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Presented by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey: Matt Friedman's must-read briefing on the Garden State's important news of the day | | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Presented by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey | Good Monday morning! I don’t often fact check campaign ads, but I couldn’t resist this one. State Sen. Ed Durr (R-Gloucester), whose 2020 abortion comment about how women should close their legs is so radioactive that even fellow Republicans have seen the need to condemn them, last week shot back against his Democratic opponent, former Assembly Member John Burzichelli, with an ad accusing him of “moonlighting as an X-rated movie producer.” It then ties this to the state sex ed standards that have had the right up in arms for the last couple years. “What’s more ridiculous?” a female voice in the ad asks, right before it plays a stereotypical 1970s porn soundtrack. “A trucker saying something insensitive, or a career politician moonlighting as an X-rated movie producer? That’s right, when he’s not raising your taxes, John Burzicehlli films X-rated movies.” The video this ad cites is called “Ladies Night Out.” It’s from 1983 and features a male stripper on the front cover. I couldn’t find any clips online, so I called Burzichelli about it. He said it was a recording of a live production of the The Peter Adonis Traveling Fantasy Show at the Broadway Theater in Pitman. It was a sort of rival production to the more famous Chippendales. “That audience included my mother and family members,” Burzichelli said of the stage production his company shot. “One being my aunt who is a Roman Catholic nun.” Was the movie rated X? No. It was an early instance of direct-to-video, and, therefore, not submitted to the Motion Picture Association, which issues ratings. But Burzichelli told me that if it was rated, it would probably be something like PG-13. He said there was no nudity. I’d like to check that by watching the video myself, but I can’t find it streaming and Burzichelli only has a Betamax copy. This is not the first time this video has come up in a campaign against Burzichelli. His Republican opponents used it against him in his 2021 race. He also said that he only produced two other videos, both on professional wrestling. “We’re late in the campaign. But frankly. I’d consider streaming Ladies Night Out, if I can get the screening format correct, as a fundraiser.” There was another porn-related attack on Burzichelli in the 2001 campaign, in which Republicans said he owned a theater called The Earle in Penns Grove that showed X-rated movies. That was in 1974, when Burzichelli was in his late teens. At a 2001 news conference, according to a contemporaneous Philadelphia Inquirer article, Burzichelli acknowledged partly owning the theater but said his co-owner chose the film selection and that he disagreed with showing X-rated movies. Which I’m sure none of the fine, morally upstanding people who read this newsletter ever watch. Bonus flashback: Another political scandal involving strippers in South Jersey. TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “He asked me if it was inside information or instinct.. I said instinct. But my instincts are always right.” — Former state Sen. Raymond Lesniak recounting to Paul Mulshine a text conversation with me on Sept. 22 in which he speculated that Gov. Phil Murphy would appoint First Lady Tammy Murphy to the Senate if indicted Sen. Robert Menendez leaves office. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Tom Curran, Rich Lee. Missed yesterday: Zoe Baldwin WHERE’S MURPHY? Asia
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IT'S GOING TO THE DOGS — Cops, vaping detectors and K9s: How New Jersey is spending its opioid settlement funds, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: “The state of New Jersey and more than 250 local governments are poised to receive $1.1 billion over the next two decades from settlements related to the opioid crisis. Now, records provide the first comprehensive look on how those funds — obtained from settlements announced in 2022 and early 2023 between opioid distributors, pharmacies drugmakers and the state — are being used statewide and across 262 local governments. … At least two towns — Mahwah and Ramsey — are using their funds on drug-detecting dogs. Mahwah is setting aside $20,000 for a K-9 program they said would last for over five years. Ramsey cited difficulties in detecting fentanyl-laced drugs, and said the K-9 would cost $19,440 initially and $4,140 annually after. In an email to POLITICO, Ramsey Chief of Police Brian Lyman said the K-9, named Jack, would be featured at local farmer’s markets as well as in schools to explain drug abuse to kids. “He is a conversation starter and a reason for someone to approach an officer with questions, when they may not have done otherwise,” Lyman wrote. “Most importantly, Jack will help prevent future overdoses by locating the drug itself. Jack will be used to locate and disrupt the trafficking and sale of drugs.”
