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Matt Friedman's must-read briefing on the Garden State's important news of the day | | | | |  | | By Daniel Han | Good Wednesday morning! People love to say there’s always a New Jersey connection, and the case of Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) is no exception. The embattled New York congressman, who has admitted to fabricating key parts of his resume on the campaign trail (see: “Jew-ish”), held a meeting with donors in Atlantic City over the summer, according to campaign finance filings. I asked Republicans from the area if they were familiar with the matter, but to no avail (“We did not have any involvement in it,” Atlantic County GOP Chair Donald Purdy told me). The campaign of Mike Crispi, the conservative podcaster who ran an unsuccessful primary challenge to Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), was also the recipient of a $2,000 donation from Santos. “The George Santos story has surprised me as much as it has surprised everyone else,” Crispi said in a statement. “I met George a few times and we supported each other’s campaigns – which was the extent of our relationship. We’ll see what happens as the legal process works it’s way through.” And the Santos campaign fundraiser who reportedly raised money by impersonating now-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s chief-of-staff? Still a registered voter in Green Village, according to the Morris County Board of Elections. The alleged trickster, Sam Miele, who was paid by the Santos campaign in 2020 and 2022, also had two politics-related businesses registered with New Jersey: Red Skyline LLC and the Miele Group, which was renamed to One57. Both popped up in between Santos’ 2020 and 2022 House bids. See also: This photo of Santos with a notable Mendham resident. DAYS SINCE MURPHY REFUSED TO SAY WHETHER HIS WIFE’S NON-PROFIT SHOULD DISCLOSE DONORS: 347 TIPS? FEEDBACK? FAN MAIL? Email me at Dhan@politico.com or message me on Twitter @Danieljhan_. Hate mail still goes to mfriedman@politico.com. WHERE’S MURPHY? — In Morristown to make an announcement at 11 a.m. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Stono Public Affairs’ JAY REDD, former AP reporter/NYC DEP Flak BETH DEFALCO, former congressional candidate Larry Casha, gay rights advocate Corey Bernstein, Bergen County Executive aide Derek Sands, former Singleton aide/Burlington County Special Services School District’s Collin Smith
| | | | JOIN TODAY TO HEAR FROM MAYORS AROUND AMERICA: 2022 brought in a new class of mayors leading “majority minority” cities, reshaping who is at the nation’s power tables and what their priorities are. Join POLITICO to hear from local leaders on how they’re responding to being tested by unequal Covid-19 outcomes, upticks in hate crimes, homelessness, lack of affordable housing, inflation and a potential recession. New York City Mayor Eric Adams will be our featured speaker. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | |
RETURN OF THE MAHEN — Gunaratna back as Murphy's communications director, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han:Mahen Gunaratna is returning as Gov. Phil Murphy's communications director, the governor’s office confirmed Tuesday. Gunaratna has played a key role in the Murphy administration. He had served as the governor’s communications director since the start of Murphy’s first term in 2018 but left last summer to become chief public affairs officer and senior vice president of the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety. He remained active in Murphy’s orbit, however, serving on the boards of a political action committee and a nonprofit 501(c)(4) advocacy organization chaired by First lady Tammy Murphy. Gunaratna confirmed Tuesday that he was stepping down from both board positions.
‘23 WATCH — “After HCDO endorsements, Assemblyman Pedro Mejia confirms he won’t run off the line,” by The Hudson County View’s John Heinis: “After the Hudson County Democratic Organization made their endorsements for the June 6th primary, Assemblyman Pedro Mejia (D-32) has confirmed he won’t run off the line.” — “10th district GOP incumbents launch re-election bid,” by The Globe’s David Wildstein: “Two Republican assemblymen with targets on their backs have announced their plans to seek re-election to their Jersey shore seats, setting up a possible test of their own local organizational strength against the GOP county chairman, George Gilmore. Greg McGuckin (R-Toms River) and John Catalano (R-Brick) have no announced opponents for the GOP line, but it’s no secret that Gilmore would prefer a change.” — NJ Spotlight News: “Free, walk-in clinics help people who are homeless with addictions” — NJ Spotlight News: “Restaurant lobby opposes Murphy’s liquor law reforms” — NJ Globe: “Princeton councilwoman will consider Assembly bid” — NJ Globe: “Bucco, Dunn, Barranco get key Republican endorsements in LD25” — NJ Advance Media: “4 more N.J. lawmakers won’t seek re-election, including rising Democratic star” — NJ Globe: “Superior Court judge cited for improperly retaining estate administratorship” — NJ Spotlight News: “Murphy signals business-tax change, buoying some, frustrating others” — NJ Spotlight News: “First look at 2023’s likely election issues — The Record: ”When NJ veterans homes spiraled amid COVID, NorthJersey.com revealed glaring missteps" — ROI-NJ: “N.J. environmental, health and labor groups urge Murphy to stop raiding Clean Energy Fund”
| | BIDEN TIME | |
— Insider NJ: “Pascrell and the Politics of Lead Pipes”
— NJ Globe: “Kean gets the committee he wanted: Transportation & Infrastructure” — NJ Globe: “Smith named chairman of Congressional-Executive Commission on China” — The Star-Ledger Editorial Board: “Spike your TikTok app, it’s a threat to national security”
| | LOCAL | |
A WHALE OF A TIME — “Groups: ‘No evidence’ offshore wind killing whales in NJ-NY,” by The Associate Press’ Wayne Perry: “Environmental and fishing groups said Tuesday there is “no evidence” that site preparation work for offshore wind farms in New Jersey and New York is responsible for a spate of whale deaths in the two states. Many of New Jersey’s leading environmental groups held a press conference on the Atlantic City Boardwalk — directly in front of the local office of an offshore wind company — to support the industry, and decry what they term a false narrative that the industry’s testing activities are harming or killing whales. The issue has become contentious since Clean Ocean Action, one of New Jersey’s leading coastal environmental groups, held a news conference last week with several community groups opposed to offshore wind, calling on President Biden to investigate the deaths of seven whales in the two states in little over a month.”
