Fun with ELEC

It's been a long time since I've fiddled around with my trusty highlighter and ELEC documents. So I figured now was as good a time as ever to embark on some early spring cleaning.

I'll be diving into the reports of Monmouth's ruling Republican Party and publishing what I find. Do contractors still contribute in spite of pay-to-play regulations? Are PACs and municipal organizations being used by the county GOP to navigate around pay-to-play regulations?

Let's start with the easy stuff.

Middletown

The Middletown Republican Committee received $7,200 from T&M Associates on October 2, 2006.

How this is not a blatant violation of the state's Pay-to-Play law is beyond me. This nifty little chart from ELEC tells me: "At the county-munic level, contributions of over $300 made to candidates holding office at the time of the awarding of the contract and to the political party committee to which such a candidate belongs in the year preceding the award of a contract are illegal."

T&M is once again Middletown engineering firm in 2007.


Aberdeen

I have to thank an anonymous tipster for pointing out the following information, which all bore true in the reports.

The Aberdeen Republican Committee received $7,200 from T&M Associates on October 23, 2006. (It is completely legal for the Aberdeen GOP to receive money from T&M since there are no Republicans currently serving on the Aberdeen Township Council and therefore couldn't vote on an engineering appointment for the town.)

Curiously, the Aberdeen GOP contributed $5,000 to the Monmouth GOP on October 24, 2006. That's right - the day after T&M contributed over $7K, $5K was wheeled over the county.

I say "wheeled" because T&M is an engineering firm for the county. They could not legally contribute to the Monmouth GOP (even though that didn't seem to stop the firm when it came to doing business in Middletown). Sending the money through the Aberdeen GOP's account essentially cleans the money, allowing T&M and the county GOP to violate the spirit of the pay-to-play regulations, though not the law.

Also of note is a contribution of $2,000 by Gibbons, Del Deo, Griffinger & Vecchione on November 11, 2006. (Gibbons, Del Deo is the county's bond counsel. Aberdeen Republicans can legally take money from Gibbons, Del Deo, but the county GOP cannot.)

Why might Gibbons, Del Deo be contributing to the losing Aberdeen GOP after the Nov. 7, 2006 elections, you might ask? I'd be curious to know that as well. What we do know is that the Aberdeen GOP was generous enough to put down a $3,000 deposit on December 23, 2006 for the county GOP's 2007 Lincoln Day dinner at the Addison (formerly the Garden Manor).

Interestingly enough, the contributions by Gibbons, Del Deo and T&M were the only major contributions received by the Aberdeen GOP last quarter. And, aside from $1,000 for what appears to be a municipal event, the only major expenses by the Aberdeen GOP were the Lincoln Day deposit and the contribution to the Monmouth County GOP.

Dear APP, what is going on?

PoliticsNJ's rapid post-Kornacki decline brought a tiny little tear to my eye.

The catastrophe that the APP has become leaves me holding my head in my hands. This goes beyond Gannett's tendency to wave an arbitrary wand and go after whichever candidate or party suits their editorial fancy.

I've bit my lip for a while but I can't stand it any more: where in God's name has the APP's reporting gone? The only real news digging I've seen from the paper in the past few months has been coming out of Howell, but that's basically been it.

I mean Middletown is the biggest town in the APP's Monmouth coverage area and I haven't seen a story that wasn't a recycled press release come out in God knows how long. When does it become no-biggie to virtually ignore the biggest town in your coverage area? You don't see the Jersey Journal ever ignoring Jersey City or the Times of Trenton closing it's eyes to Hamilton, so why is it such a burden for actual reporting to get done in Middletown?

So is this just me whining or has anybody else noticed the same thing?

Monmouth RastaMan's analysis

The enigma that is Monmouth RastaMan offered this election analysis:

1. Middletown – The strongest GOP town other than Wall Township was in for a rude awakening. Voters rejected the local candidate and decided to be almost split and vote for a Democrat. Well that is bad and who ever was running that local campaign must be one of the worst political operatives in the state of New Jersey. This is like a Democrat losing in Newark. Which never happens! So hats off to the campaign manager and Mr. Sodon for running a terrible campaign.

Verbal fisticuffs in Middletown

Joe Caliendo gets all bad-ass on the APP.

I don't quite get the nature of the Republicans' ELEC complaint, as posted by Middletown Sewerage Authority Commissioner/failed state GOP exec. director/chief Peter Carton lapdog Brian Nelson. The argument seems to be that municipal parties can't give money to their candidates or something.

Perhaps not as vehemently as Caliendo, but I do agree that there was some major bungling by the APP, or like a total failure to click into the ELEC site.

This is the report of a money transaction that the Republicans say was not reported (i.e., the GOP is full of it and the APP failed to do any fact checking whatsoever):


(click to enlarge)

And here it is from the ELEC candidate's manual (page 7, under "Initial Election Fund Report"):

"In the event the committee is established within 5 months or less of the due date of the 29-day preelection report for the election in which the candidates or joint candidates are running, the committee will file a 29-day preelection report as the initial election fund report."

