It's party time for Murphy

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May 05, 2022 View in browser   By Jonathan Custodio Party like it's months after an election victory? Dark money groups are in the limelight once again as Gov. Phil Murphy plans to celebrate his 2021 reelection victory tonight at MetLife stadium, reports The Record's Dustin Racioppi. An independent group, New Jersey Forward, is financing the event. There is no cap on how much groups such as New Jersey Forward can raise. Murphy has another dark money group and a super PAC with the same name — Stronger Fairer Forward. New Jersey Forward was formed in December by several Murphy allies, including his last campaign manager, Mollie Binotto, and finance director for both of his gubernatorial campaigns, Rafi Jafri. It is listed as a nonprofit 501(c)(4). Dan Bryan, executive director for the Stronger Fairer Forward groups and former spokesperson for Murphy, told The Record that New Jersey Forward is "not political." Dark money groups are often nonprofit 501(c)(4)s that in many ways function similarly to political campaigns, just without the requirement to publicly disclose donors. But they are barred from coordinating with candidates. Lack of donor disclosure has been flagged by the Election Law Enforcement Commission, the state's election watchdog. Murphy held a black-tie affair after winning his first gubernatorial race in 2017, but this time organizers had to push back the event due to a spike in Covid-19 cases. The prior festivities were paid for by three separate million-dollar donations from the Democratic State Committee, an inaugural committee, and a nonprofit called Celebrate New Jersey Now Inc. HAPPY THURSDAY AFTERNOON — Hi there, I'm Jonathan Custodio, your Playbook PM author. You can send eastern goldfinch photos to jcustodio@politico.com. We're here with the latest from Trenton and elsewhere as New Jersey moves ahead in the budget process and the Legislature conducts hearings on Gov. Phil Murphy's spending plan. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY LABOR-INTENSIVE — Lawmakers on Wednesday assailed the state's labor commissioner during a three-hour Assembly Budget Committee hearing for long delays in distributing unemployment benefits during the pandemic, reports New Jersey Monitor's Sophie Nieto-Muñoz. Originally there to field inquiries about his department's budget request, Robert Asaro-Angelo was put on the defensive and had to explain why some New Jerseyans are still waiting on unemployment claims. Many lawmakers shared stories of constituents seeking aid to resolve an unemployment or disability claim. Back in March, lawmakers lobbed similar criticisms at Asaro-Angelo, whose department is requesting $15 million in the upcoming budget, more than double what it received in the current budget. OBITUARY— Joseph Albright, the Jersey Journal's decades-long Trenton correspondent, died at 93 today, reports the Journal's Margaret Schmidt. The Trenton resident fought congestive heart failure and other health issues after falling in his home on April 20, according to his friend and former Trenton colleague Joe Donohue. Albright was believed to have been the oldest Statehouse reporter, covering it since 1964. In his final column for the paper published today, he remembered Bayonne Democrat Joseph LeFante and the creation of the New Jersey state income tax. David Blomquist, who worked with Albright in the 1980s and '90s as the Journal's editor and publisher, remembered him as a "legend in Trenton." "Governors recognized how deeply Joe understood New Jersey's hopes and concerns . When he asked a question, they knew they'd better have a good answer, because he was likely asking something that thousands of voters across the state were asking, too," Blomquist told the Journal. TWEET OF THE DAY: "As Senate Budget Chair following closely Feds action to control inflation w/ incremental interest rate increases to avoid recession; NJ needs to be proactive w/ strong revenues; feel strongly we need a record $6B+ surplus in proposed budget to protect NJ from recession next yr." — @PaulASarlo COVID NUMBERS — New Jersey reported its highest single day total in three months at 3,479 confirmed positive Covid-19 tests and seven deaths from the virus. The state's seven-day average was up 18 percent from a week ago and 137 percent from a month ago. ON THE BEATS CORRECTIONS — Murphy is tapping Terry Schuster, a former manager for The Pew Charitable Trusts Public Safety Performance Project, to helm the Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson. Responsibilities include investigating complaints and regularly inspecting all 11 of the Department of Corrections' adult prisons. "I am proud to name Terry Schuster as the new Corrections Ombudsperson," Murphy said in a statement. "Terry's successful professional track record in securing transformational outcomes within the criminal justice and