| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | | Presented by |  | | | Good Tuesday morning! Remember when many New Jersey Republicans and Democrats targeted non-disclosure agreements following the controversy surrounding them and Katie Brennan, who alleged she was sexually assaulted by a fellow campaign volunteer and administration staffer? Then-state GOP Chair Doug Steinhardt went as far as to threaten to withhold financing to any campaign or organization that required staffers to sign the agreements. Nevermind that the Trump campaign used them extensively. So I thought the woman the New Jersey Republican State Committee chose to headline its seventh annual “Women of the Year” reception Aug. 21 was a curious choice: Alina Habba, the Trump legal adviser. Not because Habba did a disastrous job defending Trump for defamation in a case in which he was also held liable for sexual assault and ordered to pay E. Jean Carroll millions. But because when Habba caught wind that a 21-year-old Bedminster employee Alice Bianco hired a lawyer to sue for sexual harassment by a supervisor — including allegedly being coerced into sex with him — Habba allegedly convinced her to fire the lawyer, accept a “paltry” $15,000 from the club and sign a non-disclosure agreement that included a $1,000 a day penalty if she violated it. The case never went to trial. The club quickly settled, paying Bianco’s $82,500 in legal fees and letting her keep the money she was given in exchange for signing the NDA. (Bianco had not sought any monetary damages.) And as Bianco prepared to sue Habba, the two sides also settled, according to Bianco attorney Nancy Erika Smith. I called several Republicans, both at the state committee and those who had been vocal about NDAs, but didn’t hear back. TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Are you f—-g kidding me?” — Nancy Erika Smith when informed that Habba was headlining the NJ GOP “Women of the Year” event. WHERE’S MURPHY? — Italy. Acting Gov. Way has no public schedule.
| | | | A message from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: New Jersey can be a place where access to health is no longer a privilege for some, but a right for everyone. To reach that goal, we must acknowledge structural racism is a root cause of health disparities. Inequitable policies and practices were created by people. They can also be replaced by people, in favor of fairer systems that enable everyone to thrive. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has a roadmap for change. Find out more. | | | |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | |
R.I.P. — “N.J.’s first Black state Supreme Court Justice dies at 91,” by NJ Advance Media’s Ted Sherman: “Born in a farmhouse in rural Virginia with no electricity or running water, James H. Coleman Jr. recalled traveling to New Jersey one summer in the back of a Greyhound bus with a shoebox lunch on his lap, seeking a job to help pay for college. When he returned back home by train, he had to move to a seat in a railway car for the ‘colored,’ after a stop in Washington, D.C. More than 40 years later, he would be sworn in as the first Black justice to New Jersey’s top court. Coleman, who was nominated by Gov. Christine Todd Whitman in 1994 to the state Supreme Court, died Friday, court officials said. He was 91. ‘He understood the historic and inspiring nature of his appointment, but he never acted as if he were a giant of the law, which he most surely was,’ said former Associate Justice Peter Verniero, who first met Coleman while chief counsel to Gov. Whitman as she was considering his historic nomination.”
WE MAY FINALLY SOLVE THE MYSTERY OF THE $12.5M FOR A WOOD-RIDGE SCHOOL PROJECT— “Details of $600M last-minute budget add-ons still not made public,” by NJ Spotlight News’ John Reitmeyer: “The full details of lawmakers’ last-minute budget requests remain hidden from the public more than a month after those additions helped produce New Jersey’s largest-ever annual budget. In all, more than $600 million in new spending was added to Gov. Phil Murphy’s final draft of the state budget in late June by Democrats who control the Legislature. … As of last week, written budget resolutions that are supposed to officially document each last-minute add-on, including by disclosing their sponsors, as well as any close ties sponsors may have to funding recipients, have yet to be made available to the public. The rules for both the Assembly and Senate generally require members to submit the written budget resolutions a full two weeks before the final votes on the annual spending bill, which occurred this year on June 28. … an ongoing analysis by NJ Spotlight News has found that much of the last-minute spending in recent years has paid for pet projects located primarily in legislative districts represented by majority Democratic lawmakers.” —“The case against N.J. rabbi was tossed. Now his lawyers want probe into why it was started” —“Ocean County foreclosure sales resume; investors say new law deprives homeowners of cash” —“Woman punched by state trooper files civil rights lawsuit” —“Clergy call on pols to oppose immigrant detention centers as a ‘moral imperative’”
| | | | A message from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation:   | | | | | BIDEN TIME | |
BRING OUT THE HELMY — “NJ Gov. Phil Murphy eyes his ex-chief of staff to replace convicted Sen. Bob Menendez,” by The New York Post’s Carl Campanile: “convicted US Sen. Bob Menendez, The Post has learned. Ex-chief of staff George Helmy is a Murphy confidante who sources said did the governor’s iron fist work behind the scenes — and he could be headed to Washington when Menendez resigns effective Aug. 20. Murphy has informed some Democratic Party leaders in the Garden State that he’s eyeing Helmy — now an executive vice president and external affairs and policy officer at RWJBarnabas Health — to fulfill Menendez’s term.”