Translation: As long as the moolah is reported in Pat Short's 29-day preelection report (which isn't even due yet), he's in the clear ELEC wise.

Minute-by-minute via the voice in my Treo

9:07 p.m.: It's official -- Adam Puharic won.

9:00 p.m.: The vote is being still being tallied, from what I'm hearing. Apparently, the winner has to be a plurality not a majority.

7:55 p.m.: Folks are voting. Middletown also has a strong turn-out.

7:40 p.m.: The convention has started and the word on the street is that Noreen Kelly's faction of Howell has turned out en masse. The vibe is that Puharic has the votes.

Sunshine Week

Jeff Jarvis writes:

Sunshine
It’s Sunshine Week and this is the sunshine medium. I wish every blogger would file a FOIA this week or go to town hall and get the salaries and expense accounts of all their local officials to put up online or go after Congress to finally put themselves under the Freedom of Information Act like the rest of government.

That sounds like a great idea. I've been contemplating posting a "Bond-o-meter" for Middletown's happy-go-lucky bonding spending sprees (also known as Middletown Township Committee meetings). Lord knows that meter would spin.

As the Bayshore turns...

It's been quite the week in Bayshore/Monmouth news and politics, and I'm not quite sure whether to make heads or tails of it, so I'll just sit back and watch.

1) Middletown Superintendent David L. Witmer suspended

Middletown was a-buzz with the news that Witmer was suspended from his duties last week. The Board of Ed kept mum on the reasons until yesterday when charges were filed with the state Department of Education alleging that Witmer misappropriated his vacation and sick leave time.

2) Matawan Borough Council meeting

There was a bit of verbal sparring at the Matawan Borough Council meeting last. I'll refrain from talking about in depth since I plan on writing an article about it for next week. I will say that Councilman Paul Buccellato read a statement last night alleging that a family member of one of the new Democratic council members attempted to obtain confidential insurance information from municipal employees.

3) Keyport

Mayor John Merla was indicted on new charges earlier this week. At the council meeting, members of the governing body again asked Merla to resign. Merla has maintained his innocence.

There was also a big to-do during the public comments portion of the meeting by a Planning Board member about inaccuracies in news reports by an area newspaper (nope, not The Courier).

(An aside: As a reporter there are bound to be a group of people who like you and group of people who really hate you. It's kind of a bad idea to firebomb an entire town and have everyone aching for your spleen. ...but, hey, that's just my opinion.)

4) Monmouth County

TWO people have thrown their hats in the ring to challenge Fred Niemann. Out of personal curiosity, does anybody know how many municipal chairmen and county freeholders actually support Niemann these days?



...anywho, I will be up in the northern part of the state tomorrow, so the website update may be slightly delayed. I'm keeping my lips zipped as to why, but wish me luck.

Retaliation Time

I wish we could get past such things, but when you feel somewhat threatened, I believe you are entitled to make it known. (Then again, I likely would have never created this blog had certain incidents that made me feel threatened not occurred during the time I was investigating the Aberdeen-Matawan Train Station project.)

Some strange happenings in the past two days:

1) Holmdel Mayor Serena DiMaso asked the Holmdel Clerk's office to pull legal advertisements from The Courier and place them in the APP, which charges nearly double what we charge. (This extra cost will, of course, go to taxpayers.)

2) We haven't had a dark room at The Courier's office building in about eight years (and thus haven't had to file any chemical-disposal permits with the DEP since that time). Yesterday we received a letter marked "Urgent: Second Notice" (we never received a first notice) stating that we needed to file permits in order to comply with storm water management rules. Apparently, we were mysteriously put back on a state list (e.g. newspapers/publications with dark rooms that handle certain chemicals) with the DEP that we haven't been on for eight years.

I believe this is more than just coincidence. I believe this is retaliation for the reporting we presented to the public this summer.

RE: 1)
This is coming on the heels of an accusation by Ms. DiMaso that a recording of Mr. Kyrillos that we included in a story that ran several months ago was doctored by Terence Wall.

Last week, Ms. DiMaso told an area newspaper that the audio tape of Sen. Kyrillos presented in The Courier's article about a Keansburg development was manufactured by Mr. Wall. I find this highly offensive to me as a journalist. I take a great deal of pride in my work. And I would never present evidence that I had any suspicion was manufactured. (And I'm a pretty damn cynical and suspicious person.)

The audio tape was, in fact, not a tape at all, but a voice mail message that could not have been tampered with. I might add that Mr. Kyrillos, Mr. Wall and other Keansburg officials all acknowledged the existence of the recorded message. The only debate as to the recording was whether or not it was evidence of influence peddling or not. I make no judgment as to that. It is for residents to listen to and make their own determination. Mr. Wall did not bring this recording to The Courier's attention. I heard rumors of its existence and filed an OPRA request with the borough specifically asking for it. I tape recorded this message as it was played from Mr. Wall's voicemail.

I have nothing against Ms. DiMaso. In fact, before Mr. Wall's allegations of a tape of Ms. DiMaso making religious slurs came to light in print, I was considering running a story about it. I ultimately decided against doing so before I was presented with the tape because such allegations, once made, leave a mark whether they are established as true or not. I told this to Ms. DiMaso and she thanked me.

