Who's spending what in the 2025 GOP proxy campaign?

From: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook - Wednesday Oct 25,2023 10:56 am

Oct 25, 2023

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Good Wednesday morning!

Let’s check in on the unofficial 2025 Republican gubernatorial campaign. Some PACs associated with likely candidate last week filed reports that shows their activities as of the end of last month.

Bill Spadea’s PAC, Elect Common Sense in a press release boasted its “second consecutive $250+ haul” in the third quarter of 2023, raising just under $258,000. It also spent almost that much, at about $242,000.

“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Elect Common Sense is the future for grassroots Republicans in New Jersey,” Spadea said in a recent press release. “We’re bringing campaign support directly to the candidates. Long gone are the days where candidates have to sit idly by and hope that NJGOP will be there to help them.”

So how much did Elect Common Sense spend on actually helping candidates or Republican organizations? About $5,000. That’s 2 percent of what it spent, most of which went to fundraising expenses (and also to Ocean County GOP Chair George Gilmore, who was paid $15,000, and the consulting firm run by Bill Stepien, which was paid $22,500). This is in keeping with the group’s activity from the previous quarter. The group as of the end of September had $44,050 in the bank.

Jack Ciattarelli’s PAC, Mainstream Majority, reported raising and spending a fraction of what Spadea’s did, taking in just under $17,000 and spending roughly $49,000. But Ciattarelli’s PAC made $33,000 in contributions to candidates and committees — about 67 percent of everything it spent. It barely had anything left as of the end of last month, with just under $1,600 left over.

You may have read my thoughts on the kind of rhetoric Spadea puts out on the airwaves and social media. That doesn’t factor into this analysis. These are just the numbers. There’s a big state-level election around the corner. Jack Ciattarelli’s PAC is spending a somewhat significant amount to help Republican candidates. Spadea’s isn’t. That could change closer to the election, but that’s what I can tell you from the data currently available.

But hey, even Spadea’s PAC looks like a big spender compared to state Sen. Jon Braminck’s PAC,Balance for New Jersey, the formation of which in August was also telegraphed as a move toward him running for governor. It’s clearly not active yet, having raised a $50 and spent $21.25 on “office supplies — checks”.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY: ““There is no way you’re going to muster enough votes in the Legislature to change the policy of New Jersey. Now, you may get some of the extreme stuff taken out, like late term-abortions — abortion right up until the point of delivery. You might get something like that. … And maybe taxpayer funding.” — State Senate Minority Leader Anthony Bucco (R-Morris) to the Star-Ledger editorial board. Gov. Murphy has seized on that remark.

TWEET OF THE DAY — @JonBramnick: “Based on what is happening in the House where my party cannot select a speaker, this is why I am a raging moderate. We have allowed extremists to bring down our party. Extremists who had no plan.”

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WHAT TRENTON MADE

THE HUNT FOR RED NOVEMBER — “On the Jersey Shore campaign trail, Democrats fret about a possible 'red wave',” by The Record’s Charles Stile: “There is one thing Democrats lack this fall: momentum. In the legislative races two years ago, the minority New Jersey Republicans flipped seven seats in the Legislature and made national news when little-known Republican Ed Durr toppled the powerful Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, on a shoestring budget. That race was also marked by Republican Jack Ciattarelli coming within three points of defeating Gov. Phil Murphy. It forced the Democrats to retreat into a state of caution. They turned away from the progressive agenda of Murphy and became apostles of affordability, showering residents with historic levels of property tax relief. Changing the social fabric was out; cutting costs was back in. But there is genuine fear in the Democratic ranks that it may not be enough. Many are bracing for some kind of ‘red wave’ this year.”

FOR WHOM THE TOLLS BILL — “Tolls to go up once again for Garden State Parkway, New Jersey Turnpike,” by NJ Advance Media’s Larry Higgs: “Drivers who use the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway are going to be hit with the fourth toll increase since 2020 after Turnpike Authority commissioners approved a $2.62 billion budget Tuesday that raises tolls 3% on Jan. 1, 2024. … The budget, approved unanimously by a 6-0 vote, increased by roughly $100 million over 2023′s $2.5 billion budget and adds 44 new employees to the maintenance and engineering departments, officials said. Unlike its peer toll authorities, the authority bases toll increases through the indexing process on what is needed to fund the capital budget for that year.”

