By Matt Friedman

Presented by OxyChem

Good Thursday morning!

ELEC on Wednesday filed 16 complaints against PACs following an audit, most of them labor unions, alleging they were late in reporting over $300,000 in expenditures.

New Jersey requires late campaign expenditures to be reported every 48 hours. That’s because they otherwise wouldn’t show up on campaign finance reports until after the election. PACs only have to file quarterly reports. So anything they spend after Oct. 1. is required to be reported within 48 hours. Otherwise, the expenditures wouldn’t show up on disclosures until January — well after the election. This way, the public can, if they so choose, see what these groups are doing in the lead-up to an election. Failing to file those 48-hour reports is essentially hiding the ball, whether intentionally or not.

Allow me, then, to bring us back to the Elections Transparency Act. I wrote about this before, but I think this ELEC audit shows why this is important. The “transparency” act kept those 48-hour reporting requirements in place for traditional PACs. But it eliminated them for independent expenditure groups like super PACs. I kind of doubt that was just an oversight.

GO INSIDE THE WORLD’S BIGGEST DIPLOMATIC PLATFORM WITH UNGA PLAYBOOK: The 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly will jam some of the world's most influential leaders into four city blocks in Manhattan. POLITICO's special edition UNGA Playbook will take you inside this important gathering starting Sept. 17 — revealing newsy nuggets throughout the week and insights into the most pressing issues facing global decision-makers today. Sign up for UNGA Playbook.

Super PACs have come to dominate political spending in New Jersey, sometimes dropping millions into a single legislative district. And so the Elections Transparency Act continues to cover its name in irony. Now, unless those groups decide to go above and beyond disclosure requirements, you’re not going to have a way to track their spending until after the election. That's some transparency right there.

 

TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at [email protected].

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I thought Bruce saw me during the show. And my wife thought I was crazy. ‘Oh yeah sure, Bruce smiled and waved to you. Yeah, sure, right, right. We get in the car, we’re driving back to New Jersey, my cellphone rings at 11:45 at night, and it’s a 732 area code number that I don’t recognize. So I answered the phone and I said, ‘Chris Christie,’ and he said, ‘Gov., it’s Bruce.’ And he said, ‘I saw you in the pit tonight.’ ‘And I went to my wife, I go: ‘I told you. I told you he saw me.’” — Chris Christie during a SiriusXM town hall

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Valerie Vainieri Huttle, Michael McCarthy, Tyler Burrell, Mary Theroux. Saturday for Primo Cruz, Anthony Del Pellegrino, Luke Hornblower. Sunday for Lisa Kaado, Dan Kline, Kevin Watsey

WHERE’S MURPHY? In Atlantic for a 10:30 a.m. speech before the Southern New Jersey Development Council

THEY’RE SAVING UP TO PAY FOR A MOVE WITH UNITED VAN LINES — “N.J. ranks highest in U.S. for household income. See new Census list,” by NJ Advance Media’s Katie Kausach: ”New Jersey households have the highest median income of any state in the county, new data released by the U.S. Census on Thursday shows. The median household income in the Garden State was $96,346, more than $21,000 higher than the national median of $74,755 in 2022, according to American Community Survey data … The District of Columbia’s median household income ranked higher than New Jersey, while Puerto Rico’s median income was lower than all 50 states.”

SEPTEMBER IS MUMS MONTH, AFTER ALL  — Murphy and top New Jersey Democrats mum on what's next for veterans homes, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: Gov. Phil Murphy and Democratic leaders have agreed that the recent U.S. Department of Justice report on deplorable conditions at the state-run veterans homes are “appalling” and “unacceptable.” But it still remains to be seen what — or when — action he and top Democrats will take to address the conditions described in the DOJ report at the two veterans homes in Menlo Park and Paramus. Federal investigators said the state-run homes — which saw some of the highest Covid-19 death tolls in the state — were unprepared at the start of the pandemic and still provide poor care. “The fact that there are still ongoing issues is deeply concerning,” Murphy said at an unrelated event in New Hampshire on Tuesday. “I've got no specific plan at this point, other than to say that all options are on the table. We have to take care of, in a far better way, our blessed veterans.”

BUS-T — Private bus company failures cause new headache for NJ Transit, by POLITICO’s Ry Rivard: New Jersey transportation officials are being handed another headache — private bus companies are cutting routes and leaving commuters stranded unless the state steps in. Since spring, three bus operators have announced they are pulling back routes, mostly in North Jersey, raising alarm bells for Gov. Phil Murphy, the mayors of the state’s two largest cities and Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.), among other elected officials. Now, NJ Transit may have to fill the gap, even as the agency is stretched thin and heading toward a fiscal cliff. “We take it very seriously,” Murphy said during a radio interview this week. “We do not want transit deserts.” The governor has suggested some kind of aid to the private bus industry, which has shrunk dramatically since the pandemic … Nationally, there were about 3,000 bus operators before the pandemic, she said. Now, there are about half as many. The industry has blamed the pandemic and struggles to get enough federal relief money.