The legals are readily accesible on-line, if the township requests such, and at no extra cost to the township. Despite our ownership's disagreements with Middletown Township in recent years, Middletown never made any attempt to pull our legal advertisements because publishing them in a daily newspaper would come at a significant cost to the taxpayer. The only municipal government to attempt to pull our legal advertisements before was the UFC majority in Keansburg under former Mayor Michael Minervini at a time that The Courier was at odds with that administration. The borough's attorney advised the council that such a retaliatory action was not legal and it was subsequently dropped.

The only reason, in my opinion, that Ms. DiMaso would have for advocating to pull legal advertisements from The Courier is political retaliation for us daring to publish articles describing potential conflicts of interest by Mr. Kyrillos.

Again, I want to emphasize that the cost of this will be passed on to taxpayers.

RE 2)
I find it very strange that we were suddenly put back on a list that we haven't been put on for eight years. I believe that, as well, may likely be an act of retaliation. The DEP's explanations to us as to how we mysteriously came to be put back on this list have been lacking thus far.

Lynch’s role and intrigues in Monmouth County

(Published in the December 22 issue of The Courier.)

Lynch’s role and intrigues in Monmouth County

By JACKIE CORLEY

Are the losses of Monmouth Democrats in part caused by an internal split that has been orchestrated by forces outside the county?

For years state Democratic leaders have been looking at Monmouth as a county with a Republican vice-grip upon it that could be broken. The demographics seemed obvious: Monmouth is not Hudson County, where 42.5 percent of registered voters are Democrats, or Sussex County, where 34.2 percent of registered voters are Republicans, as of 2005.

What the Numbers Say

Contrasted to the rest of the state, Monmouth has the largest percentage of unaffiliated voters compared to its base of registered voters. Out of 396,047 registered voters in Monmouth County, 256,154 or 64.7 percent were unaffiliated with either the Republican or Democratic parties, as of June 2005.

Additionally, the percentage of registered Democrats compared to the percentage of registered Republicans within the county voting bloc is third closest in the state; only Burlington and Bergen counties have a tighter spread percentage between Democrats or Republicans. When it comes to affiliated voters in Monmouth County, 65,390 or 16.5 percent of total registered voters aligned themselves with the Democratic Party, while 73,117 or 18.5 percent of total registered voters have aligned themselves with the Republican Party.

The demographics being what they are, how has Monmouth remained a Republican stronghold for decades?

The well-oiled machinery of the Republican Party plays no small part. And while the county Republicans have had their share of squabbles, such as the ouster of long-time Monmouth Republican Chairman Bill Dowd in June 2004, any issues have remained largely internal.

In the Monmouth County Democratic Party, struggles for the heart of the organization have come as much from neighboring Middlesex County and former state Sen. John Lynch, D-Middlesex, as they have from within.

Additionally, as the Monmouth County Democratic Organization faced internal challenges for the party leadership in recent years, challenges often well-funded by a Political Action Committee (PAC) controlled by Lynch, money from Lynch’s business partners have found its way into Monmouth Republican coffers.

Lynch: ‘Invader’ from the North?

The day after this year’s November General Election, FBI officers raided the Tinton Falls offices, located at Suite 10 on 1 Executive Drive, of Lynch and his business partner, Jack Westlake.

The pair's Monmouth offices house Alma Ltd., Executive Continental Inc. and the New Directions Through Responsible Leadership PAC, according to Election Law Enforcement Committee (ELEC) reports.

In recent interviews conducted by daily newspapers in the state, Lynch has stated that he and Westlake share control of Executive Continental, a subsidiary of Alma Ltd., which was incorporated by Westlake.

Lynch, considered a heavy-hitter in Middlesex politics, was a political mentor to former Gov. James McGreevey before the pair severed ties in the early 2000s. Lynch's own career in elected office ended in 2001 when he retired from the New Jersey Senate.

Labels in the press, such as "king-maker" and "de facto boss," have followed Lynch into retirement. These labels, Lynch has said publicly, are what he believes have drawn the FBI to investigate his business dealings.

Area residents may have been surprised to learn of Lynch’s presence in Monmouth following the FBI raid, when it made headlines in the media.

However, Lynch has had an involvement in Monmouth County politics for a number of years, and the belief that Lynch has been pining for a foothold in Monmouth County is an open secret in the Monmouth County Democratic Organization.

“He’s wanted influence in Monmouth County, no doubt about it,” Middletown Democratic Chairman Joe Caliendo said.

Caliendo said the challenges to Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Victor Scudiery's leadership in recent years were anchored in Lynch's desire to extend his sphere of influence into Monmouth County.

One of the most prominent turf battles for the Monmouth County Democratic Party occurred in 2003. That was when Scudiery supported state Sen. Ellen Karcher, 12th District, in a contentious primary battle against Oceanport Mayor Gordon Gemma, who received significant backing by Lynch. Also that year, Assemblyman Robert Morgan, D-Monmouth, was challenged by Fair Haven business owner Amy Mallet in the 2003 race. The New Directions PAC funded Gemma and Mallet’s failed primary attempt to the tune of $14,400.

