Former carpenters union manager pleads guilty to embezzlement

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Jun 03, 2022 View in browser   By Jonathan Custodio Presented by AARP New Jersey Woodworking alone just doesn't cut it for some carpenters. George Laufenberg, a former benefits manager for the influential United Brotherhood of Carpenters union in New Jersey and New York and commissioner on the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, pleaded guilty to embezzlement and making false statements in federal court on Friday and could face up to five years in prison, reports POLITICO's Daniel O'Connor and Matt Friedman. Federal prosecutors dropped two additional counts of embezzlement and one count of conspiracy to embezzle with a low-show employee — all three from a 2019 indictment — as part of a plea deal. Prior to his firing in 2016, Laufenberg was at the helm of more than $2 billion in funds for the union, which cited "potential violations" of federal securities law as reason for his unemployment. Originally pleading not guilty to all charges brought forth against him, Laufenberg was alleged by federal prosecutors to have stolen from union benefit plans, tallying $300,000 in addition to a salary of the same figure, and giving a "low-show job" with the funds that came accompanied with a full salary, pension, annuity contributions and health benefits, to a friend. Laufenberg's sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 6.   A message from AARP New Jersey: Americans are struggling to afford rising prices on everything from groceries to gas. On top of this, we're paying the highest drug prices in the world. Your elected lawmakers have the power to reduce this burden by enacting S329/A1747 and establishing a Prescription Drug Affordability Board. This board is responsible for investigating high drug prices and recommending action to lower costs for consumers. It's time for real action. Tell Governor Murphy: Stand up to Pharma!   HAPPY FRIDAY AFTERNOON — Hi there, I'm Jonathan Custodio, your Playbook PM author. We're adding New Jersey political trivia to this newsletter and will shout out one person who correctly answers the question in the following day's edition. Shout out to Noah Tighe for correctly answering that a candidate must spend seven years living in New Jersey to be eligible to become governor. Today's question: The first passenger flight in American history was flown from New York to which city in New Jersey? Send answers and tips 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 ABORTION PROPOSAL — Gov. Phil Murphy's office has released the details of his wide-ranging abortion proposal, an omnibus bill that goes far beyond abortion legislation that he's supported in years past, which includes financial components to boost abortion access as well as legal maneuvers aimed at combating red state laws that prohibit abortions. Murphy's proposal, which comes as the U.S. Supreme Court appears poised to overturn Roe V. Wade, revisits measures that he supported last legislative session like eliminating out-of-pocket costs on state-regulated health plans and codifying into law recent regulations that expanded the pool of abortion providers. But draft language provided to POLITICO from the governor's office offers more details around new parts of Murphy's proposal, including a $20 million "Reproductive Health Fund," counter lawsuits that could result in $20,000 for people successfully sued for being involved with abortions from states that prohibit abortions, penalties for those who seek to "intimidate" patients and providers at abortion facilities and financially aiding people to come to New Jersey for "reproductive health services." Such a wideranging proposal could be difficult to pass in the Democrat-controlled legislature, as lawmakers rebuffed parts of Murphy's progressive abortion goals that he pushed for last legislative session. In January, Murphy signed the Freedom of Reproductive Choice Act, compromise abortion legislation that enshrined abortion rights into state law – but was smaller in scope than he had originally hoped for. Murphy's proposed bill sets aside $20 million for a "Reproductive Health Fund" that would be split into two pools — $15 million for a new program in the Division of Consumer Affairs to increase new and racially diverse abortion providers and $5 million for a program in the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness to provide security grants to abortion facilities. — Daniel Han GOVERNOR FOR A DAY — Senate President Nick Scutari will become acting governor of New Jersey on Saturday, while both Gov. Phil Murphy and Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver are out of the state, reports New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein. He'll serve in that role until Oliver returns later that day. Steve Sweeney was the last legislative leader to temporarily hold the post in 2017. COVID NUMBERS — New Jersey today reported 3,896 confirmed positive Covid-19 tests and 13 deaths from the virus. The state's seven-day case average was down 19 percent from a week ago and up 36 percent from a month ago as the Biden administration slated June 21 as the earliest possible date for children under the age of 5 to receive their first vaccination against Covid-19. ON THE BEATS CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS — Three dozen Republican candidates — many of them encouraged by former President Donald Trump and a political environment that's turned sharply against Democrats — are running for Congress this year in New Jersey's 12 districts. The Republicans, undeterred by a new congressional district map that helps Democrats, have touted endorsements by Trump loyalists, including former national security adviser Michael Flynn and notorious political operative Roger Stone. Seven of the candidates have some iteration of "America First" in their ballot slogans, which has a long history in U.S. politics but in recent years has been associated with Trump. The former president, however, has been absent from the races and, based on fundraising and its candidates' built-in advantages, New Jersey's GOP establishment appears poised to avoid many upsets in Tuesday's primary. Democrats hold 10 of New Jersey's 12 House seats and incumbents or party-backed Democratic candidates face mostly minor primary challenges in half those districts. — Matt Friedman   A message from AARP New Jersey:   Around New Jersey N.J.'s training on school threats now more urgent — NJ Spotlight News' John Mooney: "Dating back at least five years, the state's training for New Jersey school and law enforcement officials comes with a clinical name and lots of detail on processes and procedures that belie its tragic topic. "But the latest online session of the "School Behavioral Threat Assessment & Management" certainly took on a greater urgency — and interest — than usual on Thursday, as experts and educators spent the day discussing strategies to address troubled students who could turn violent against others or themselves. … "The six-hour session was led by two experts from the Texas-based security firm Sigma, which has been conducting New Jersey's training for several years. Slide by slide, the focus was on preventing the tragedies early. That means identifying what they called a student's 'pathway to violence' by having a system and process in place to react to tips and so-called red flags in structured ways." Students would learn media literacy under bipartisan bill — New Jersey Monitor's Sophie Nieto-Muñoz:  "Teachers and librarians urged lawmakers Thursday to advance a bill that would require all grades to learn about information literacy, which supporters say would help students 'gauge the legitimacy of online sources.' Information literacy, they said, helps students how to spot red flags online, check for first-hand sources, and research based on facts and data, leading to better citizens and more engaged voters. … "The bipartisan measure (S588), sponsored by Sen. Mike Testa (R-Cumberland) and Sen. Shirly Turner (D-Essex), would require school districts to begin incorporating information literacy into the curriculum for all grades, kindergarten through 12th grade. Lessons would include digital, visual, media, text, and technological literacy. "The bill calls for the Department of Education commissioner and state librarian to create specific lesson plans for each grade level and conduct an annual review to ensure materials used in the classroom are up to date." Odds and ends — Early voting starts today. Check out where and how to cast your vote. — A lawsuit alleges Norwood Police Department refuses to elevate women officers to higher rank. — A potential threat of violence shut down Monroe Township district schools today. — A Ewing police officer rescued a dogfrom a house fire.   A message from AARP New Jersey: New Jerseyans are struggling to afford rising prices on everything from groceries to gas. On top of this, Americans are paying the highest drug prices in the world. It's time to enact S329/A1747, which establishes a Prescription Drug Affordability Board. This board is responsible for investigating high drug prices and recommending action to lower costs for consumers. Governor Murphy has introduced legislation that addresses prescription drug costs, but it simply does not go far enough. It fails to address the root cause of the problem – the high prices set by drug manufacturers. Tell Governor Murphy: Stand up to Big Pharma!     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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