A FETAL MISTAKE — “Curtis Bashaw's position on abortion is complicated. Here's why,” by The Record’s Charles Stile: “Moments after it became clear that Curtis Bashaw had captured the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, the Cape May hotelier and developer sought to reassure the public that he was not cut from the same MAGA cloth that most Republicans are in the era of Donald Trump. And that included his position on abortion rights. … Yet his claim to be pro-choice comes with a big asterisk. Bashaw is also pro-Dobbs. The 63-year-old with a libertarian streak supports the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, in which the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that provided a constitutional guarantee to abortion rights for a half-century. .. Bashaw argues that the Dobbs ruling on sending the issue back to the states is good for democracy. ‘In my view, we fought over Roe for 52 years,’ he said. ‘Abortion is a tough issue, because there's potentially two lives involved, and it's been something we fought over, and I don't think that our judges should be legislating from the bench. So putting it back to the states, seemed to me that the court was telling legislators to legislate.’” HARRIS GAINS ONE VOTE IN BATTLEGROUND NEW JERSEY — “Whitman endorses Harris for president,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “Former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman was one of 24 Republican elected officials to endorse Democrat Kamala Harris for president on Sunday. ‘I was a proud Republican, but Donald Trump is unfit to lead our nation. We saw during his four years in office how he consistently chose himself, his pursuit of power, and his billionaire friends over the American people while spewing lies and spreading chaos at every turn,’ said Whitman. ‘It’s time to move forward by electing Vice President Kamala Harris.’” —“Altman, Kean will face off in first debate on September 29” —“Gottheimer nudges the GOP on gun bill” —“Decision On Kennedy In New Jersey likely on Tuesday, judge says” —“GOP congressional candidate floats Trump assassination attempt theories” —“2 more New Jerseyans charged with being inside Capitol on Jan. 6”
| | | | A message from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: New Jersey can be a place where access to health is no longer a privilege for some, but instead a right for everyone. To reach that goal, we must acknowledge that structural racism is a root cause of health disparities.
Did you know that Black babies in New Jersey are three times more likely to die before their first birthday than White babies? Or that the state ranks 31st in public health funding per capita?
Inequitable policies and practices were created by people. They can also be replaced by people, in favor of fairer systems that enable everyone to thrive.
A Policy Agenda for a Healthier, More Equitable New Jersey is a report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that serves as a roadmap for ensuring that everyone has the chance to live their healthiest life, no matter who they are or how much money they have. See the plan. | | | | | LOCAL | |
TWISTED SISTER — “Fulop aide leaving LGBTQ+ task force after donating to sister’s hate-filled campaign,” by Hudson County View’s John Heinis: “Jonathan Gomez-Noriega, an aide to Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, has indicted he will be leaving the city’s LGBTQ+ Task Force after donating to his sister’s hate-filled campaign and calls for him to resign escalated. Valentina Gomez, a Republican candidate for Secretary of State in Missouri, has gained notoriety in recent months for posting videos on her social media with inflammatory, anti-gay rhetoric. ‘These f****ts should get their own f****t category because before if a man hit a woman it used to land him in jail. Now it gets you a gold medal at the Olympics,’ she said in a video that went viral on X, with over $18.4 million views despite being given limited visibility for violating the platforms rules on hateful speech … In a reply to this reporter on X, Fulop said he concurred with Schedl and that Gomez-Noriega indicated he would be submitting a letter resigning from the task force today with additional commentary.” HE’S NOT GONNA TAKE IT — @StevenFulop: “Valentina - first your brother WAS an “at-will” employee for the city - as of tomorrow he no longer works there bc he doesn’t reflect the values of the city. Second, You can see how strongly I feel about the LGBTQ community and I’ll share the text messages we exchanged so ppl know ill fight for them when people are watching and the same when they can’t see what I’m doing.” TO PROJECT AND SLUR — “Facing questions, prosecutors pursue new tactic to fire N.J. cops caught using slurs,” by NJ Advance Media’s Riley Yates: “For four years, two Clark Township police officers caught using racial slurs have been paid to stay at home, amid an investigation into racism at town hall that roiled the community. Police Chief Pedro Matos and Internal Affairs Sgt. Joseph Teston insist the probe involving them dragged on for so long, they cannot be fired, as Attorney General Matthew Platkin called for late last year in a scathing and long-anticipated report. But now, prosecutors have launched a new effort to strip Teston and Matos of their jobs, notwithstanding the time the inquiry took. Late last month, authorities filed supplemental disciplinary charges against the embattled pair, saying those charges should go forward regardless of the legal challenges Matos and Teston have raised over the delays.” SLAG INVESTIGATORS: WHOEVER SMELT IT DEALT IT — “State reveals that beach debris in Keyport has high levels of arsenic,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Amanda Oglesby: “A slag-like material on the beach in Keyport contains high levels of arsenic and should be avoided, state environmental officials warned. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection "removed and tested many of the larger pieces of this material and will continue the cleanup as needed. While tests have found very small concentrations of lead that are well below direct contact standards … most of the samples were found to have elevated concentrations of arsenic," the agency said in a statement to the Press. The slag-like material, which appears to be a smelting byproduct, was discovered in July near Walnut Street. … The source of the slag-like debris has not yet been determined, but state environmental officials are examining a number of possibilities, including a nearby landfill that was used in the 1960s and 1970s, a century-old seaplane manufacturing facility in Keyport, and a slag pollution site in the Laurence Harbor section of Old Bridge.”