Also, a 2000 race for the Monmouth County Democratic chairmanship pitted Red Bank Mayor Ed McKenna against Scudiery. McKenna received $5,000 from the New Directions PAC for the ultimately unsuccessful attempt. Lynch's PAC has continued to support McKenna's role as a Democratic leader in Monmouth County, contributing $9,700 to the Red Bank Democratic Party and $2,500 to the Monmouth County Council of Democrat Leaders PAC, a committee McKenna is affiliated with, since 2002.

Lynch's support for McKenna has been reciprocated, with the Red Bank Democratic Party, McKenna and his law firm contributing at least $5,500 since 2002.

Additionally, some specific municipal Democratic parties in Monmouth County have received funding from New Directions Through Responsible Leadership on more than one occasion since the PAC’s inception. In addition to the Red Bank Democratic Party, these municipal parties include: the Atlantic Highlands Democratic Party, the Manalapan Democratic Party and the West Long Branch Democratic Party.

As for Monmouth County Legislative District races, the Democratic candidates in the 13th District received $3,000 since 1999, with $500 coming from Executive Continental to Assembly candidates Patrick Gillespie and Alex DeSevo in 1999; $2,000 from the New Directions PAC to state senatorial candidate Bill Flynn in 2003; and $500 to Flynn and his Assembly running mates, Leonard Inzerillo and Thomas Perry, also in 2003. No contributions were made to the 2005 Democratic 13th District race, in which candidate Michael Dasaro, who ran with Flynn, made considerable issue of the financial relationship between developer Jack Morris, also a Lynch partner in a Brick land deal, and state Sen. Joseph Kyrillos, R-Monmouth.

In addition to the campaign funds contributed to Gemma and Mallet in the 12th District primary race, then assembly-candidate Gemma and running mate William Scherer received $2,000 from Alma Ltd. in 2001; Karcher received $2,000 from Westlake and $2,000 from the New Directions PAC in the 2003 general election; and Morgan and Assemblyman Michael Panter, D-Monmouth, received $500 from New Directions in 2004.

In the 11th District, Assembly candidate Matthew Doherty received $500 from the New Directions PAC this year.

During the time that Lynch made his presence known in Monmouth through contributions from New Directions, the 2000 and 2003 challenges to Scudiery’s leadership occurred, as did a stunted attempt by McKenna’s law partner and Democratic fundraiser Michael DuPont, who considered running for the chairman post in 2004.

And though individual Monmouth Democrats and municipal campaigns have benefited from Lynch's fundraising capabilities, his PAC has not financially supported the Monmouth County Democratic Organization to the same level as it has other county Democratic organizations throughout the state. The Monmouth County Democratic Party received $5,000 from the PAC since 2001, while southern neighbor Ocean County, also a heavily Republican-controlled part of the state, received $84,500 for its Democratic organization and northern neighbor Middlesex County, Lynch's home territory, received $133,000 for its Democratic organization.

Lynch: A Monmouth Republican Supporter?

While the fact that a PAC under Lynch's control would not contribute funds to a county leadership it has taken exception to is not unusual, what does stand out in ELEC reports listing Suite 10 at 1 Executive Drive as home to numerous campaign contributions are the funds given to the Monmouth County Republican Party by Alma Ltd.

Lynch has publicly stated to other news outlets that Westlake consulted with him about forming Alma Ltd. during the early 1990s. Lynch and Westlake subsequently decided that Westlake alone would incorporate Alma Ltd. and a subsidiary company, later called Executive Continental, Inc., would be formed out of Alma Ltd. to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest for Lynch, who was still a state senator at the time.

Nevertheless, Alma Ltd. has become a significant source of funds for the Democratic Party, in much the same way that the New Directions PAC listed at the same address had.

Of the $125,450 contributed to campaigns and political organizations by Alma Ltd., with 94 percent of such donations being made between 1998 and 2005, $106,500 went to Democratic candidates and committees.

Alma Ltd., however, has not neglected Republicans: $18,900 in contributions were made to state Republicans. Of the $18,900 in Republican contributions from Alma Ltd., $12,400 went to Monmouth County Republicans.

The Monmouth County Republican Party received a total of $5,500 in annual donations made between 1999 and 2004. The contributions stood in the $650 to $750 range until August 2004, when a $2,000 donation was made. This compares to $3,000 in total contributions to the Monmouth County Democratic Party by Alma Ltd., made between 2002 and 2004.

Other contributions to Monmouth County Republicans by Alma Ltd. include: $650 total to Assemblyman Steve Corodemus, R-Monmouth, in contributions made between 1998 and 1999; $1,800 total to former state Sen. John Bennett, R-Monmouth, in contributions made between 1999 and 2002; and $3,800 to Kyrillos, a former New Jersey State Republican Committee chairman, made between 2000 and 2005.