Enter the “room where it happens”, where global power players shape policy and politics, with Power Play. POLITICO’s brand-new podcast will host conversations with the leaders and power players shaping the biggest ideas and driving the global conversations, moderated by award-winning journalist Anne McElvoy. Sign up today to be notified of the first episodes in September – click here.

—“Fulop: ‘We’re pushing Gov. Murphy & the admin to restore funding’ for bus service” 

FISH AND GAMESMANSHIP — “New Jersey panel that approves the bear hunt has too many hunters on it, activists say,” by New Jersey Monitor’s Sophie Nieto Munoz: “Animal rights activists are questioning the makeup of the council in charge of approving bear hunts, saying the 40-year-old statute requiring that the majority of the panel must be approved by a hunters’ club is outdated and must change. ‘It’s an antiquated council,’ said Angi Metler, director of the Animal Protection League of New Jersey … The state’s Fish and Game Council, which falls under the control of the state Department of Environmental Protection, is made up of 11 members. State statute requires that six of the council’s members must be recommended for appointment by the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, a hunting advocacy group. ‘The way it is now, it basically gives the sportsmen’s club the same type of authority as the Legislature,’ said former state Sen. Ray Lesniak, a Democrat and critic of the bear hunt. The council’s other five members must be three farmers, a public member ‘knowledgeable in land use management and soil conservation practices,’ and the chairman of the Endangered and Non-game Species Advisory Committee.”

A message from OxyChem:

OxyChem opposes the EPA’s Passaic River Superfund settlement. Over 100 companies released 8 chemicals into the river, but EPA may settle with most of them for only $150 million total. That leaves handful of other companies and NJ taxpayers to cover the rest of the $1.82 billion clean-up cost. OxyChem is the sole company offering to do the clean-up work. Tell the EPA to make all companies pay their fair share. Learn more at PassaicRiverCleanup.com

COMPENSATING FOR LACK OF JUMPING ABILITY — “White men still dominate N.J. politics, study shows,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “Women and minorities continue to be vastly underrepresented in New Jersey government, where more than 70% of all officeholders are men, and white men hold 56% of offices at the congressional, legislative, and county levels, according to a study conducted by the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. The survey pointed to some startling numbers: in municipalities with over 30,000 residents, 87% of mayors are men, and 67% are white men; 15% are Black, and 5% are Latino; Black women make up just 2.7% of mayors in large municipalities, and 1.3% of those mayors are Latina. Of all municipal seats, 71% are men.”

THE CABINET — Murphy taps Oliver’s successor at Department of Community Affairs, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: Gov. Phil Murphy plans to nominate Jacqueline Suarez, director of the Department of Community Affairs’ Division of Local Government Services, to lead the full department, his office announced Thursday. Suarez, an attorney who beginning Monday will serve as acting commissioner pending Senate confirmation, replaces the late Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, who also served as DCA commissioner. The Department of Community Affairs is a major wing of state government whose mission is to provide “administrative guidance, financial support and technical assistance to local governments, community development organizations, businesses and individuals to improve the quality of life in New Jersey.”

A message from OxyChem:

—Scutari: Abortion is a legitimate campaign issue, school gender controversies are 'manufactured'

—“Report: More jobs for New Jerseyans, as well as more unemployment” 

—“Bear hunt in northwest NJ moves closer to happening. Here are the details” 

—“Rules to protect whales issued to offshore wind firm prepping for N.J. construction” 

—Snowflack: “The curious timing of an ELEC motherlode” 

BACK TO THE FUTURE — “Christie’s big bet: ‘If I don’t do well in New Hampshire, then I’ll leave’,” by The New York Times’ Nick Corasaniti: “In his against-all-odds pursuit of the Republican presidential nomination, former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey has campaigned almost exclusively in New Hampshire: More than 90 percent of his events since February have been in the Granite State, according to a New York Times analysis. To hear Mr. Christie tell it, New Hampshire is his do-or-die state. If he doesn’t perform well here, that will probably be it. ‘I can’t see myself leaving the race under any circumstances before New Hampshire,’ he said in an interview. ‘If I don’t do well in New Hampshire, then I’ll leave.’ … ‘The future of this country is going to be determined here,’ Mr. Christie told a crowd this week at a local brewery, clutching an I.P.A. ‘If Donald Trump wins here, he will be our nominee. Everything that happens after that is going to be on our party and on our country. It’s up to you.” Though Mr. Christie has improved in recent polls, he still trails Mr. Trump in New Hampshire by double digits, and by much more in national polls and surveys of Iowa, the first nominating state.’”