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARC PROJECT — “NJ Transit fires manager of new Portal Bridge construction, part of Gateway tunnel project,” by The Record’s Colleen Wilson: “NJ Transit's chief of construction management, who was overseeing the Portal Bridge project — the largest single project in the agency's history — was fired this week. Mohammed Nasim, a licensed engineer who has more than 30 years of experience delivering large projects, said he was given no reason for his firing, except that he was an ‘at will’ employee and was escorted out of the agency's Newark headquarters by police. ‘It was a very unfair decision. Many people were shocked, including the FTA, the contractor,’ he said when reached by phone, referring to the Federal Transit Administration … The Portal Bridge replacement project is on time and on budget, but Nasim said he warned the leadership teams at the FTA, Amtrak and those above him at NJ Transit that he had some concerns, including the need for support staff for the contractor and settlement issues from construction. These concerns, Nasim said, were ignored and on one occasion at a meeting where he raised them, he was told to ‘shut up’ by an NJ Transit peer. ‘It was totally unfair. I don’t know why NJ Transit took such a drastic step, it was totally uncalled for,’ he said of his dismissal.” EDUCATION — “Murphy’s cowardice on racial justice in schools,” by The Star-Ledger’s Tom Moran: “Our ‘progressive’ governor won a court case last week that will allow him to maintain ferocious racial segregation in our public schools. What a win. Not for the children, mind you. Racial segregation, especially in high poverty enclaves, is damaging stuff. And New Jersey schools are more segregated than those in Alabama, thanks mostly to zoning rules that block low-income housing in the suburbs. … The ‘victory’ for Murphy is purely political. Fixing this problem would risk an uproar in the suburbs, and now our timid governor can avoid that fight, and keep all his political chips in the bank. ‘It all comes down to the political, and what the backlash might be,’ says the Rev. Charles Boyer, a civil rights leader based in Trenton. … It would be nice if that were true. But what else explains Murphy’s long fight against this effort? I wanted to ask him, but he wouldn’t discuss it, and his office issued no press release on this one. My best guess? This is not racism; it’s cowardice. But for Black and Latino kids stuck in apartheid schools, what’s the difference?” —“Segregation is a problem in North Hudson school districts and others across N.J. Finding a solution isn’t easy” —“Murphy tells N.J. government to make sure sanctions against Hamas are followed after Israel attack” —“Bear hunt shows shows slight increase over last time in NJ at halfway point” —Ciattarelli: “Phil Murphy's energy plan for NJ is neither viable nor rational. We can do better” —“River Line weekday trains return as NJ Transit, contractor iron out problems” CARTOON BREAK — ”Rise of the (political) machines” by Drew Sheneman
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THE PYRAMID SCHEME — “Behind a senator’s indictments, a foreign spy service works Washington,” by The New York Times’ Mark Mazzettti and Vivian Yee: ““What else can the love of my life do for you?” asked Nadine Arslanian, the girlfriend of Senator Robert Menendez. She posed the question at a cozy dinner at a steakhouse in May 2019 attended by Gen. Ahmed Helmy, Egypt’s top spy in Washington. The discussion was revealed in a federal indictment on Thursday. As General Helmy would come to find out, even if Ms. Arslanian and her soon-to-be husband were not always able to deliver what Egypt wanted, they at least seemed to try very hard. … The fact that the couple was talking directly to General Helmy and his boss, Gen. Abbas Kamel, the chief of Egypt’s powerful General Intelligence Service, is a measure of how important Mr. Menendez was to the highest levels of the Egyptian government and how central the country’s spies have become to its interests …
"General Helmy is identified in the indictment only as “Egyptian Official-3” and General Kamel as “Egyptian Official-5.” But three U.S. officials have confirmed their names. The roles of the two Egyptian spies in trying to influence U.S. policy also provide more evidence to suggest that the information-passing and bribe-paying could be part of an espionage operation centered on Mr. Menendez, and not just another tactic to wield influence in Washington." MENENDEZ RAISES $919K, KEEPS IT IN ROBE POCKET — Andy Kim overtakes Menendez in fundraising for New Jersey Senate, by POLITICO’s Ally Mutnick and Jessica Piper: Embattled Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) was outraised by a Democratic challenger who did the bulk of his fundraising in the final days of the quarter after the incumbent was indicted on federal corruption charges. That challenger, Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), raised $1.2 million between July 1 and Sept. 30. Menendez raised $919,000 in the same period but he has far more stockpiled. The incumbent has nearly $8.6 million banked compared to Kim’s $1.2 million. THE NEW JERSEYAN — “Bob Menendez and the Perils of Dealing with Autocrats,” by The New Yorker’s David D. Kirkpatrick: “From the perspective of an authoritarian ally such as the Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, in other words, the openness of the U.S. political system looks like an irresistible invitation. So Egypt’s appearance in the recent corruption indictment of Senator Bob Menendez, of New Jersey, should come as no surprise. Rather, the Menendez affair is a parable of the inherent risk to the U.S. political system posed by alliances with authoritarians, who often try to manipulate it in the extralegal ways they are accustomed to using at home. The lesson is timely because it has come to light just as the Biden Administration appears poised to place a heavy new trust in another allied autocrat, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, of Saudi Arabia.”
| | | | GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We're stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here. | | | | | THEY’RE ALWAYS AFTER HIS LUCKY CHARMS — “His freedom is not the only thing Menendez could lose. They want his gold, house and the Benz, if convicted,” by NJ Advance Media’s Ted Sherman: “They want the gold bars. They’re going after the $60,000 Mercedes-Benz. And they want Bob Menendez’s house. The corruption and bribery indictment against the New Jersey Democrat — superseded on Thursday with additional conspiracy charges alleging that the U.S. senator worked as a foreign agent of the Egyptian government — could put him behind bars for decades if he is convicted. But the charges also carry a threat of forfeiture of everything he allegedly received in exchange for that influence. The indictment called for the surrender of ‘any and all property, real and personal, that constitutes or is derived from proceeds traceable to the commission of said offenses.’ According to court filings, the list of those items was not insubstantial. They included: The Englewood Cliffs home of Menendez and his wife, Nadine, with an estimated market value of more than $1 million. … Anything associated with the crimes is always fair game for forfeiture, even in a ‘victimless’ crime,’ said defense attorney Dennis T. Kearney, a former Essex County assistant prosecutor now in private practice. ‘If Menendez used his home, car or skateboard to facilitate a crime, the feds can grab it. And they will,’ he said “Post-conviction, it’s a slam dunk.” —“Hundreds from Jersey Shore stranded in Israel amid a slow and costly evacuation” —“Conaway appears likely to run for Congress in NJ-3” —Pizarro: “Andy v Tammy 2024 and the backroom dynamics of Menendez” —“New Jersey’s Rep. Donald Norcross met with Netanyahu in Israel”
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GROSS MEN — “Tenafly councilman and his son arrested on child porn charges, authorities say,” by The Record’s Phil DeVencentis: “The Borough Council president and his son were charged Thursday with possession of child pornography, authorities said. Jeffrey Grossman, 65, a teacher in Rochelle Park, and Steven Grossman, 24, a social worker for the same K-8 district, were each arrested and charged with the crime in the second degree, according to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office. Sue DeNobile, the Rochelle Park school superintendent, said the employees were suspended. They were also prohibited from contacting staff or students and from entering the school property on Rochelle Avenue. Meanwhile, the men were placed in the custody of the county jail in Hackensack to await court appearances. … The men used the internet, the prosecutor’s office said, to download and view items of nude children and those in sexually explicit positions. The investigation was assisted by the county Sheriff’s Office, and police from Hasbrouck Heights and Tenafly. The elder Grossman, who teaches social studies at Midland School, is running for reelection to a third three-year term on the council. The Democrat and his running mate, Beatriz Peláez-Martínez, will be challenged in the Nov. 7 contest by a pair of independent candidates.”
—“Tenafly mayor calls for council president to resign after arrest on child porn charges” —“Special education teacher charged with sex assault of students at Burlington County elementary school”
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‘TIS THE SEASON — “NJ cemetery worker trapped inside a grave, rescued by large crew of first responders,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Juan Carlos Castillo: “A 47-year-old man was rescued after falling inside a 6-foot deep grave in Middlesex County, The man, a worker at Holy Cross Cemetery, fell inside the open grave “when a piece of wood gave way,” according o the South Brunswick Police. While getting a person out of a 6-foot-trench might appear easy, it wasn’t. The police received the emergency call at 12:55 p.m., but it wasn’t until 2:10 p.m. when responders were able to remove him from the hole. And it took a whole squad to get him out. … The rescued man was taken to the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where he was in stable condition Thursday.”
—“Officials weigh new plan to let female horseshoe crabs be caught in Delaware Bay” —“Auction of South Jersey YouTuber ‘Omi in a Hellcat’s’ luxury car fleet nets more than $3 million” —“Preserving office of the ‘Black Doctor of the Pines’ will keep legacy alive, group says” R.I.P. — “This NJ imam was comforting bereaved. Then he saw on TV that 15 of his family were killed”
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