| | | | Millions of retiring Americans rely on Social Security benefits, but the program is running at a deficit and Congress has struggled to find a solution for years. Join POLITICO on August 7 to explore what can be done to save the program. What other steps can Congress take to ensure its future? And how could Social Security impact the affordability and housing crisis facing aging New Yorkers? REGISTER HERE. | | | | | PROBLEMS WITH AUTHORITY — “Atlantic City Housing Authority may face contempt charge after failed court conference,” by The Press of Atlantic City’s Michelle Brunetti Post: “The Atlantic City Housing Authority has violated court orders for more than a year and a half regarding making improvements to Stanley Holmes Village, a judge said in a Monday morning conference, and now faces the possibility of being found in continuing contempt of court. ‘You are here because it looks like the first order goes back to Dec. 21, 2022, and as we sit here today there appears to be no movement for getting people heat,’ said Atlantic County Assignment Judge Michael Blee to the authority's general counsel Rick DeLucry and Executive Director Tom Sahlin. … ‘There is clear violation of order after order,’ Blee said of orders by Atlantic County Superior Court Judge John Porto, who is handling the case. The conference was scheduled "to try to come up with a plan, something concrete to save serious sanctions from coming down from Judge Porto, if that is even possible," Blee said.” KORNGUTTED — “N.J. municipal judge who fraternized with cops agrees to leave bench,” by Kevin Shea for NJ.com: “A municipal court judge who served in Mercer and Burlington counties has consented to being removed from office following accusations he was too friendly with police and had inappropriate conversations about cases. Lewis J. Korngut signed an agreement in May with the state’s Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct that removes him from office. The committee made it official in late July. Korngut was appointed a municipal court judge in Lawrence in 2017, and a part-time judge in North Hanover in Burlington County in 2020. … [The accusations] centered on conduct in Lawrence in 2021 and 2022 and include his having one-sided discussions with Lawrence’s municipal prosecutor about pending court matters and police reports not in a case’s file. Korngut was also too chummy with Lawrence police officers and spoke to them or about them in court hallways and from the bench, the advisory committee said. The judge also attended the retirement party of a police chief and has been seen with police officers at a local Hooters restaurant and sporting events.” CLOUDS SURROUND ST. PETER'S — “Saint Peter’s University withdraws lawsuit to stop opening of cannabis dispensary,” by The Jersey Journal’s Mark Koosau: “Saint Peter’s University ended its opposition against a nearby cannabis dispensary by withdrawing a lawsuit that sought to block it from opening, clearing the dispensary of a legal battle it had faced for two years. The Jersey City school had sued Xena … violated a requirement for it to be at least 200 feet from school property, stretch the definition of ‘school’ under state statutes. … But the university withdrew the lawsuit without explanation Friday, nearly two years after it was filed. … Responding to the university’s criticism that Xena is too close to its dormitory, [Xena owner Haytham] Elgawly pointed toward the nearby McGinley Square Pub across the street, saying, ‘What’s the difference?’” —“If my sister spewed hate speech, I wouldn’t back her. But that’s what this N.J. mayor’s aide is doing | Calavia-Robertson” —“Bhalla: I will veto Hoboken rent control ordinance if council approves it [Monday]”
| | | | During unprecedented times, POLITICO Pro Analysis gives you the insights you need to focus your policy strategy. Live briefings, policy trackers, and and people intelligence secures your seat at the table. Learn more. | | | | | | | EVERYTHING ELSE | | RIVAL COMPANY HOPES TO KILL SUPERWAWA WITH NEARBY KYRPTCHECK — “Plans to build ‘Super’ Wawa near N.J. highway move forward as court fight fizzles,” by NJ Advance Media’s Nyah Marshall: “Plans to build a ‘Super’ Wawa on a state highway in Camden County are moving forward after the state Supreme Court refused to hear a case challenging the approval of the project. The dispute over the planned Wawa on Route 73 in Voorhees Township began three years ago when the developer’s application was voted on at public zoning board meetings.” —“NYC’s Penn Station can’t use sought-after European travel model, experts say” —“[Rider University] cuts 31 jobs after financial aid chaos causes money problems” —“Future shows for Bruce Springsteen, E Street? No end anywhere in sight, Van Zandt says” —“Stinging jellyfish are invading the Jersey Shore. This group found a way to stop them” —“Jersey Shore professor seeks clues for alien life in the crushing dark of the ocean floor” —“NJ Attorney General identifies woman killed by police in Fort Lee, names officer involved”
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