Kyrillos came under fire this summer when it was revealed that, while counseling Democrat-controlled Aberdeen Township and then-Republican-controlled Matawan Borough for a resolution to the Aberdeen-Matawan Train Station redevelopment project, he had accepted over $50,000 from Jack Morris in campaign contributions. Morris is a Middlesex-based developer and a Lynch business partner whose company, the Columbia Group, was ultimately selected by the Matawan Borough Council as its designated redeveloper.

Morris has been a very successful fundraiser for Middlesex Democrats in recent years. Since 2000, Morris and his companies have contributed over $500,000 to Democrats and Democratic political organizations throughout the state. Of that money, at least $140,000 has gone to the Middlesex County Democratic Organization, ELEC reports.

Why would the leader of the New Jersey State Republican Party be accepting funds so closely associated with the so-called Middlesex County Democratic boss, a man who has been doing everything in his power to defeat Middlesex Republicans? Kyrillos has not returned calls to this office to answer questions for this article.

Kyrillos was chairman of the state’s Republican Party from 2001 to 2004.

Middlesex Republicans' Up-hill Battle

For years, Middlesex Republicans have been fighting an up-hill battle to raise funds in a county where the Middlesex Democratic Party is largely in control of the area's municipal and county-wide offices. Subsequently, Middlesex Democrats have been able to draw on the generosity of numerous professional services firms and developers to fill its political coffers.

Is the Middlesex Republican Party destined to minority status because of the financial power of the Middlesex Democratic organization, or has a dry fund-raising well kept the Middlesex Republicans from encroaching on Democratic territory? The question may bit of a "chicken or the egg" scenario, but the Middlesex County Republican Committee has seen little in terms of funding by the state to even put the question to the test.

Middlesex had the second largest base of undeclared voters in the state (Bergen County had claims to first place) at the height of Kyrillos' tenure as state Republican leader in 2002. Nevertheless, the county organization saw only approximately $28,000 in contributions and in-kind contributions from the state party from mid-2001 to 2005.

In total, approximately $2,016,000 has been contributed or given as in-kind contributions to county organizations during that time, with $45,000 of that money being expended since Tom Wilson took over the reins as state Republican chairman in December 2004.

Therefore, the $28,000 amount places Middlesex County 13th out of 19 counties that received money from the state for the county party organization and county-wide races during that time period. (Hunterdon and Sussex counties, both heavily Republican, relied on internal fundraising alone to finance their races.) The counties out-ranking Middlesex in terms of state GOP spending included Democratic powerhouses Essex, Union, Camden and Hudson. Counties that saw less funds from the state than Middlesex from June 2001 to 2005 Cape May, Morris, Atlantic, Salem, Warren and Mercer.

Neighboring Monmouth and Ocean counties were at the top end of the spectrum, receiving approximately $232,000 and $136,000 respectively from the state during that time. Notably, all the donations and in-kind contributions that came to Monmouth from the state between June 2001 and 2005 were made after Fred Niemann replaced Dowd as Monmouth County Republican chairman.

Today, both the Monmouth County Democratic and Republican parties are experiencing change. What direction these changes take may ultimately be tied to Lynch’s involvement in both parties and Kyrillos’ involvement with Lynch.

(A request for an interview with Sen. Lynch was not answered by this article’s deadline.)

Courier's 50 years

In preparation for a 50-year anniversary section, The Courier staff has been scanning our old archives quite feverishly.

The issues Matthew Gill used to put out were incredible. And, let me say, the words "controversial" and "The Courier" go back a loooong way.

Some of the highlights:

1) Matt Gill successfully sued Middletown Township in 1970 AND 1980... and publicized the entire thing week after week in the paper

2) Best headline (published in the December 6, 1979 issue): "Caller threatens to kill Courier reporter as shooting death controversy continues" (and upon seeing that headline, Purcell remarked, "That's just Thursday.")

3) The headline "__(insert an official's name)__ under fire" has appeared a number of times on the front page of the paper

...some things change, some things stay the same.

Bestest Headline Ever

Middletown official defends Christmas

Next up in the let's-not-do-our-job-behind-the-scenes
-and-discuss-issues-in-committee-like-we're-supposed-to
-when-we-can-pander-to-the-press-and-generate-headlines-
about-ourselves category:

Councilman comes out strongly against cancer

Committeewoman: "Drowning kittens is bad"

Gosh, I'm proud that my elected officials are taking really important, non-controversial press grabbing stands so they can avoid issues that actually matter at the municipal level like, say, excessive bonding.

TGIO

Thank God It's Over!

Ah, the peace and serenity when I slipped into bed tonight... I'm grateful silly season is over.

It was a night of narrow victories and a few surprise defeats.

The biggest surprise, in my mind, was the 12th District loss of Mike Panter and Bob Morgan, Democrats, to Jen Beck and Declan O'Scanlon, Republicans. Beck, who pulled out a victory at the Monmouth County GOP convention in April where she wasn't a favorite going in, really proved her mettle. Beck and O'Scanlon campaigned aggressively and non-stop and Monmouth Republicans are rightfully very excited to regain control of seats they lost but two years ago.