corrections fields made him a clear choice for this role. I look forward to the contributions he will make to improve the lives of the people incarcerated in our state correctional facilities." The move comes after it was revealed that two women inmates at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility became pregnant after having sex with a transgender inmate, reported NJ Advance Media last month. Edna Mahan is New Jersey's only female prison. Around New Jersey "Rethinking NJ bail reform to keep suspects charged with gun crimes off streets," by NJ Spotlight News' Colleen O'Dea: "In what would be the first changes to the state's criminal reform law, key New Jersey lawmakers have reached agreement on amendments that would scale back efforts by some urban mayors to keep more people accused of gun crimes in jail pending trial. State Sen. Joseph Cryan (D-Union) called the agreed-upon amendments to his legislation (S-513) a 'reasonable compromise' among local mayors clamoring for a solution to increasing gun violence and social-justice advocates who say detaining those arrested on firearms charges would disproportionately impact people of color." "Revamping system to end unemployment-benefits bottleneck," by NJ Spotlight News' John Reitmeyer: "Nearly $20 million in state and federal funds is going into upgrading New Jersey's much-maligned unemployment system, which was overwhelmed during the worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic when tens of thousands of residents suddenly lost their jobs. The state's Department of Labor and Workforce Development has created a new modernization office and is working with software developers to utilize an 'agile' method that will result in improved system resiliency, said state Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo in testimony before the Assembly Budget Committee on Wednesday. More staff has also been added to handle benefits claims, and the department recently revamped the online application process as well — all in an effort to advance a 'worker-centered approach' to addressing unemployment issues, the commissioner said." "Howell ex-police chief accuses township manager of harassment," by Asbury Park Press' Alex N. Gecan's: "Andrew Kudrick, the recently retired police chief, took a parting shot at Township Manager Brian Geoghegan, accusing Geoghegan of harassment in Kudrick's final months as chief. At the same time Geoghegan put an end to a sick pay practice where police officers could take partial sick days without using any of their banks of sick time. Kudrick's complaint itself, which he had sent Geoghegan weeks earlier, was withheld by the township on the grounds that personnel records are not made public. But the township did turn over a March 25 email from Kudrick to the Township Council in which he referenced the complaint. 'I regret to inform the governing body of this official harassment complaint against Mr. Geoghegan that I served to him on February 9, 2022. His behavior continues,' Kudrick wrote." "How did Ocean Gate mayor 'leverage' county job, and who helped him? Investigation coming," by Asbury Park Press' Erik Larsen: "An administrative review of alleged criminal conduct in the Ocean County Buildings and Grounds Department will happen as soon as the Prosecutor's Office allows it, said County Administrator Carl W. Block on Wednesday. Earlier in the afternoon, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that Ocean Gate Mayor Paul J. Kennedy faces additional charges of theft and official misconduct connected to his employment in county government. Billhimer said Kennedy had 'leveraged his position with the Ocean County Buildings and Grounds Department' to get other employees to do construction work at his house while on county time. Kennedy, 66, has worked as a carpenter in the department for 21 years. He was suspended without pay from his $52,322-a-year position on March 18, when he was first charged with theft and official misconduct. On Wednesday, Kennedy was charged with three more counts each of theft and official misconduct. Most of the charges are related to corruption allegations in his capacity as mayor." Odds and ends — The U.S. Supreme Court's decision on abortion could have a significant impact on New Jersey's hottest congressional race. — Police in Avalon are looking for three people who stole a $400 bottle of whisky from a local liquor store. — U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer has an easy way to avoid congestion pricing in Manhattan. Don't go there. — The Barnegat Lighthouse, known affectionately as "Old Barney," will be closed to the public this summer as it undergoes renovations.   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  California Playbook PM  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  New York Playbook PM View all our political and policy newsletters Follow us

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