Famouss Richard,’ was charged with aggravated assault with a weapon, possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a handgun, certain persons not to have weapons, possession of a defaced firearm and a large capacity magazine after he was arrested July 12.” — “Sayreville passes ordinance on which flags can be flown in front of borough hall” — “Tolls on these 4 [DRPA] bridges will increase to $6 in September” — “New sex assault charges against ex-Wall teacher involve second student, prosecutor says” — “[East Orange] teacher loses license after making ‘unacceptable’ lewd comments to student” — “Judge rules Exchange Place Alliance didn’t violate meetings law, upholds planning board decision” — “U.S. Attorney: There is no place for sexual harassment in housing in America | Opinion” — “Polite request for more pickleball courts at Hudson park sparks dueling petitions, global war of words”
| | EVERYTHING ELSE | | YOU’RE A GRAND OLD SLAG — “Hazardous lead pieces wash up on Jersey Shore bay, just miles from toxic site,” by NJ Advance Media’s Steven Rodas: “Chunks of rock-like material that washed up on the bayshore in Keyport about four miles away from a toxic Superfund site have tested positive for lead — raising public health concerns for the NY/NJ Baykeeper … Besides the well-being of people who visit the Raritan Bay area, locals are worried about the nearby fish and bird species and suspect the debris came from the lead-contaminated site that’s among the list of toxic properties in New Jersey awaiting cleanup. … The pieces contained hazardous lead, according to results shared with NJ Advance Media, and were found less than a 10-minute drive away from the contaminated ‘Raritan Bay Slag Site' in the Laurence Harbor section of Old Bridge and in Sayreville.” — “Thousands fewer NJ high schoolers apply for federal college aid” — “N.J. corrections officer watched girl shower at home through window, cops say” | | | | 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 | | | | |