Republicans retained control of the 11th and 13th Districts. I'm pretty surprised that the 13th District Dems, with their lack of funds or even campaign staff, weren't thoroughly stomped, though Republicans did attain a sizable victory. In the end Middletown proved the Democrats' undoing, with a 2,200 vote deficit in the township that they didn't have much of chance of recovering from.

At the local level, Republicans won two seats in Atlantic Highlands, Highlands, Holmdel, Red Bank and Middletown. Democrats won four seats in Matawan for control of the borough; two seats in Hazlet; three seats in Aberdeen; and two seats in Keyport.

With the Democrat victories in Aberdeen and Matawan and a three-seat Republican victory in Mercer's Hamilton Township, it wasn't a very good day to be Jack Morris. Morris, a Piscataway-based developer, had proposed a redevelopment project of the Aberdeen-Matawan Train Station; opposition to Morris's plan became a major part of the Aberdeen and Matawan races. In Hamilon Township, three Republicans who came to run to office because of their opposition to a Morris-company project in their town, won handily in a Democrat stronghold.

My dear mother...

You know how I noted that my mother votes for people because she likes the sound of their names?

We live in Middletown, and this is what she told me today (this is a direct quote):

"I think I'm going to vote for Tom Wilkens because he swims good."

She noted that she was going to vote for Alex DeSevo too, probably because his name is more familiar to her and because he's Italian, like my mother's family is.

I wonder what percentage of the electorate votes based on a similar methodology. I guess it makes sense since people are so fed up with the political process that those who do vote hold their nose when they flick the levers.

Please let this season be over

Sorry I haven't posted in forever. A hacking cough and some fluish thing kept me in bed for a few days. I really can't wait for election season to be over. I totally understand that candidates have to make the final push to get themselves coverage, but boy it's killing me.

I'm really interested to see what effect the "Monmouth 11" and the "Club Monmouth" series will have, if any, on this year's outcome. The election is less than two weeks away folks.

Register for an absentee ballot here.

Here's the interactive part of today's entry. I'd like to hear some of your predictions for the following races:


Aberdeen

Mayor (1 seat):
David Sobel (D, incumbent) VS.
Peter Morrison (R)

Council (2 seats):
Joseph Raymond (D, incumbent) & Thomas Perry (D, incumbent) VS.
John Gartley (R) and Sheldon Chaplowitz (R)


Atlantic Highlands

Council (2 seats):
John C. Archibald, Jr. (R, incumbent) & Peter Doyle (R) VS.
Stephen D. Noonan (D, incumbent) & Robert J. Sutton (D)


Hazlet

Committee (1 seat, full term):
Ric Medrow (R) VS.
James DiNardo (D)

Committee (1 seat, unexpired 1-year term):
William J. Kolibas Jr. (R) VS.
Kevin Lavan (D)


Holmdel

Committee (2 seats):
Tony Orsini (D, incumbent) & Janet Berk (D, incumbent) VS.
Rocco F. Pascucci (R) & Alan R. Bateman (R)


Keyport

Council (2 seats):
June E. Atkins (R, incumbent) & George J. Strang VS.
Joseph E. Sheridan (D) & William Ortman (D)


Matawan

Mayor (1 seat):
Beatrice Duffy (R, incumbent) VS.
Mary Aufseeser (D)

Council (2 seats):
Sharon D. Roselli (R, incumbent) & Robert Kee (R, incumbent) VS.
William J. Malley (D) & Meghan Mullaney (D)

Council (1 seat, 1-year unexpired term):
Vicky Allen (R, incumbent) VS.
Neil Mendelsohn (D)


Middletown

Committee (2 seats):
Pamela M. Brightbill (R) & Thomas P. Wilkens (R) VS.
Alex DeSevo (D) & Steve Borbely (D) VS.
Joe McGrath (I)


Red Bank

Council (2 seats):
John Curley (R, incumbent) & Kaye Ernst (R) VS.
Guy T. Maratta (D) & Louis J. DiMento (D)

Place yer bets!

All right Monmouth County folks, there's about a month to the election. I keep hearing poll numbers that contradict each other from my sources in Democrat and Republican camps. I'd like to hear your commentary about it.

I'm not going to predict, but I will speculate on the races, as I see them from the ground level. If I'm seriously off-target I expect mocking by all!

Monmouth County Freeholder Race
William Barham & Lillian Burry (Rep.) VS. Rebecca Aaronson & Barbara McMorrow (Dem.)
    The APP's Club Monmouth series but a dent in the chrome engine of the all-Republican Freeholder board. But, more likely, the harder blow may have been when former long-time Freeholder Director "the Governor of Monmouth County" Harry Larrison was arrested on bribery charges.
    Barham and particularly Burry have a reputation for being no-nonsense office-holders. Will Aaronson and McMorrow be able to communicate to the voters their message that continuing the Republican stronghold in Monmouth is bad government?