EXPUNGE WORTHY? — “State police sued over backlog in processing expungements of criminal records,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Kathleen Hopkins: “The State Office of the Public Defender's Office filed a class action lawsuit against the New Jersey State Police Monday over what it says are the police agency's long delays in processing expungements of criminal records of tens of thousands of individuals. The lawsuit, filed in Superior Court in Mercer County, seeks to stop the state police from unlawfully disclosing criminal records of individuals who have obtained court orders expunging them. When a criminal record is expunged by court order, it is the responsibility of the state police to remove those offenses from background checks, the suit said. However, the state police has a backlog of more than 46,000 unprocessed expungement orders as of December 2022.”

A message from Alibaba:

Alibaba means big business for U.S. companies, like New Jersey’s Nuria and Phyto-C. Last year, $66 billion worth of American goods were sold across the globe through Alibaba’s online marketplace. These sales added $1.2 billion to New Jersey’s economy while supporting 10,000 local jobs and $694 million in wages for local workers. Learn more about Alibaba’s positive impact on New Jersey’s economy.

R.I.P. — “David Steiner, major Democratic donor and ex-Port Authority Commissioner, dies at 94,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “David S. Steiner, a former president of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and a commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for 20 years, died on Oct. 23. He was 94. A real estate developer from West Orange, Steiner was a major Democratic donor and bundler who was close to Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. He gave over $3 million to Democrats running for federal office.”

—“Two dark money groups playing in South Jersey used same Baltimore printer”

—“Calls to ban caste discrimination grow as New Jersey’s South Asian population swells”

—“Murphy launches website showing how to find abortion and reproductive care in N.J.”

— Dozens of states sue Meta over addictive features harming kids”

—“New Jersey joins antitrust suit over no-poach agreements”

—“NAACP leader wants Del Borrello To Condemn Father’s Racist Statement”

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Biden's Beltway

MENENDEZ PREFERS LEAR JETS — “Bob Menendez got Boeing Cash after Egypt aircraft deal,” by The Daily Beast’s William Brederman: “The feds allege Menendez, his associates, and his Egyptian contact discussed the opposition the Trump administration’s $1 billion sale of Apache military helicopters to the Middle East nation faced from some members of Congress … At the core of their objections was the authoritarian regime’s use of these same model choppers four years earlier to attack a tour group it mistook for militants, an assault that left several dead and one American citizen injured. … just weeks after the meeting outlined in the indictment, Boeing—the manufacturer of the Apache—gave its first-ever maximum contribution from its political action committee to Menendez’s New Millennium PAC. The $5,000 gift vastly outstripped the only previous donation the aerospace contractor had made to New Millennium: $1,000 in 2013, during the senator’s previous tenure as Foreign Relations Committee chairman.”

I CAN’T IMAGINE WHY THEY BROKE UP —“NJ man wins $50,000 defamation suit against imprisoned Jan. 6 rioter,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Kim Strong: “Days after Riley June Williams was arrested for entering the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, she filed a protection from abuse order against her ex-boyfriend, Michael Prodanov of Robbinsville. He was the informant that led the FBI to Williams. Williams, from Pennsylvania, was among the first batch of people arrested for storming the Capitol and, at 22 years old, one of the youngest. She bragged on social media, prior to her arrest, that she stole Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's laptop. In 2022, a jury found her guilty of several crimes, putting her in prison for three years. And just last week, a New Jersey judge ordered her to pay $50,000 in damages to Prodanov for defamation.”

A message from Alibaba:

— “Cheney to New Jersey: ‘Don’t vote for idiots’”

—Chris Smith: “Israel’s right to defend itself from Hamas invasion is absolute”

—“Tenafly family joins relatives of other Hamas hostages at UN in plea to 'bring them home'”

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LOCAL

HOUSING AUTHORITARIANS — “Ex-Atlantic City Housing Authority director sues agency,” by The Press of Atlantic City’s Michelle Brunetti Post: “The former executive director of the Atlantic City Housing Authority filed a lawsuit Monday, alleging his Sept. 7 firing was unlawful retaliation for being a whistleblower about illegal procurement practices. Matt Doherty also said in the lawsuit that a board member prohibited him from cooperating with a State Police investigation into procurement practices there. ‘You don’t answer questions from the State Police,’ Board Treasurer Geoff Dorsey said to him during a conference call, according to the lawsuit filed Monday by Matthew Doherty. Dorsey said Monday that Doherty left out key words from what he said. ‘I said, ‘You don’t speak to anyone without our attorneys present,’ Dorsey said in a phone interview. ‘He can make up whatever he wants. He’s already made up other things.’”