— NJ Monitor:“Debate grows over offshore wind, as whale deaths mount” MONMOUTH — “Vote machine tabulation error shifts one local race in Monmouth after irregularities discovered,” by The Globe’s David Wildstein: “A possible malfunction of the vote tabulation system in Monmouth County led to the double counting of votes in six voting districts in four municipalities and appears to change the outcome of a school board race in Ocean Township. Election Systems and Software (ES&S), Monmouth County’s voting machine vendor, has acknowledged an error in their vote tabulation system that caused irregularities that were not discovered until an unrelated issue caused the Board of Elections to launch an internal investigation, according to an election official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.” — “No vote from CRDA on seeking new grocery proposal for Atlantic City,” by The Press of Atlantic City’s Bill Barlow: “Another meeting of the board of directors of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority has come and gone with no discussion of a grocery store for Atlantic City. The CRDA says it still plans to seek new proposals for a supermarket for the city, which has been without a full-service market for more than 15 years. But at Tuesday afternoon's meeting of the board, there was no vote, and no discussion of the issue. In fact, the board has not discussed the supermarket plan in public in several months.” — “Paterson schools sign food contract with firm accused of serving 'unidentifiable' meals,” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “The Board of Education has awarded a $9.1 million contract to a food service company that came under criticism in Washington, D.C., last February for serving student meals described by officials there as ‘completely unidentifiable.’ The problems the company, SodexoMagic, had in Washington seem particularly ironic considering that local school officials said they hired the firm because of what happened here 16 months ago in Paterson, when photos of stomach-turning school lunches went viral.” — CBS: “‘Safe Streets N.J.’ program takes aim at wave of car thefts in Garden State” — Asbury Park Press: “Murphy pitches millions for NJ Boardwalk Fund. What could Jersey Shore towns get?” — The Jersey Journal: “Vote on Hoboken-NY Waterway dry dock lease deal pulled from city council agenda amidst negotiations” — The Jersey Journal: “Hoboken City Council gets another shot to approve Western Edge lawsuit settlement” — The Jersey Journal: “Hoboken’s proposed rent control amendment disappoints both landlord and tenant advocates” — NJ Globe: “Benson lands CWA endorsement in Mercer Exec race” — NJ Spotlight News: “Passaic County puts focus on cannabis jobs” — Hudson County View:“Hiram Gonzalez revealed as 4th member of Cirillo’s ‘West New York Forward’ ticket” — WPG Talk Radio: “Margate City, NJ Mayor & Commissioner Are Not Seeking Re-Election” — NJ Globe: “Judge moves Mendham election challenge trial to February” — NJ 101.5: “'This state is broken' — [Point Pleasant Beach] mayor blasts Murphy on crime” | | | | DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS– DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID. | | | | | | | EVERYTHING ELSE | | THE HOUSE ALWAYS WINS — “NJ gambling revenue matches all-time high, with online help,” by The Associated Press’ Wayne Perry: “New Jersey’s gambling revenue matched its all-time high of $5.2 billion in 2022, but only half that amount was won by casinos from in-person gamblers. Figures released Tuesday by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement show the casinos, the horse tracks that take sports bets, and online partners of both types of gambling won $5.21 billion last year, up 10% from a year earlier and matching a level last seen in 2006. That was just before the advent of casino gambling in neighboring Pennsylvania sent New Jersey’s gambling industry into a downward spiral that eventually led to the closures of five of the 12 casinos that were operating at the time. But the 2022 number was reached with a hefty assist from internet gambling and sports betting — revenue streams that help contribute to the bottom line but are also heavily shared with third parties such as sports books and tech platforms.” — “Deceptive marketing by crisis pregnancy centers prompts bills, consumer alert,” by The Monitor’s Dana Fifilippo: “Google “abortion clinic near me,” and one of the first results is First Choice Women’s Resource Centers, which has five New Jersey locations between New Brunswick and Montclair. But First Choice Women’s Resource Center is not an abortion clinic. It’s a crisis pregnancy center run by an evangelical ministry that asks volunteers to commit to sexual purity or marital fidelity, acknowledge their faith in Jesus Christ, and attest to their beliefs that human life is sacred and abortion is unacceptable. Such sentiments are nowhere to be found on the center’s home page, though, which features a woman in medical scrubs and information about abortion procedures and pills, sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy symptoms. That’s why several state and federal lawmakers want to outlaw deceptive advertising by crisis pregnancy centers. It’s also why state Attorney General Matt Platkin issued a consumer alert last month advising people with unplanned pregnancies how to find an abortion provider, spot a crisis pregnancy center, and file a consumer complaint.” — NJ Spotlight News: “Hospitals plead for blood donations, shortage in supplies” — The Asbury Park Press: “After Damar Hamlin, here is what New Jersey does so young athletes can survive cardiac arrest” — The Courier Post: “Women proving to be a force in New Jersey's wine industry”
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