13th District Race
Amy Handlin & Sam Thompson (Rep.) VS. Michael Dasaro & Bill Flynn (Dem.)
Handlin, despite her 15-year tenure as a freeholder, has managed to very shrewdly cast a public image as a "reformer" (and having a kow-towing press never hurts any either). Will Dasaro and Flynn be able to communicate their message that Handlin is a hypocrite, having been on the periphery of the scandals surrounding the MC Republican Organization?
    Handlin, to the best of my knowledge, hasn't made any campaign stops in any town other than Middletown and the Democrat-stronghold of Aberdeen. Officials in Keansburg and Keyport, two municipalities in the 13th District, say they haven't even seen Freeholder Handlin in their town in recent years. It seems that Handlin and the MC Republican Party is counting on the strength of Middletown to carry to this election.
    Another question is how will Thompson fare without his long-time running mate Azzolina? Azzolina, for whatever the woes in Middletown, always had a strong reputation with labor and carried 25% of the Democratic vote.
    A lot will depend on voter turn-out and how well the Democrats in the traditionally working-class areas of the 13th District are able to mobilize their base. Same for Republicans in the white-collar areas of Middletown and Holmdel. The Clean Elections program threw a monkeywrench into this election and more will depend on grassroots efforts than press and messaging.

12th District Race
Declan O'Scanlon & Jennifer Beck (Rep.) VS. Mike Panter & Bob Morgan (Dem.)
Panter & Morgan have managed to create a new breed of Democrat - fiscally responsible Democrat - unseen in other parts of the state. It's not just good government, it's also pragmatic: Democrats in Monmouth County will not appeal to the Republican demographic by falling in line with Democrat heavy-weights in Trenton.
    With the state and county Republicans having written off the 12th District after Bennett's defeat in 2003, O'Scanlon & Beck have had a tough time getting attention to their message. But O'Scanlon & Beck are both fighters. They will throw 150% into their campaign come hell or high water. Whatever the outcome in this election, Beck will be a force to be reckoned with in the future. Republicans would be smart to look to Beck for the Freeholder line when Freeholder Ted Narozanic retires.

11th District Race
Steve Corodemus & Sean Kean (Rep.) VS. Matt Doherty & Jim Reilly (Dem.)
The state Democrats have poured a lot of money into the 11th District with a frantic stream of press releases that seem to be making a dent. Not to mention the thousands of dollars in cable ad buys.
    Corodemus and Kean haven't taken the blitz lying down, painting their opponents as state Democratic machine insiders. Corodemus and Kean also have established an environmental record that matters in the minds of 11th District voters.
    The 11th District race will be close, but I think the Democrats will have difficulty unseating the Republican incumbents.

Bayshore News You Can(Not) Use

Not much new in Bayshore Journalista-ville. I spewed-forth a 1,000-word story on the ruckus that was the Hazlet Township Committee meeting last night, and I'm mighty tired.

The whole mystery of the $20,000 discrepancy between what Committeeman Scott Broschart said he raised as 2004 Hazlet Republican campaign manager and what was actually raised has yet to be fully explained. The Hazlet Dems have filed a complaint with the Board of Elections and the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. I guess it's wait-and-see now.

In Middletown, Anthony Spalliero, everyone's favorite alleged politician-briber, was taken into custoday yesterday "following an altercation with a young woman in a Brookdale Community College parking lot," according to the Asbury Park Press.

In other area news, William Flynn and Michael Dasaro, Democrat candidates for the 13th District, have bowed out of the Clean Elections program, citing the high fundraising threshold. The pair have pledged to abide by spending limits and other regulations proposed by the Clean Elections pilot program.

Press Releases

August 19, 2005

11th District:
Matt Doherty and Jim Reilly for State Assembly, (PoliticsNJ.com)
Steve Corodemus and Sean Kean for State Assembly, (PoliticsNJ.com)


August 18, 2005

11th District:
Matt Doherty and Jim Reilly for State Assembly, (PoliticsNJ.com)
Assemblyman Sean Kean, (PoliticsNJ.com)
Matt Doherty and Jim Reilly for State Assembly, (PoliticsNJ.com)
Steve Corodemus and Sean Kean for State Assembly, (PoliticsNJ.com)

13th District:
Bill Flynn and Mike Dasaro for State Assembly, (PoliticsNJ.com)

Middletown:
Middletown Democratic Chairman Joe Caliendo, (PoliticsNJ.com)
Steve Borbely and Alex DeSevo for Middletown Township Committee, (PoliticsNJ.com)

Daily Rounds

13th District
1) Candidates seek simpler clean-election requirements, (APP)

Fort Monmouth
1) Fort's defenders set for D (for Decision) Day, (APP)

Highlands
1) Highlands man under warrant is apprehended, (APP)

Holmdel
1) Holmdel's Schaub wins Junior Equitation, (APP)

Keansburg
1) New Jersey Firefighter Killed by Suspected Drunk Driver, (Firehouse.com)
2) Fireman Struck, Killed While Directing Traffic, (WNBC)
3) Car hits and kills 54-year fireman, (APP)

Matawan
1) Town service survey on Matawan Web site, (APP)

Middletown
1) CORRECTING and REPLACING Two River Community Bank and The Town Bank to Join Forces, (BusinessWire.com)
2) A bittersweet homecoming: Middletown Marine back in N.J. for brief family visit

Monmouth
1) Park restroom issue resolved, (APP)
2) ISSUE NOT ON AGENDA: Candidate can't present plan for campaign finance reform, (APP)

Discrepancies blaring in Kyrillos’s ELEC reports

Published in the August 18, 2005 issue of The Courier.