—“Tenants ask judge for 'more forceful action' on Atlantic City Housing Authority”

SPARTA KICKS POLICY DOWN GIANT HOLE — “Another district opens door to outing trans students,” by NJ Advance Media’s Tina Kelley: “In a close vote Thursday night, the Sparta Township Board of Education decided to drop its state-approved policy protecting the privacy and accommodations of transgender students. According to the dropped policy, teachers and school staff are not required to notify parents when their children change their pronouns or seek accommodations like using different bathrooms or locker rooms or joining other sports teams based on their gender identity. … Sparta joins Hanover, Colts Neck, Lacey, Lafayette, and the Sussex-Wantage Regional School District in repealing the policy, with several others reportedly doing so as well and more considering the move.”

PATERSON — “Should Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh dial down his attacks on NJ’s attorney general?” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “After being publicly ridiculed by the state’s top law enforcement official, Mayor Andre Sayegh on Monday said he does not regret criticizing New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin after the city’s sixth October homicide. But some of Sayegh’s closest allies are saying both privately and publicly that the mayor ought to de-escalate his attacks on Platkin, whose office took over the Paterson Police Department in March. “If I’m criticizing the attorney general, what good is it going to do?” asked Councilman Luis Velez, an ally of Sayegh's.”

A message from Alibaba:

New Jersey businesses are making it big in China and having a bigger impact back home. How?

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This translates to big business for companies of all sizes. Explore how Alibaba benefits local businesses and New Jersey’s economy.

R.I.P. — “'He loved Paterson': Tom Fuscaldo's friends, family remember political activist,” by the Paterson Press’ Darren Tobia: “Tom Fuscaldo, who died last month at age 94, was well-known in the city as an oddball and rabble-rouser. He is remembered for his gadgets, quirks and misadventures, from a failed run for governor in 1989 to his penchant for giving roadkill proper burials. … Fuscaldo’s larger-than-life personality was accentuated by his signature eye patch, the inspiration for his watchdog alias, ‘One Eye on Paterson.’ The loss of vision in one eye was the consequence of a car accident that happened about 50 years ago. But family members said he liked to embellish the cause of his injury, especially when children were around.”

LOWPOINT — “NJDOH has ‘high concern with respect to financial distress’ at Hoboken hospital,” by Hudson County View’s John Heinis: “The New Jersey Department of Health has ‘high concern with respect to financial distress’ at the Hoboken University Medical Center, according to a letter sent to local and state officials last week. New Jersey Deputy Health Commissioner Robin Ford said in the October 20th letter that based on the NJDOH’s Early Warning System (EWS), the Hoboken University Medical Center is in financial distress or at risk of being in financial distress. … She cites three things: CarePoint’s cash on hand has been “consistently low” for about a year, their operating margins are negative and have declined in the past year (down about 14.14 percent), and their days in accounts receivable remain high (average of 174.18 days).”

—“Hoboken police investigating theft of Israeli flag from City Hall on Friday evening”

—“Public works crew abandons [Palisades Park] offices over 40+ fire code violations”

EVERYTHING ELSE

NEGATIVELY NEW JERSEY — “TV news shakeup: News 12 New Jersey loses another popular reporter,” by NJ 101.5’s Dan Alexander: “More upheaval at News 12 New Jersey as another long-time reporter leaves the cable outlet. Brian Donohue, host of the ‘Positively New Jersey’ segments that aired several times a week for the past six years, said on his X account that he decided to leave after being told the feature was being canceled. … ‘I was hired specifically by News 12 to do this segment. It had my name on it, 'Brian's Positively New Jersey,’ Donohue said. ‘That's the kind of storytelling I want to do. I want to do stories of everyday people in New Jersey, showing people corners of the state that they might not see themselves, trying to connect people through human stories.’”

THE TOOTH WILL SET YOU FREE — “Convict in decades-old Ocean County mob hit claims teeth hold the key to his freedom,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Kathleen Hopkins: “A reputed soldier in the Lucchese crime family, in prison for decades on charges related to the 1984 golf-club beating death of a Toms River used car salesman, now claims he was at the dentist when the killing occurred, but only recently learned his dental records were secretly altered to destroy his alibi. In a case rich with mob turncoats and crime families warring for control over boardwalk video poker machines, 72-year-old Martin Taccetta of Florham Park continues to claim he was framed by overzealous prosecutors for crimes he didn't commit related to the murder of Toms River auto dealer Vincent ‘Jimmy Sinatra' Craparotta.”

—“College student from N.J. dies after drinking Panera Charged Lemonade, lawsuit says”

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