A message from OxyChem:

Since the 1890s, the tremendous industrial and economic growth on the Passaic River has come at a great environmental cost. For decades, companies regularly used disposal practices on the Passaic’s shoreline that are no longer acceptable. The EPA declared a 17-mile stretch of the Passaic part of a federal Superfund site, selected a remedy, and identified more than 100 companies as potentially responsible for the clean-up. OxyChem, which EPA acknowledges did not pollute the river, is leading the clean-up.

The EPA identified eight chemicals of concern in the river – Lead, DDT, Dioxin, Mercury, PCBs, Copper, Dieldrin, and PAHs – six of which are not associated with OxyChem or its predecessors. Nevertheless, OxyChem is dedicated to cleaning up the Passaic. But if the other responsible companies don’t step up, New Jersey taxpayers could end up footing the bill. Tell the EPA to hold all 100+ polluting companies accountable.

Learn more at PassaicRiverCleanup.com

MR. SMITH STILL IN WASHINGTON — “Chris Smith’s fanaticism on abortion puts lives at risk,” by The Star-Ledger’s Tom Moran: “Two decades ago, as the AIDS epidemic was spreading across Africa like wildfire, President George W. Bush summoned America’s most noble instincts, winning bipartisan approval for a global health program that has since saved 25 million lives. U.S. Rep. Chris Smith is now putting that effort at risk over his fanaticism on the issue of abortion. His objection is that some organizations that receive money through this program, also provide abortions. For that, he’s willing to endanger a program he himself once called the ‘most successful U.S. foreign aid program since the Marshall Plan.’ Understand, these groups are not allowed to use our money to finance abortion. The program bans that, and there is no evidence they are breaking that rule. But that’s not enough for Smith. He wants to dictate how these groups spend their own money, as if he were a colonial overlord.”

—Hunter Biden indicted on gun charges

BOAT CHECK — “Retired Paterson Fire Chief Brian McDermott receives $219K payment for leave time,” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “The city is paying recently retired Fire Chief Brian McDermott $219,329 for his leave time, according to public documents released this week. That sum includes $115,849 for 120 units of unused leave time, in essence vacation days; $9,654 for the two weeks’ pay held back for all Paterson employees when they start work for the city; and $93,826 for 720 hours of terminal leave, a payout Paterson gives retiring public safety workers who don’t take sick days during their final three months on the job … McDermott’s payout is smaller than the $300,806 that Paterson provided his predecessor, Michael Postorino, when he retired in 2017. Former Paterson Police Chief Mike Baycora got $194,883 for unused leave time when he retired last year, part of a lawsuit settlement.”

HOLY SPIRIT COULD BECOME GHOST — “Will Holy Spirit Church in Asbury Park get flattened or reused? Fate rests in court,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Charles Daye: “Holy Spirit Church was a community hub for Catholics in Asbury Park for 114 years. But the future of this historic landmark remains unclear. The developer wanted to build residential units inside the closed church, which would include a public space featuring modern art from local artists. Then he proposed tearing it down to be replaced by homes, only to be rejected by the city each time. So now the question of whether the Gothic building will survive another century could depend on the outcome of a court case. A court date will be determined when a judge assigns it. However the developer is hopeful there will be a settlement.”

—“Mahwah Sheraton hotel and parking garage to be demolished, but not this year” 

—“Can these changes to Monmouth Park hotel, condo plan save the racetrack?”

—“[Newark] to expand controversial gunshot detection system using $1M grant”  

—“Jersey City parent alleges autistic child ‘was subjected to repeated acts of violence’”

—“Why Seaside Heights started ticketing people who try to swim in the ocean” 

—“Judge rules that certain Union City rent calculations are unconstitutional, stay issued” 

WINDMILLS — “Spotted lanternflies are showing up on Jersey Shore beaches,” by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Amy S. Rosenberg: “The flick of the red-winged fly comes as a shock at first: What is that guy doing at the beach? Scourge of the more lush mainlands, the spotted lanternfly has made its way down the Shore, droves of them in recent weeks, littering the sand with lanternfly carcasses, joining the local crowd of green heads and black flies. But why? What’s an invasive species that loves trees and vegetation doing in a sandy place like this? Julie Urban, a Penn State associate researcher in entomology, said the lanternflies were most likely blown onto the beach with the stubborn westerly land breezes that have been plaguing beach-goers the last few weeks.”

—“Striking New Jersey nurses return to the bargaining table, six weeks into walkout” 

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

To change your alert settings, please log in at https://www.politico.com/_login?base=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.politico.com/settings

This email was sent to [email protected] by: POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA

Please click here and follow the steps to unsubscribe.