Discrepancies blaring in Kyrillos’s ELEC reports

By JACKIE CORLEY

Are missing dates in state Sen. Joe Kyrillos’s primary 2001 election reports a deliberate omission or a clerical mistake?

Four of Kyrillos’s 2001 election forms, three of which were typed and one of which was handwritten, are missing the last digit of the year of contributions made for that election cycle.

The four election reports in question are: Kyrillos’s July 15, 2000 quarterly report, received by the Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) on July 25, 2000; the October 15, 2000 quarterly report, received by ELEC on October 27, 2000; the 29-day pre-election report for Kyrillos’s June 19, 2001 primary, received by ELEC on June 1, 2001; and the 20-day post-election report, received by ELEC on July 17, 2001.

A search on ELEC’s website lists the years of the more than 300 contributions in question. This is done under the years the reports for the contributions were issued.
However, the election reports themselves fail to include the last digit of the year of the over 300 contributions, seven of which were handwritten without the final digit into the 20-day post-election report.

For example, Ronald Gravino made a $2,200 contribution to Kyrillos’s primary campaign. The date of the contribution is hand written as “7/03/200” and included in the 20-day post report.

Notably, Gravino lists his address as PO Box 225, Colonia, NJ 07067, the same address used by gubernatorial candidate Douglas Forrester and the “Forrester For Governor” campaign in contributions made to Monmouth County Republicans during 2004 and 2005. Gravino is the treasurer for Forrester’s campaign for governor, according to the candidate’s official website.

The omission of the final digit of the year is repeated throughout in over 50 pages of documents.

Also curious is the election date listed in Kyrillos’s 11-day post-election report and his 20-day post-election report. While ELEC documents show the two reports were received by the commission on June 15, 2001 and July 17, 2001, respectively, for the June 19, 2001 primary election, both handwritten documents list the election date as “6/19/2000.”

All other reports for the 2001 primary list the election date as June 2001.
Additionally, Kyrillos’s 11-day pre-election report lists contributions made in two different years. The “Schedule A” of every election report filed by a candidate for office lists all monetary contributions over $400.

Kyrillos’s “Schedule A” for the 11-day pre-election report is four pages long. The first page includes five contributions handwritten as having been made on “06/07/01”; the second page includes five contributions handwritten as having been made on “6-7-2000”; the third page includes two contributions handwritten as having been made on “6-7-2000”, with three slots for listing additional contributions left blank; and the final page includes five contributions handwritten as having been made on “06/07/01.”

Kyrillos’s July 15, 2000 quarterly report also appears to have a discrepancy in its “Schedule A” form. Each type-written page of the report includes a subtotal, also typed, adding all monetary contributions over $300.

The second to last subtotal in the “Schedule A” lists the amount of contributions as $139,500. However, on the last page of the “Schedule A,” which includes a $500 contribution, this subtotal is handwritten as $138,200. The $138,200 amount was reported as the total amount of contributions in excess of $300.

Election Law

Currently, election law states that the following information must be reported for each contribution made: “1. The date the contribution was received or, if more than one contribution was received in the reporting period, the dates the aggregate contributions were received; 2. The name and mailing address of the contributor; 3. If the contributor is an individual, the occupation of the individual and the name and mailing address of the individual’s employer…; 4. The amount of the contribution, or amount of aggregate contributions in the reporting period; and 5. The total amount of all contributions received from the contributor in the election to date.”

Election law further stipulates that any candidate or treasurer “who omits or incorrectly states or certifies any of the information required by law to be included in [an ELEC] report…shall, in addition to any other penalty provided by law, be liable to a penalty of not more than $6,000 for the first offense and not more than $12,000 for the second and each subsequent offense.”

Treasurer’s Report

William A. Meyler, Middletown, a certified public accountant listed as the treasurer for the Senator Kyrillos Committee on the ELEC reports cited here, said he is not Kyrillos’s treasurer, though he does help in filing the veteran senator’s reports.

Meyler said he could not comment at this time on the missing years on the 50 pages of reports, as the documentation was completed some four years ago.

Any additions or corrections to the reports must be filed as an amendment with ELEC. There are currently no amendments to the reports in question.

To view the reports, visit http://www.bayshorenews.com.

Daily Rounds

13th District Race:
Check this out, voters: Raising standards for campaigning, $5 at a time, (APP)

Highlands:
Classic car program coming to Huddy Park, (APP)

Matawan:
Assisted-living facility's employees set to strike, (APP)

Middletown:
"Well-deserved" promotion for officer, (APP)

Monmouth/Middletown:
Club Monmouth: Disabled can't use park's restrooms, (APP)

Also, this week's issue of The Independent is available on-line.

Tomorrow, weekly newspapers The Courier and The Two River Times will be available in print and The Atlantic Highlands Herald will be available on-line.